Indonesian National Revolution

Indonesian National Revolution
Part of the aftermath of World War II and the decolonisation of Asia

From top, left to right:
Date17 August 1945 – 27 December 1949 (1945-08-17 1949-12-27)
(4 years, 4 months, 1 week and 3 days)
Location
Result
Territorial
changes
Netherlands cedes control of most territories of the Dutch East Indies to the United States of Indonesia
Belligerents

Indonesia

 Netherlands

 United Kingdom


Japan

Hizbullah (1945-1947)
DI/TII (from 1949)


FDR


Small guerrilla groups
Commanders and leaders

Sukarno
Mohammad Hatta
Sudirman
Oerip Soemohardjo
Hamengkubuwono IX
Gatot Soebroto
A.H. Nasution
and others...


S.M Kartosoewirjo
Amir Fatah
Musso 
A. Sjarifuddin 
D. N. Aidit
Louis Beel
Willem Drees
Hubertus van Mook
Simon Spoor
A.S. Pinke
Tony Lovink
A. Widjojoatmodjo
Raymond Westerling
Louis Mountbatten
A.W.S Mallaby 
Robert Mansergh
Philip Christison
Strength
  • Republican Army: 150,000
  • Youth volunteers: 100,000
  • Japanese volunteers: 903
  • Indian defectors: 600
  • Netherlands: 220,000
  • United Kingdom: 45,000
  • Japan: 35,000
Casualties and losses
  • Indonesia: (civilian and combatants): 97,421 (confirmed killed)
    100,000 killed (highest estimate)
  • Japanese volunteers: 531 killed
  • Indian defectors: 525 killed
Netherlands: 4,585 killed

United Kingdom: 980 killed

Japan: 1,293 killed

• 5,500–20,000 Indo people and European civilians killed and 2,500 missing

The Indonesian National Revolution (Indonesian: Revolusi Nasional Indonesia), also known as the Indonesian War of Independence (Indonesian: Perang Kemerdekaan Indonesia, Dutch: Indonesische Onafhankelijkheidsoorlog), was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during postwar and postcolonial Indonesia. It took place between Indonesia's declaration of independence in 1945 and the Netherlands' transfer of sovereignty over the Dutch East Indies to the Republic of the United States of Indonesia at the end of 1949.

The four-year struggle involved sporadic but bloody armed conflict, internal Indonesian political and communal upheavals, and two major international diplomatic interventions. Dutch military forces (and, for a while, the forces of the World War II allies) were able to control the major towns, cities and industrial assets in Republican heartlands on Java and Sumatra but could not control the countryside. By 1949, international pressure on the Netherlands, the United States threatening to cut off all economic aid for World War II rebuilding efforts to the Netherlands and the partial military stalemate became such that the Netherlands transferred sovereignty over the Dutch East Indies to the Republic of the United States of Indonesia.

The revolution marked the end of the colonial administration of the Dutch East Indies, except for New Guinea. It also significantly changed ethnic castes as well as reducing the power of many of the local rulers (raja). It did not significantly improve the economic or political fortunes of the majority of the population, although a few Indonesians were able to gain a larger role in commerce.