The Dutch Mountbatten. Herman Van Roijen and the End of Dutch Empire in Asia

In early 1949, after three years of fruitless talks and fighting, the Indonesian independence struggle reached its final stage. Under threat of United Nations sanctions The Hague was forced to the negotiation table. Having the support of the international community, the Indonesians decided to play hard ball. Under these difficult circumstances the Dutch cabinet appointed its most gifted diplomat, Herman van Roijen, as its negotiator, who succeeded against all odds. The talks resulted in the Van Roijen-Roem Agreement which led to the Round Table Conference later that year (in which Van Roijen also played a leading role). In December 1949 the transfer of sovereignty to Indonesia was signed. Van Roijen had made this peaceful ending possible and for his efforts he was hailed by many as the Dutch Mounbatten. Surprisingly enough this final diplomatic stage of the Indonesian independence struggle is hardly touched upon in the international historiography.  In our paper we want to discuss these crucial talks more in detail and consider the importance of the role of Herman van Roijen. We will focus on the difficult conditions he had to work under and make clear how he was able to perform his diplomatic balancing act, to keep on speaking terms with all participating parties (the Republicans, the federal Indonesians, the Americans and the Dutch at home) and gain their trust. This case study will make clear that individuals sometimes make the difference: what made Herman van Roijen the right man on the right spot at the right time?