Free Republic of Nias

The Free Republic of Nias (Indonesian: Republik Nias Merdeka, German: Freie Republik Nias) was a short-lived, unrecognized state proclaimed by German prisoners on the Indonesian island of Nias. It existed for less than a month until the island was fully occupied by Japanese troops on 22 April 1942.

Free Republic of Nias

Republik Nias Merdeka (Indonesian)
Freie Republik Nias (German)
1942–1942
Territory of the Free Nias Republic
Common languagesIndonesian
Nias
German
Prime Minister 
• 1942
Ernst Leo Fischer
Foreign Minister 
• 1942
Albert Vehring
Historical eraWorld War II
• Republic declared
29 March 1942
• Northern Nias
occupied by
the Japanese
17 April 1942
• Southern Nias
occupied by
the Japanese
22 April 1942
Preceded by		Succeeded by
Dutch East Indies
Japanese Dutch East Indies
Today part of Indonesia

Background

Sinking of SS Van Imhoff

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 in Nias, headed by J. L. Plas[1] as the controleur (Dutch liaison for the indigenous people)[2] of the region, began arresting German missionaries and doctors whose predecessors had been active since the 1880s in North Sumatra.[3]

Meanwhile, to the north of Nias, in the city of Kutacane, Aceh, about 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 the British India. The prisoners were transferred to Sibolga on the north coast of Sumatra to then be transported to India in three groups.[4]

The first two groups arrived in India. For the third group, the ship that was carrying the prisoners, SS Van Imhoff, was attacked by Japanese bombers about 177 km off the west coast of Sumatra and fatally damaged. The prisoners were abandoned by the captain and crew who left using the lifeboats.[4] Of the 477 prisoners, 201 survived the sinking, while 276 prisoners immediately drowned.[5] 134 of the survivors, who were on rafts, later drowned. Only 67 reached Nias.[6]

Arriving to Nias

The 67 survivors who reached Nias were in two groups. The first, consisting of 53 prisoners, moved parallel to the shoreline. On 21 January 1942, at 9am, they saw a tiny beach with coral in front of it. They disembarked and searched for signs of life, finding a small creek but no food.[7] That afternoon, a Catholic Dominican pastor named Van Stralen appeared with two bottles of wine, promising to come back the next day with a doctor and food, and guided them to some local people. The indigenous people stated that they were Christian and informed them that they were at Nias.[8]

The second group consisting of 14 prisoners, reached Hilisimaetano, Southern Nias. One, Albert Vehring, saw an isolated house. Several prisoners went to the house and the homeowner, feeling threatened, cut some coconuts for the group. The incident attracted 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 had slept, one, Dr. Heidt, was invited by the villager chief to a meeting.[9]

The next day, the second group began to march to the capital of Nias, Gunungsitoli. They found an oplet (local taxi), to transport them to the closest village. There, while having a feast served by the locals, they were found 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 later meet at a crossroads.[10]

A truck 60 mi (97 km) from Gunungsitoli was waiting for the prisoners and transported them to a prison guarded by 38 veldpolities (indigenous guards) and several Dutch soldiers.[11][12]

Coup d'état
1942 Nias coup d'état
Part of Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies
Date28 March 1942
Location
Nias, Dutch East Indies
Result
  • All Europeans (except Germans) imprisoned
  • Establishment of the Free Republic of Nias
Belligerents
German prisoners
Nias veldpolities		  Dutch East Indies
Strength
67 Germans
38 veldpolities		 Unknown
Casualties and losses
None 1 Dutch wounded

After several days in the prison, news arrived that Sibolga, a city located in mainland Sumatra, had been occupied by the Japanese. The German prisoners convinced the veldpolities to defect from the Dutch by arguing that Germany and Japan were winning the war.[13] On 28 March 1942, the veldpolities revolted against their Dutch bosses. The veldpolities opened fire on Dutch houses and freed the German prisoners. Albert Vehring stated that the veldpolities appeared after the shootout had diminished. The veldpolities distributed firearms to the freed Germans from the prison arsenal. The Dutch were unarmed as the arsenal held almost all the weapons: only a doctor and the deputy resident of Nias had firearms at home. Even though the veldpolities and German prisoners greatly outnumbered the Dutch, only one Dutch person was wounded.[14][15]

Shortly after the shootout, the deputy resident, the controleur, and head of the Dutch police in Nias, along with five British soldiers, several Dutch priests, and other Dutch inhabitants were arrested and put behind bars.[11] At first, the Dutch and other prisoners thought that they were going to be shot, but later on, figured out that the revolting veldpolitie had simply separated them into male and female prisons.[16]

