Between 1848 and 1914, around 5,800 Swiss Mercenaries enlisted in the Dutch Colonial Army (KNIL) to fight in the Dutch East Indies, now modern-day Indonesia. This book traces the paths of these mercenaries beyond the boundaries of the Dutch Empire, shedding light on the intricacies of nineteenth-century military labour markets. It delves deep into their social backgrounds, motivations, intimate relationships, and their role in the violent expansion of the colonial empire. In doing so, it unveils the profound impacts of Dutch colonialism, not only on the colonies themselves but also on the social, economic, and cultural landscape of the European hinterland.

Philipp Krauer graduated from ETH Zurich in 2021 and is currently affiliated with the state archives of the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. He has published on the history of mercenaries, migration, violence and the welfare state in various journals and encyclopaedias. Furthermore, he is a co-founder of the public history project “zh-kolonial.ch”. In recognition of his research into the colonial entanglements of Swiss mercenaries, he was honoured with the “Young Scholar Award” by the Walter Benjamin Kolleg of the University of Bern in 2023.

Table of Contents, Acknowledgements, Table of Figures, List of Tables, A Note on Spelling, Translation and Currencies, 1. Introduction: Swiss Tools of Empire, 2. Swiss Supplies for Dutch Demands: Transformations in a Military Labour Market, 3. Follow the Men: The Many Lives of Swiss Mercenaries, 4. Follow the Money: Colonial Cash Flows and Interlocking Bureaucracies, 5. Trace the Memory: Relics & Representation in the Transimperial Cultural Archive, 6. Conclusion: Swiss Tools of Empire., 7. Bibliography