Sukarno was the leader of his
country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was
Indonesia's first president, in office from 1945 to 1967. He was a
prominent leader of Indonesia's nationalist movement during the Dutch
colonial period, and spent over a decade under Dutch detention until
released by the invading Japanese forces. Sukarno and his fellow
nationalists collaborated to garner support for the Japanese war effort
from the population, in exchange for Japanese aid in spreading
nationalist ideas. Upon Japanese surrender, Sukarno and Mohammad
Hatta declared Indonesian independence on 17 August 1945, and Sukarno
was appointed as first president. He led Indonesians in resisting Dutch
re-colonization efforts via diplomatic and military means until the
Dutch acknowledgment of Indonesian independence in 1949.After
a chaotic period of parliamentary democracy, Sukarno established an
autocratic system called "Guided Democracy" in 1957 that successfully
ended the instability and rebellions which were threatening the survival
of the diverse and fractious country. The early 1960s saw Sukarno
veering Indonesia to the left by providing support and protection to the
Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) at the expense of the military and
Islamists. He also embarked on a series of aggressive foreign policies
under the rubric of anti-imperialism, with aid from the Soviet Union and
China. The 30 September Movement led to the destruction of PKI and his
replacement by one of his generals, Suharto, and he remained under house
arrest until his death.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
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