Indonesian Nationalist Revolution (1945-1949)

The Indonesian Nationalist Revolution was a turbulent time in the birth of an independent nation in the post-World War II decolonization movement. The diverse and disunited region had to combat powerful and independent nations while facing internal struggle. The Nationalist Revolution proved that the Third World nations had a right to self-determination and had the will and power to fight for it and be victorious.
Indonesia’s seed of independence was ironically germinated by their Japanese invaders, but grew under the oppression of their imperialist European dominators. Indonesia was originally under the oppressive rule of the Dutch, but was taken over by the Japanese during WWII. In 1944, when Japan realized it was failing to win the war, it prepared the entire archipelago (including Indonesia) for self-government. Achmed Sukarno, a man who planted the nationalist seed and began the Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI), proclaimed Indonesia’s independence following Japan’s surrender on August 17, 1945. Once Indonesia began to create a constitution to further validate its status as an independent country, the Netherlands joined forces with the British to stop further flourishing of the thriving independence of Indonesia. When Dutch troops landed in Java and endeavored to return Indonesia’s current independent state back under Dutch control, the Indonesian People’s Army attacked. This led to the signing of the Cheribon Agreement of 1946 that was later disregarded by both sides as further brutality struck.

Indonesian Independence Day
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Alongside the violence between the Indonesian People’s Army and the British-Dutch forces, fighting broke out between the Indonesian Communist party, the Muslim fundamentalists and the Indonesian Republicans. The Republicans, though valiant in their first victory against the Muslim extremists in September 1948, were later unfortunately not as victorious against the Dutch forces in the same year. Though the Dutch were unable to realize at first, this small victory was later seen as a frivolous effort in suppressing the Republican movement. From August 23 to November 2, 1949 Sukarno was issued full sovereignty by the Dutch. The Indonesian Revolution for Independence lasted from 1945 to 1949.

Indonesian flag is raised on August 17, 1945
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