This in-depth military study by Major Rene W. A. van den Berg of the Royal Netherlands Army explores the rise and rapid collapse of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM), the first multinational Allied command in the Pacific during WWII. Often overlooked in mainstream histories, the Netherlands East Indies played a central role in Allied strategy in Southeast Asia. Drawing on Dutch archives and personal military accounts, this monograph challenges the persistent myth of Dutch military failure by highlighting how divergent national objectives, lack of pre-war coordination, and exclusion from decision-making undermined coalition effectiveness. The paper provides valuable insight into the challenges of coalition warfare—particularly for smaller nations—and presents lessons still relevant to today’s multinational operations.
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