This article examines the transformative experiences of Dutch soldiers as they were transported overseas to fight in the Indonesian War of Independence, 1945-1949. It argues that both the onward and the homeward voyages were an essential part of preparing the soldiers for participation in an extremely violent conflict for an undefined period of time in a world they did not know. On their return journey, they were supposed to cope with fresh memories of the war they had participated in while at the same time, after two years or more, had to prepare to re-integrate into civilian life. In this respect, the experiences of the soldiers were connected to those of the European and Eurasian returnees, refugees, and postcolonial migrants transported to the metropole. The article describes the transformative collective experiences of the sea voyages lasting five to six weeks. It argues that these travels were intended, and functioned, to shape group identities. Aboard the ships, the collective outlooks were prepared in the framework of the mobilization of bodies and minds for the colonial war, and of demobilization after the war had been lost.

In this article, I discuss the connection between security and social policy strategies in Denmark from 1848 up to the 1950s. Denmark is not the first country that comes to mind when discussing the connections between war, military conscription, and social reforms. Research into social reforms and the role war and the military play in this field has traditionally focused on superpowers and regional powers. The main argument in the article is that even though we do not find policy-makers legitimizing specific welfare reforms using security policy motives, or the military playing any significant role in policy-making, it is nevertheless relevant to discuss the links between war and welfare in Denmark. This article focuses on three historical periods where the Danish state was under pressure: First, the decades from 1848 to the end of the 19th century, during which the military challenge from Germany influenced Danish state building. Second, the interwar period, during which Danish society was under severe strain from political radicalization and growing international tensions, culminating with the German occupation of Denmark (1940-45); and lastly, the early Cold War period (1947-1960), marked by the fear of conflict between the superpowers and the risk posed by an internal enemy (the communists). In all three periods, external and internal security threats influenced the welfare agenda in Denmark by evoking questions on the use of social policy for loyalty building and the safeguarding of the country’s democracy as well as trade-offs between welfare and military.