Aceh War
The Aceh War (Indonesian: Perang Aceh), also known as the Dutch War or the Infidel War (1873–1904), was an armed military conflict between the Sultanate of Aceh and the Kingdom of the Netherlands which was triggered by discussions between representatives of Aceh and the United States in Singapore during early 1873. The war was part of a series of conflicts in the late 19th century that consolidated Dutch rule over modern-day Indonesia.
| Aceh War | |||||||||
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Artist's depiction of the Battle of Samalanga in 1878 | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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Netherlands
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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J.H.R. Köhler † |
Sultan Mahmud Syah # | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
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3,000 troops (First Aceh Expedition) 13,000 (Second Aceh Expedition) 12,000 European KNIL troops (1903) 23,000 Indonesian KNIL troops | 10,000–100,000 troops | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 37,000 killed (including by cholera) |
60,000–70,000 killed (including by cholera) 10,000 refugees | ||||||||
| History of Indonesia |
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| Timeline |
| Indonesia portal |
The campaign drew controversy in the Netherlands as photographs and accounts of the death toll were reported. Isolated bloody insurgencies continued as late as 1914 and less violent forms of Acehnese resistance continued to persist until World War II and the Japanese occupation.