“Japanese occupation was the main reason for the growth of nationalism in the Dutch East Indies.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?

The question requires that candidates consider the merits or otherwise of the statement that Japanese occupation was the main reason for the growth of nationalism in the Dutch East Indies. Candidates may refer to how the Japanese politicized the Indonesians and allowed the nationalists to develop their cause further. For example, the Japanese promoted many of the nationalist figures, such as Sukarno, to positions of power. Sukarno was even given a military force, which candidates may argue placed him in a strong position to fight for independence after the war. The Japanese also gave the Indonesian elite experience of government as the day-to-day business of running the country was left to them. At the end of the war, they did not want to relinquish this power. Candidates may challenge the assumption in the question by arguing that nationalism had already developed in the Dutch East Indies as a result of the nature of Dutch occupation. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

The question required that candidates consider the merits or otherwise of the statement that Japanese occupation was the main reason for the growth of nationalism in the Dutch East Indies.