Free Republic of Nias

Free Republic of Nias Freie Republik Nias(German)
1942–1942
Emblem [lower-alpha 2]
Anthem:  Indonesia Raya [lower-alpha 3]
Territory of the Free Republic of Nias
Capital	Gunungsitoli
Common languages	Indonesian Nias German
Prime Minister
• 1942	Ernst Leo Fischer
Minister of Foreign Affairs
• 1942	Albert Vehring
Historical era	World War II
• Republic declared	29 March 1942
• North Nias occupied by Japan	17 April 1942
• South of Nias occupied by Japan	22 April 1942
Preceded by Succeeded by Dutch East Indies Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies
Today part of	Indonesia

The Free Republic of Nias (German: Freie Republik Nias) was a short-lived and unrecognised state proclaimed by German prisoners on Nias Island, Indonesia, with Ernst Leo Fischer as Prime Minister and leader. The state lasted less than a month until the island was fully occupied by Japanese forces on 22 April 1942.

Background

Sinking of the SS Van Imhoff

S.S. Van Imhoff in Gorontalo Bay

On 10 May 1940, Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands. The Dutch government in the Dutch East Indies retaliated by arresting German nationals. The Dutch government on Nias, led by J.L. Plas ^[1] as supervisor (Dutch liaison for indigenous peoples) ^[2] of the region, began to arrest German missionaries and doctors whose predecessors had been active since the 1880s in North Sumatra. ^[3]

Meanwhile, north of Nias, in the town of Kutacane, Aceh, around 2,400 German men and women were imprisoned by Dutch troops. Knowing of the impending Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies, the Dutch government planned to send them to British Raj. The prisoners were moved to Sibolga on the north coast of Sumatra and then transported to India in three groups. ^[4]

The first two groups arrived in India. For the third group, the ship carrying the prisoners, SS Van Imhoff, was attacked by Japanese bombers about 177 km off the west coast of Sumatra and badly damaged. The prisoners were abandoned by the captain and crew who left in a lifeboat. ^[4] Of the 477 inmates, 201 survived the drowning, while 276 inmates drowned immediately. 134 survivors, who were on the raft, later drowned. Only 67 reached Nias. ^[5]

Arriving in Nias

The 67 survivors who reached Nias were divided into two groups. The first, consisting of 53 prisoners, moved parallel to the coastline. On 21 January 1942, at 09.00, they saw a small beach with a reef in front of it. They descended and searched for signs of life, finding a small river but no food. ^[6] That afternoon, a Dominican Catholic priest named Van Stralen appeared with two bottles of wine, promised to return the next day with a doctor and food, and guided him to some locals. The indigenous people declared that they were Christians and told him that they were on Nias. ^[7]

The second group of 14 prisoners reached Hilisimaetano, South Nias. One of them, Albert Vehring, saw an isolated house. Some prisoners went to the house and the owner of the house felt threatened, cutting some coconuts for the group. The incident caught the attention of nearby villagers. One of the villagers was able to communicate with the prisoners who told him about the Van Imhoff incident. After the villagers left and the survivors went to sleep, one of them, Dr Heidt, was invited by the village chief to a meeting. ^[8]

The next day, the second group started marching towards the capital of Nias, Gunungsitoli. They found an oplet (local taxi), to take them to a nearby village. There, during a feast served by the locals, they were spotted by the Dutch authorities. Reluctant to treat them as prisoners, the Dutch authorities released them and let them go to Gunungsitoli on their own. The groups would then meet at a crossroads. ^[9]

A truk 60 mi (97 km) from Gunungsitoli was waiting for the prisoners and transported them to the prison guarded by 38 veldpolities (customary guards) and some Dutch soldiers. ^{[10] [11]}

Coup d'etat

Nias coup d'etat 1942
Part of Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies
Date 28 March 1942 Location Nias, Dutch East Indies Result All non-German Europeans imprisoned Formation of the Independent Republic of Nias
Belligerents
German Prisoners Veldpolitie Nias	Dutch East Indies   United States
Strength
67 German POWs 32 Veldpolitie	20 People
Casualties and losses
None	1 Dutchmen injured

After a few days in prison, word came that Sibolga, a city located on the mainland of Sumatra, had been occupied by the Japanese. The German prisoners convinced the native police, known as Veldpolities, to defect from the Netherlands on the grounds that Germany and Japan were winning the war. ^[12] On 28 March 1942, the veldpolities revolted against their Dutch superiors. The veldpolities fired on Dutch houses and freed German prisoners. Albert Vehring states that the veldpolities emerged after the firefight had subsided. The veldpolities distributed firearms to the freed Germans from the prison armoury. The Dutch were unarmed as almost all the weapons were in the armoury: only a doctor and a Nias deputy had firearms at home. Although the German veldpolities and prisoners far outnumbered the Dutch, only one Dutchman was wounded. ^{[13] [14]}

Shortly after the shootout, the Dutch deputy resident, superintendent and chief of police on Nias, along with five British soldiers, several Dutch priests and other Dutch residents were arrested and imprisoned. ^[10] At first, the Dutch and other prisoners thought that they would be shot, but later, learnt that the rebellious veldpolities had simply separated them into male and female prisons. ^[15]

Establishment

The next day, 29 March 1942, in collaboration with Nias leaders, the former German prisoners proclaimed the "Free Republic of Nias" in the name of Adolf Hitler. One of them, Ernst Leo Fischer, became the first prime minister. ^[10] He appointed Albert Vehring as foreign minister. The declaration of the republic was greeted with joy by the local population, as they were the first people in the Dutch East Indies to overthrow the colonial rule of the Dutch government. Although the people of Nias had high hopes for the new republic, the Germans themselves did not take the republic seriously, as some considered it as a joke. ^[16]

