Military Migrants

Luxembourgers in the Colonial Army of the Dutch East Indies

Bibliographic Data

ID11283503
AuthorsUlbe Bosma (0000-0003-1423-373X, International Institute of Social History, corresponding author), Thomas Kolnberger (University of Luxembourg)
Year2017
Volume41
Issue3
Pages555-580
Publication date2017-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueItinerario (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0165-1153 • E-ISSN: 2041-2827
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0165115317000687
OpenAlexW2775695850
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited37

Among the roughly 150,000 soldiers sent to the Dutch East Indies between 1815 and 1914, the Luxembourg contingent made up a tiny minority of just 1,075 men. Based upon extensive research into their careers, data on these soldiers provide further clues to understanding what drove Europe’s young men to become colonial soldiers. The results of this national case study will be compared with earlier investigations by Bossenbroek and Bosma on recruits for the Dutch colonial army. Similar to the Dutch soldiers, their Luxembourg counterparts had a predominantly urban provenance. However, in contrast to the Dutch, they did not have a strong military background, and it appears that fewer Luxembourgers stayed behind in the Dutch East Indies after their tour of duty. They were more attracted by the payments that the recruiters doled out in advance, particularly at a time of economic crisis, than in a career in the tropics

Ancient history · Archaeology · Colonialism · Economic history · Ethnology · Geography · Political science · West indies · African history and culture studies · Australian History and Society · Colonialism, slavery, and trade · History

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