The Origins of the Indonesian Nation: The Indonesian Revolution of 1945-49

To understand Indonesia deeply requires an appreciation of its history in becoming a nation.  Dr. Eric Tagliacozzo’s special lecture will explore Indonesia and its revolution — an electric time of chaos, sacrifice, and great hope that saw the birth of the modern Indonesian nation in the middle of the 20th century.

He will cover:

– the seeds of pre-war nationalism in Indonesia, and the birth of political parties (such as Sarekat Islam and the PKI) and political actors (such as Sukarno and Hatta) who helped steer the Dutch East Indies toward a fledgling independence.

– the Japanese Occupation as a time for experimentation and accommodation with forces larger than merely those in the archipelago itself.

– the revolution itself, when all “order” left the islands and Indonesians fought tooth and nail to have a country they could call their own.

Dr.Tagliacozzo will discuss several interpretations of this time of great change, as well as the role of the United States in the unfolding of these events.The legacies of this period are still with us now in many ways, more than half a century after the birth of Indonesia as a sovereign entity in the era of independent nation-states.