Knowing that the veldpolities would revolt if not paid, the Germans looted ƒ857,000 from the vice-resident's house and the pawnshop, consisting of three months' salary for all government employees in Nias and the residents' savings. Some of this was given to the veldpolities to ensure their loyalty, while some was kept by the Germans. ^[17]

Nine patrol groups were formed to guard Nias, each consisting of a German and a veldpolitie armed with carbines. The Germans also took as many weapons as possible and occupied radio stations to contact the Japanese who had captured Sumatra. The attempt failed, as the Japanese and Germans could not understand each other. ^[17]

Important Events

Dutch ship captures

On 31 March 1942, two Dutch ships, SS Sumatra and SS Salida, arrived in Gunungsitoli harbour. The Germans acted cautiously and approached with rifles. The captains, Bloemers and Flothuis, did not realise that the island was uninhabited by the Japanese and were surprised when they saw German soldiers. Both were imprisoned by the Germans. ^[18] The Germans learnt from the internees that a Dutch ship was chartered by the Japanese in Sumatra for ƒ7,000 to deliver rice from Nias. The Germans realised that the Japanese did not know they were on the island. ^[18] One of the prisoners, Grasshof, used the radio to play a German military song and thus identified their presence to the Japanese troops. ^[19]

Transportation of prisoners

To show their loyalty, the Germans decided to transport the Dutch and British citizens of Nias to mainland Sumatra, and hand them over to the Japanese. They commandeered a ship to tow several open boats with the prisoners. On 6 April, they left Gunungsitoli for Sibolga, arriving later that day. When a small Japanese motorboat arrived, German soldiers stood to attention and greeted them with the Hitler salute, but the Japanese did not respond, as a way of demonstrating their authority. After a brief exchange of contact, the prisoners were taken away by the Japanese. On 12 April, a second wave of prisoners, accompanied by 22 Germans, travelled to Sibolga. ^[20]

Dissolution

On 17 April 1942, the Japanese arrived on Nias with six ships and 120 to 200 soldiers to occupy Nias. Members of the government of the Free Republic of Nias – Leo Fischer, Albert Vehring – and other Germans welcomed them at the harbour. The Japanese were greeted with the Nazi salute, and school children sang the Indonesian national anthem, "Indonesia Raya". ^[21]

Although the island had been officially occupied by Japan, the Germans still managed to organise a small event to celebrate Hitler's birthday. The Germans brought a portrait of Hitler, and the event ended with a triple banzai and Nazi salute. On 22 April 1942, the Japanese occupied the southern part of the island by sea. ^[21]

Japanese Occupation

After the Japanese occupied the island, the remaining Europeans on the island, regardless of nationality, were transferred to Sumatra on 24 April 1942. Only one German, named Heidt, remained as a doctor. ^[21] He died on 2 September 1942 after an overdose of sleeping pills. ^[22]

Notes

2. Oktorino 2020, p. 64: ...the Germans brought guns and wore their own handmade Swastika.. (...orang-orang Jerman itu membawa senjata dan mengenakan lencana swastika buatan sendiri...)
3. Geerken 2017, p. 425: The inhabitants welcomed the Japanese with delight and the national anthem Indonesia Raya

References

1. Government of Dutch East Indies 1941 , p. 332
2. Habsyah, Sudiharto & Trihusodo 2008 , p. 46
3. Matanasi, Petrik (26 March 2017). "Kudeta Orang-Orang (Nazi) Jerman di Pulau Nias". tirto.id. Tirto. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
4. Oktorino 2019 , p. 141
5. Oktorino 2020 , p. 55
6. Oktorino 2020 , pp. 55–56
7. Oktorino 2020 , pp. 56–57
8. Oktorino 2020 , pp. 56–59
9. Oktorino 2020 , pp. 59–60
10. Anwar 2004 , p. 83
11. Geerken 2017 , p. 424
12. Oktorino 2020 , p. 60
13. Information Bureau of North Sumatra 1953 , p. 488
14. Oktorino 2020 , pp. 60–61
15. Oktorino 2020 , p. 61
16. Oktorino 2020 , pp. 61–62
17. Oktorino 2020 , p. 62
18. Oktorino 2020 , p. 63
19. Wittenberg, Hendrik (2016). "Timeline". vanimhoff.info. VanImhoff.info. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
20. Anwar 2004 , pp. 83–84
21. Anwar 2004 , p. 84
22. Wittenberg, Hendrik (2016). "Karl Heidt". vanimhoff.info. VanImhoff.info. Retrieved 6 May 2020.

Bibliography

• Oktorino, Nino (2019), Seri Nusantara Membara: Invasi ke Sumatra (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Elex Media Komputindo, ISBN   978-602-04-8798-4
• Habsyah, Attashendartini; Sudiharto, Mooriati; Trihusodo, Putut (2008), Perjalanan Panjang Anak Bumi, Yayasan Obor Indonesia, ISBN   978-979-4616-54-3
• Oktorino, Nino (2020), Jejak Hitler di Nusantara - Petualangan, Intrik dan Konspirasi Nazi di Indonesia (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Elex Media Komputindo, ISBN   978-623-00-1536-6
• Geerken, Horst H. (2017), Hitler's Asian Adventure, Norderstedt: Books on Demand
• Anwar, Rosihan (2004), Sejarah kecil "Petite Histoire" Indonesia (in Indonesian), vol. 1, Jakarta: Penerbit Buku Kompas
• Government of Dutch East Indies (1941), Regeerings-Almanak voor Nederlandsch-Indie (in Dutch), vol. 2, Batavia: Landsdrukkerij
• Information Bureau of North Sumatra (1953), Republik Indonesia: Propinsi Sumatera Utara (in Indonesian), Medan: Ministry of Information