Get Out! The Indies Must be Liberated
This 1945 poster, illustrated by Dutch artist Nico Broekman, depicts a Japanese soldier being forcefully kicked off the island of Bali with the bold caption: "Get Out! The Indies Must Be Liberated." The poster is part of the collection at KITLV/Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies in Leiden. The artwork reflects the Dutch call to reclaim their colony from Japanese occupation, which had begun in early 1942 during World War II. Following the occupation, many Dutch submarines and aircraft managed to escape to Australia, continuing the fight alongside Allied forces.
Year
1945
Design
Nico Broekman
Object Detail
N/A
Type
Posters
Collection
KITLV
Did you know?
During the war, Japan supported Indonesian nationalists, enabling them to gain control of parts of the archipelago. In July 1945, Allied forces launched an invasion of Borneo with the intent to reestablish Dutch colonial rule. However, after Japan’s surrender, the Dutch faced growing resistance from Indonesian nationalists, leading to a four-year conflict that ultimately ended with Indonesia’s independence in 1949.
