Sukarno

Sukarno
Onbekend/Anonymous · Public domain · source
Name	Sukarno
Caption	Sukarno in 1960
Office	1st President of Indonesia
Term start	18 August 1945
Term end	12 March 1967
Vicepresident	Mohammad Hatta
Predecessor	Office established
Successor	Suharto
Birth name	Koesno Sosrodihardjo
Birth date	6 June 1901
Birth place	Surabaya, Dutch East Indies
Death date	21 June 1970
Death place	Jakarta, Indonesia
Party	Indonesian National Party
Spouse	Siti Oetari, Inggit Garnasih, Fatmawati, Hartini, Ratna Sari Dewi, Haryati, Kartini Manoppo, Yurike Sanger, Heldy Djafar
Children	12, including Megawati Sukarnoputri
Alma mater	Bandung Institute of Technology

Sukarno. Sukarno was the first President of Indonesia and a pivotal leader in the nation's struggle for independence from the Dutch colonial empire. As the foremost architect of Indonesian nationalism, his political career was fundamentally shaped by and directed against Dutch colonial rule in Southeast Asia. His presidency defined Indonesia's early post-colonial trajectory, navigating complex relations with former colonial powers and the Cold War superpowers.

Early Life and Education under Dutch Rule

Sukarno was born Koesno Sosrodihardjo in 1901 in Surabaya, a major port city in the Dutch East Indies. His father was a Javanese schoolteacher and his mother was of Balinese descent. He was educated within the Dutch Ethical Policy system, which provided limited Western education to a small indigenous elite. He attended the Europeesche Lagere School (European Lower School) in Mojokerto and later the Hogere Burgerschool (Higher Civic School) in Surabaya, where he boarded in the home of Oemar Said Tjokroaminoto, a leader of the Sarekat Islam organization. This exposure to anti-colonial political thought was formative. In 1921, he moved to Bandung to study civil engineering at the Technische Hoogeschool te Bandoeng, which later became the Bandung Institute of Technology. His university years solidified his political ideology, blending Marxism, Islam, and nationalism.

Rise of Nationalism and Anti-Colonial Activism

After graduating in 1926, Sukarno co-founded the Indonesian National Party (PNI) in 1927 in Bandung, advocating for complete independence through mass non-cooperation. He became a master orator, articulating the philosophy of Marhaenism, which focused on the plight of the common Indonesian. His activism quickly drew the attention of the Dutch colonial government. In December 1929, he was arrested by the colonial authorities and tried in Bandung District Court. His famous defense speech, "Indonesia Menggugat" (Indonesia Accuses), was a scathing indictment of colonialism. He was imprisoned in Sukamiskin prison until 1931. Upon release, he continued his activities but was arrested again in 1933 and exiled without trial, first to Ende on Flores and later to Bengkulu on Sumatra, where he remained until the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies in 1942.

Japanese Occupation and Path to Independence

The Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies in 1942 ended Dutch colonial administration. The Japanese military authorities, seeking local support, released Sukarno and other nationalist leaders. He cooperated with the occupation regime, heading organizations like the Putera and the Java Hokokai, which he used to advance nationalist mobilization while avoiding overt military collaboration. This period allowed him to consolidate his leadership and prepare for independence. Following Japan's surrender in World War II, Sukarno, alongside Mohammad Hatta, seized the moment. On 17 August 1945, they proclaimed the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence. He was swiftly appointed as the first President of the new republic, with Hatta as Vice President, setting the stage for the Indonesian National Revolution.

Presidency and Post-Colonial Nation Building

Sukarno's presidency was immediately consumed by the Indonesian National Revolution (1945–1949), a diplomatic and armed struggle against the returning Dutch forces who sought to re-establish control. The conflict included major events like the Battle of Surabaya and two major Dutch military offensives. International pressure, notably from the United Nations and the United States, eventually forced the Netherlands to recognize Indonesian sovereignty at the Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference in 1949. As a post-colonial leader, Sukarno focused on unifying the ethnically and geographically diverse archipelago under the state philosophy of Pancasila. He championed a non-aligned foreign policy, hosting the landmark Bandung Conference in 1955, which united Asian and African nations against colonialism and Cold War polarization.

Guided Democracy and Confrontation with the West

Frustrated by political instability under parliamentary democracy, Sukarno instituted "Guided Democracy" in 1959, dissolving the Konstituante and restoring the 1945 Constitution. He centralized power under his presidency, balancing the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), and religious groups. His foreign policy became increasingly confrontational. He opposed the formation of Malaysia, launching the Konfrontasi (Confrontation) policy in 1963, which brought conflict with Britain and its allies. He also grew hostile to Western influence, culminating in Indonesia's withdrawal from the United Nations in 1965 and the formation of the Jakarta–Phnom Penh–Hanoi–Beijing–Pyongyang axis as a counterweight.

Downfall and Legacy in the Post-Colonial Era

Sukarno's rule unraveled after the abortive coup of 30 September 1965. The subsequent anti-communist purge, led by General Suharto and the military, decimated the PKI. Sukarno's power was systematically transferred to Suharto under the Order of 11 March 1966. He was formally stripped of the presidency in March 1967 and placed under house arrest in Bogor until his death from kidney failure in 1970. Sukarno's legacy is complex; he is revered as the Proclaimer of independence and a charismatic unifier who defined modern Indonesian identity against the backdrop of colonialism. However, his later authoritarian governance and economic mismanagement are also critically assessed. His daughter, Megawati Sukarnoputri, later became Indonesia's fifth president, and his ideological influence persists in Indonesian political discourse.