Indonesia's Struggle for Merdeka

(1945-1949)

and

The Japanese Legacy

What effect did colonization and Japanese occupation have

on the stability of individual countries

and across the broader Southeast Asian region?

National (territorial) boundaries were drawn by the colonial powers

Government structures became centralized and streamlined

Local economies became integrated into the global economy but disintegrated during the war

Labor market broadened (forced labor mobilization occurred during war)

Immigrant communities formed

Inter-ethnic and inter-regional conflicts persist in most countries

In what ways did Japanese humiliation of Europeans

influence local attitudes?

Humiliation was mutual, multi-dimensional, complex, insufficiently understood, and deserves circumspect re-examinations

Who humiliated whom and why?

Who felt the humiliation?

What was the source of arrogance that had to be humiliated?

How did local legends like the Jayabaya prophecy contribute to the reception of the Japanese?

Jayabaya and Ratu Adil (Just King)

Was the sense of “justice” social, legal, political, economic, or spiritual?

Myths of European and Japanese superiority persisted

Japanese defectors joined the revolutionary forces in Indonesia and Vietnam after the surrender

Was the impact of European colonization greater than that of Japanese occupation

in determining how a country fought for independence?

The idea of “Indonesia”

The idea of “civilization”

Cultural, political, religious, social and military organizations were formed and reformed under the Dutch and the Japanese rule

Would the Indonesian Revolution have taken place

without the Japanese occupation?

Dutch official line of thinking

Indonesian nationalist thinking

Japanese line of thinking

(the Government, the Army, the Navy, individuals)

Opportunities provided by the Japanese occupation

Regional differences within Indonesia