Indonesian Nationalism
Nationalism as the dominant force behind the Indonesian independence movement is the leading theme presented in the video, "Barrel of a gun." The turn of the twentieth century marked the beginning of nationalist stirrings in Indonesia against the ruling Dutch empire. Fuelled by dissent and second-class treatment, nationalistic ideals and propaganda began to spread throughout the native Indonesian population and ignite. However, the spread of nationalism would not have been so great without particular factors. Firstly, Sukarno, as the charismatic leader of the movement laid the foundations of a nationalist stronghold. Secondly, the Japanese invasion during World War 2 paved a pathway for Indonesian independence. Thirdly, international support for the Indonesian push against a dominant western power, finally tipped the rule of the Dutch colonialists. Nationalism in Indonesia culminated with independence being achieved in 1949. (Osborne, 1997; 154-161) ( Barrel of a Gun, Video) The emergence of a pro-independence nationalistic movement stems from Dutch educated Indonesians in the early part of the twentieth century. The Russo-Japanese war of 1905 demonstrated for the first time, the ability for an Asian nation to defeat
a major Western power. ( Heidhues, 2000; 122) This ignited fervent belief amongst Indonesian intellects to overcome the conquering Dutch. However, early attempts in the 1920's at revolution backfired. Without the mass support of the Indonesian population, the early uprisings headed by the Indonesian Communist Party, were quelled, resulting in many Indonesians becoming prisoners and being exiled. ( Church, 1995; 45) It was during this period that the most influential and charismatic of leaders surfaced, Sukarno. Unlike the Vietnamese spread of nationalism whereby there was only one party striving for independence, Sukarno and his Communist party were the leading party out of numerous nationalist parties striving for freedom. ( Osborne, 1997; 162-163) His presence, his political ingenuity and his charisma separated him from other leaders and made him a national hero. He promoted the idea of " One land, one people, one language; Indonesia." ( Heidhues, 2000; 127) However, there were two groups of nationalists, 'co-operating,' who were part of Dutch programs for independence and ' non-co-operating, ' who ignored such pathways. Consequently, Sukarno was exiled in 1934 for his political stances against the Dutch empire. ( Church, 1995; 45) By the end of the 1930's it seemed as though Indonesian nationalism was at a standstill. Mass support had dwindled and the memory of Sukarno was all that remained. The Japanese invasion of 1942 would see the return of Sukarno and the re-emergence of Indonesian nationalism. The Japanese occupation of Indonesia during the Second World War saw the return of Sukarno and a new passageway to national independence.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1117
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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