Establishment

On the next day, 29 March 1942, in cooperation with Nias figures, the former German prisoners proclaimed a "Free Republic of Nias" in the name of Adolf Hitler. One of them, Ernst Leo Fischer, became the first prime minister.[11] He appointed Albert Vehring as the foreign minister. The declaration of the republic was met with joy by local inhabitants, as they were the first in the Dutch East Indies to throw off the colonial rule of the Dutch government. Even though the people of Nias hoped much of the new republic, the Germans themselves did not consider the republic seriously, as they considered it to be a joke.[17]

Learning that the veldpolities would revolt if they were not paid, the Germans looted money amounting to ƒ857,000 from the deputy resident's house and pawn shops, which consisted of three months' wages for all of the government employees in Nias and the inhabitants' savings. Some of this was given to the veldpolities to ensure their loyalty, while some the Germans kept.[18]

Nine patrol groups were formed to guard Nias, each consisting of a German and a veldpolitie armed with a carbine. The Germans also took as many weapons as possible and occupied the radio station in order to contact the Japanese who had already taken Sumatra. The attempt failed, as the Japanese and the Germans could not understand each other.[18]

Notable events

Capture of Dutch ships

On 31 March 1942, two Dutch ships, SS Sumatra and SS Salida, arrived at the Gunungsitoli harbor. The Germans acted cautiously and approached with rifles. The captains, Bloemers and Flothuis, were unaware that the island was unoccupied by the Japanese and shocked when they saw armed Germans. Both were imprisoned by the Germans.[19] The Germans learned from the captives that the Dutch ships were being rented by the Japanese in Sumatra for ƒ7,000 to ship rice from Nias. The Germans realized that the Japanese had not known that they were on the island.[19] One of the prisoners, Grasshof, used the radio to play a German military song and thus identified their presence to the Japanese forces.[20]

Transportation of prisoners

To demonstrate their loyalty, the Germans decided to transport Dutch and British citizens on Nias to mainland Sumatra, and surrender them to the Japanese. They confiscated 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, the Germans stood to attention and greeted them with the Hitler salute, but the Japanese did not respond to, as a way to show their authority. After a brief exchange contact, the prisoners were taken away by the Japanese. On 12 April, a second wave of prisoners, accompanied by 22 Germans, traveled to Sibolga.[21]

Dissolution

On 17 April 1942, the Japanese arrived on Nias with six ships and 120 to 200 troops to occupy it. The government members of the Free Republic of Nias — Leo Fischer, Albert Vehring — and other Germans welcomed them at the harbor. The Japanese were greeted with the Nazi salute, and the school children singing the would-be Indonesian national anthem, "Indonesia Raya".[22]

Even though the island had been formally occupied by the Japanese, the Germans still managed to organize a small event to celebrate Hitler's birthday. The Germans brought the portrait of Hitler, and the event ended with a triple banzai and Nazi salute. On 22 April 1942, the Japanese occupied the southern parts of the island by sea.[22]

Aftermath

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, stayed as a doctor.[22] He died on 2 September 1942 after overdosing on sleeping pills.[23]

Notes
  1. 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. 52
  6. Oktorino 2020, p. 55
  7. Oktorino 2020, pp. 55–56
  8. Oktorino 2020, pp. 56–57
  9. Oktorino 2020, pp. 56–59
  10. Oktorino 2020, pp. 59–60
  11. Anwar 2004, p. 83
  12. Geerken 2017, p. 424
  13. Oktorino 2020, p. 60
  14. Information Bureau of North Sumatra 1953, p. 488
  15. Oktorino 2020, pp. 60–61
  16. Oktorino 2020, p. 61
  17. Oktorino 2020, pp. 61–62
  18. Oktorino 2020, p. 62
  19. Oktorino 2020, p. 63
  20. Wittenberg, Hendrik (2016). "Timeline". vanimhoff.info. VanImhoff.info. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  21. Anwar 2004, pp. 83–84
  22. Anwar 2004, p. 84
  23. 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), 1, Jakarta: Penerbit Buku Kompas
  • Government of Dutch East Indies (1941), Regeerings-Almanak voor Nederlandsch-Indie (in Dutch), 2, Batavia: Landsdrukkerij
  • Information Bureau of North Sumatra (1953), Republik Indonesia: Propinsi Sumatera Utara (in Indonesian), Medan: Ministry of Information
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