World History
History of East Timor. This is a brief overview to the history of the newly independent nation of East Timor.
From the site:
Portuguese and Dutch traders made the first western contact with East Timor in the early 16th century. Sandalwood and spice traders, as well as missionaries, maintained sporadic contact with the island until 1642, when the Portuguese moved into Timor in strength. The Portuguese and the Dutch, based at the western end of the island in Kupang, battled for influence until the present-day borders were agreed to by the colonial powers in 1915. Imperial Japan occupied East Timor from 1942-45. The territory of the Dutch East Indies, including West Timor, gained independence as the Republic of Indonesia in 1949.
Following a military coup in Lisbon in April 1974, Portugal began a rapid and disorganized decolonization process in most of its overseas territories, including East Timor. Political tensions--exacerbated by Indonesian involvement--heated up, and on August 11, 1975, the Timorese Democratic Union Party (UDT) launched a coup d'état in Dili. The putsch was followed by a brief but bloody civil war in which the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN) pushed UDT forces into Indonesian West Timor. Shortly after the FRETILIN victory in late September, Indonesian forces began incursions into East Timor. On October 16, five journalists from Australia, Britain, and New Zealand were murdered in the East Timorese town of Balibo shortly after they had filmed regular Indonesian army troops invading East Timorese territory. On November 28, FRETILIN declared East Timor an independent state, and Indonesia responded by launching a fullscale military invasion on December 7. On December 22, 1975 the UN Security Council called on Indonesia to withdraw its troops from East Timor.
- Dutch East India Company (indonesia/batavia)
Dutch East India Company (Indonesia/Batavia) The Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) is better known in English as the Dutch East India Company, a joint stock company formed in 1602 and granted a monopoly for all trade between the Cape of Good Hope...
- Dutch East Indies
I was fortunate enough to find a good oral history site on the Web the other day. It is the Dutch East Indies. It is the account of Elizabeth van Kampen. She is the daughter of a Dutch plantation manager in Sumatra in the former Dutch East Indies (Indonesia)....
- What Is Oceania?
Oceania is a term often used to describe a large part of the world in the Pacific. I use Oceania as a label at this blog for some posts. However, I have been reading conflicting definitions of what this word actually means. History of Nations - Oceania...
- History Of Mauritius
History of Mauritius. This is a brief history of the island nation of Mauritius which lies east of the African continent. It is a good bet most Americans have never heard of the place. The Encyclopædia Britannica notes, "Officially Republic Of Mauritius,...
- History Of Indonesia
History of Indonesia. This is a general overview to the nation of Indonesia in Asia. From the site: By the time of the Renaissance, the islands of Java and Sumatra had already enjoyed a 1,000-year heritage of advanced civilization spanning two major empires....
World History
History of East Timor
History of East Timor. This is a brief overview to the history of the newly independent nation of East Timor.
From the site:
Portuguese and Dutch traders made the first western contact with East Timor in the early 16th century. Sandalwood and spice traders, as well as missionaries, maintained sporadic contact with the island until 1642, when the Portuguese moved into Timor in strength. The Portuguese and the Dutch, based at the western end of the island in Kupang, battled for influence until the present-day borders were agreed to by the colonial powers in 1915. Imperial Japan occupied East Timor from 1942-45. The territory of the Dutch East Indies, including West Timor, gained independence as the Republic of Indonesia in 1949.
Following a military coup in Lisbon in April 1974, Portugal began a rapid and disorganized decolonization process in most of its overseas territories, including East Timor. Political tensions--exacerbated by Indonesian involvement--heated up, and on August 11, 1975, the Timorese Democratic Union Party (UDT) launched a coup d'état in Dili. The putsch was followed by a brief but bloody civil war in which the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN) pushed UDT forces into Indonesian West Timor. Shortly after the FRETILIN victory in late September, Indonesian forces began incursions into East Timor. On October 16, five journalists from Australia, Britain, and New Zealand were murdered in the East Timorese town of Balibo shortly after they had filmed regular Indonesian army troops invading East Timorese territory. On November 28, FRETILIN declared East Timor an independent state, and Indonesia responded by launching a fullscale military invasion on December 7. On December 22, 1975 the UN Security Council called on Indonesia to withdraw its troops from East Timor.
- Dutch East India Company (indonesia/batavia)
Dutch East India Company (Indonesia/Batavia) The Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) is better known in English as the Dutch East India Company, a joint stock company formed in 1602 and granted a monopoly for all trade between the Cape of Good Hope...
- Dutch East Indies
I was fortunate enough to find a good oral history site on the Web the other day. It is the Dutch East Indies. It is the account of Elizabeth van Kampen. She is the daughter of a Dutch plantation manager in Sumatra in the former Dutch East Indies (Indonesia)....
- What Is Oceania?
Oceania is a term often used to describe a large part of the world in the Pacific. I use Oceania as a label at this blog for some posts. However, I have been reading conflicting definitions of what this word actually means. History of Nations - Oceania...
- History Of Mauritius
History of Mauritius. This is a brief history of the island nation of Mauritius which lies east of the African continent. It is a good bet most Americans have never heard of the place. The Encyclopædia Britannica notes, "Officially Republic Of Mauritius,...
- History Of Indonesia
History of Indonesia. This is a general overview to the nation of Indonesia in Asia. From the site: By the time of the Renaissance, the islands of Java and Sumatra had already enjoyed a 1,000-year heritage of advanced civilization spanning two major empires....