Operatie Kraai
Encyclopedia
Operatie Kraai was the code name for a Dutch
military offensive against the newly formed Republic of Indonesia
in December 1948 - January 1949. During this attack, the Dutch managed to capture the Indonesian Republic's temporary capital, Yogyakarta, and seized Indonesian leaders such as Republican President Sukarno
.
Referred to by the Dutch as the second of two "Politionele acties
" ("Police Actions"), it is known in Indonesia as Agresi Militer Belanda II ("Dutch military aggression II").
. The purpose was to organize the new Indonesia as a federal state that would remain closely associated with the Netherlands. The Indonesians had breached the armistice signed following Operatie Product
.The Renville Agreement
, as the armistice was called, stipulated the withdrawal of Indonesian forces from Dutch-occupied territory in exchange for ending the Dutch naval blockade, and this was indeed put into effect. After some time, however, the Indonesian military, secretly, returned and began guerrilla operations against the Dutch.
By September 1948, the Dutch military command had succeeded in decoding the Republic's encyrpted secret code, gaining crucial intelligence on Indonesian military and diplomatic strategies and plans. This allowed General Simon Hendrik Spoor
to counteract Republic actions on the battlefield and diplomatic stage. The Dutch were so confident of this advantage that they held a press conference in Jakarta
three days prior to the actual attack. The Dutch also timed their attack to coordinate with plans by the India
n Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru
to dispatch a private plane to fly Sukarno
and Hatta
to Bukittinggi
in West Sumatra
where they would head an emergency government. A Republican delegation led by Sukarno would then be flown to New York
via New Delhi
to advocate the Republic's cause in the United Nations General Assembly
. Throughout the Indonesian National Revolution
, newly independent India had been sympathetic to the Republic cause which they viewed as a struggle against Western imperialism.
On 18 December, radio broadcasts in Jakarta reported that the Dutch High Commissioner
Dr. Beel
was going to give an important speech the next day. This news did not reach Yogya because the Dutch had already cut down the communication line. Meanwhile General Spoor gave an instruction to begin a full-scale surprise attack against the republic. The operation was codenamed Operation Kraai (Kraai = Dutch
: crow). He timed the attack prior to coincide with Republic military exercises on 19 December, giving Dutch movements some temporary camouflage and enabling them to take the enemy by surprise. The attack was also launched without the prior knowledge of the UN Committee of Good Offices.
; heading for Yogyakarta via the Indian Ocean
. Meanwhile, the Dutch High Commissioner Beel announced that the Dutch were no longer bound by the Renville Agreement
on radio. The operation began as the Dutch attacked major Indonesian centers in Java
and Sumatra
. At 05.30, Maguwo
airport and the radio station
at military aircraft including Yogyakarta was bombed by the ML-KNIL. The Republic fielded only three captured Japanese Mitsubishi Zeros whereas the ML-KNIL fielded with several American-built P-40 Kittyhawk and P-51 Mustang
fighters, B-25 Mitchell
bombers and 23 Douglas DC-3
s carrying approximately 900 troops.
Maguwo airport was only defended by 47 lightly armed Indonesian Air Force
cadets who lacked anti-aircraft machine gun
s. Dummies were landed by the Dutch to draw enemy fire which enabled Dutch fighter planes to strafe the defenders. The skirmish lasted for 25 minutes ending with the Dutch taking over Maguwo; killing 128 Republicans with no casualties. Having secured the airport perimeter by 06:45, the Dutch were able to land airborne troops in two successive waves and use Maguwo as an airhead for reinforcements from their main base in Semarang
. At 8:30 am, General Spoor gave a radio broadcast ordering his forces to cross the Van Mook line
and capture Yogya to "purge" the Republic of "unreliable elements".
The main aim of Operatie Kraai was to quickly destroy the Tentara Nasional Indonesia
(TNI) which General Spoor thought would desperately defend their capital. Thus, with Dutch superiority both in the air and on land, the Dutch army would easily execute a final and decisive victory upon the Indonesian army. However, most of the TNI had left Yogyakarta, defending western Yogyakarta's border from another Dutch military campaign. The commander General Nasution himself was on an inspection tour in East Java. The air attack found the Indonesians unprepared and within hours, the advancing Dutch army had quickly taken the airport, main road, bridge and strategic locations. General Sudirman's strategy was to avoid any major contact with the Dutch main army, thus saving the Indonesians from total defeat. He would prefer to lose territory but gain extra time to consolidate his army.
broadcasted Perintah kilat (quick command) via radios. He also requested Sukarno and other leaders to evacuate from Yogya, and join his guerrilla army. After a cabinet meeting, they refused and decided to stay in Yogyakarta, and keep communicating with UN and KTN
envoys. Sukarno also announced the plan of "emergency government" in Sumatra, in the event something happened to the Indonesian leadership in Yogyakarta.
Meanwhile 2,600 fully armed Dutch troops (infantry and paratroopers) led by Colonel D.R.A. van Langen had gathered in Maguwo, ready to capture Yogyakarta. At the same day most of Yogyakarta fell into the Dutch with key targets like the air force and chief-of-staff headquarters razed by both Indonesian "scorched earth" tactics and Dutch bombing. Indonesian President Sukarno, Vice-President Mohammad Hatta
, and ex prime minister Sutan Sjahrir
were seized by the Dutch and subsequently exiled to Bangka
. They let themselves be captured hoping it would outrage international support. However, this action was later criticized among Indonesian military circles which regarded it as an act of cowardice by the political leadership. Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX stayed at his palace in Yogyakarta and did not leave during the entire occupation. The Sultan himself refused to cooperate with the Dutch administration and rejected mediation attempts by the pro-Dutch Sultan
of Pontianak Hamid II
.
