Republic establishes the People’s Security Army

Japan announced its surrender, creating a short and contested power vacuum in the archipelago. Indonesian leaders moved quickly to assert independence; Allied and Dutch plans to restore prewar...

Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaimed Indonesia’s independence. The declaration rejected the return of Dutch sovereignty and began a revolution in which Indonesians built state institutions and...

The Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence adopted a constitution and established the framework for a republic. These acts converted the independence proclamation into state-building,...

The KNIP was created to assist the president and represent the new republic. It gave institutional form to Indonesian political agency while the Dutch and Allies disputed who could govern the...

Indonesian youths tore the blue strip from a Dutch tricolor flying at the hotel, leaving the red-and-white Indonesian flag. The confrontation became a public assertion of sovereignty in a city where...

Fighting escalated after British forces demanded Indonesian arms and attempted to reassert control. Indonesian fighters defended the proclaimed republic; the battle exposed the colonial assumptions...

Vice-President Mohammad Hatta issued a government declaration encouraging the formation of political parties. It broadened political organization in the new republic and supported a plural public...

British forces launched a major attack on Surabaya. Indonesian resistance and civilian flight caused immense destruction. The battle became a defining symbol of the revolution and of popular...

The first Sjahrir cabinet took office, shifting the republic toward a parliamentary cabinet and a diplomatic strategy while Indonesian resistance continued. The move reflected debate among Indonesians...

The Indonesian government moved its seat from Jakarta to Yogyakarta as Dutch and Allied military presence made the capital unsafe. The relocation helped sustain republican administration outside...