(Indonesian: Pemerintah Darurat Republik Indonesia), based on Bukittinggi
, West Sumatra
, led by Sjafruddin Prawiranegara
. Sudirman radioed his immediate support for this government.
By 20 December, all remaining republican troops in Yogya had been withdrawn. All parts of Indonesia except Aceh
and some cantons in Sumatra fell under Dutch control. Sudirman, who was suffering from tubercolosis led the guerrillas from his sickbed. General A. H. Nasution
, military commander of Java territories declared military government in Java, initiated a new guerrilla tactic called Pertahanan Keamanan Rakyat Semesta (Nation in Arms), transforming the whole of Java Island into a guerrilla front.
condemning Dutch aggression in their editorials. The United States threatened to suspend Marshall plan
aid to the Dutch. This included Marshall Plan
funds vital for Dutch post-World War II rebuilding that had so far totalled $US 1 billion. The Netherlands Government had spent an amount equivalent to almost half of this funding their campaigns in Indonesia. The perception that American aid was being used to fund "a senile and ineffectual imperialism" encouraged many key voices in the United States - including those amongst the US Republican Party
- and from within American churches and NGOs to speak out in support of Indonesian independence.
On 24 December, the UN Security Council called for the end of hostilities. In January 1949, it passed a resolution demanding the reinstatement of the Republican government. The Dutch had achieved most of their objectives and announced a ceasefire in Java on 31 December and on the 5 January in Sumatra. The guerrilla war nonetheless continued. Hostilities eventually ended on 7 May with the signing of the Roem-Royen peace agreement.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
military offensive against the newly formed Republic of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
in December 1948 - January 1949. During this attack, the Dutch managed to capture the Indonesian Republic's temporary capital, Yogyakarta, and seized Indonesian leaders such as Republican President Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
.
Referred to by the Dutch as the second of two "Politionele acties
Politionele acties
"Politionele Acties" refers to two major military offensives undertaken by the Netherlands on Java and Sumatra against the Republic of Indonesia during its struggle for independence in the Indonesian National Revolution...
" ("Police Actions"), it is known in Indonesia as Agresi Militer Belanda II ("Dutch military aggression II").
Background
The second Politionele Actie was aimed at forcing the Republic to cooperate with the Dutch government in the implementation of the federalist policy as stipulated in the Linggadjati AgreementLinggadjati Agreement
The Linggadjati Agreement, also known as the Cheribon Agreement, was a political accord concluded on 15 November 1946 by the Dutch administration and the unilaterally declared Republic of Indonesia. Negotiations took place 11–12 November...
. The purpose was to organize the new Indonesia as a federal state that would remain closely associated with the Netherlands. The Indonesians had breached the armistice signed following Operatie Product
Operatie Product
Operatie Product, was the first of two major Dutch military offensives against the Republic of Indonesia during the Indonesian National Revolution. It took place following Dutch assertions that Indonesia cooperated insufficiently in the implementation of the Linggadjati Agreement, which had been...
.The Renville Agreement
Renville Agreement
The Renville Agreement was a United Nations Security Council brokered political accord between the Netherlands who were seeking to re-establish their colony in South East Asia, and Indonesian Republicans seeking to secure Indonesian independence during the Indonesian National Revolution...
, as the armistice was called, stipulated the withdrawal of Indonesian forces from Dutch-occupied territory in exchange for ending the Dutch naval blockade, and this was indeed put into effect. After some time, however, the Indonesian military, secretly, returned and began guerrilla operations against the Dutch.
By September 1948, the Dutch military command had succeeded in decoding the Republic's encyrpted secret code, gaining crucial intelligence on Indonesian military and diplomatic strategies and plans. This allowed General Simon Hendrik Spoor
Simon Hendrik Spoor
General Simon Hendrik Spoor was the Chief of Staff of the Dutch Armed Forces in the Dutch East Indies from 1946 to 1949, during the Indonesian National Revolution.-Career:...
to counteract Republic actions on the battlefield and diplomatic stage. The Dutch were so confident of this advantage that they held a press conference in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
three days prior to the actual attack. The Dutch also timed their attack to coordinate with plans by the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Prime Minister
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
to dispatch a private plane to fly Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
and Hatta
Hatta
Hatta may refer to:* Hatta, Gaza, an Arab village in Palestine depopulated in 1948* Hatta, Madhya Pradesh, a village in Damoh District, Madhya Pradesh, India* the Hatta number, a dimensionless parameter in chemical reaction engineering...
to Bukittinggi
Bukittinggi
Bukittinggi is one of the larger cities in West Sumatra, Indonesia, with a population of over 91,000 people and an area of 25.24 km². It is situated in the Minangkabau highlands, 90 km by road from the West Sumatran capital city of Padang. It is located at , near the volcanoes Mount...
in West Sumatra
West Sumatra
West Sumatra is a province of Indonesia. It lies on the west coast of the island Sumatra. It borders the provinces of North Sumatra to the north, Riau and Jambi to the east, and Bengkulu to the southeast. It includes the Mentawai Islands off the coast...
where they would head an emergency government. A Republican delegation led by Sukarno would then be flown to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
via New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
to advocate the Republic's cause in the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
. Throughout the Indonesian National Revolution
Indonesian National Revolution
The Indonesian National Revolution or Indonesian War of Independence was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between Indonesia and the Dutch Empire, and an internal social revolution...
, newly independent India had been sympathetic to the Republic cause which they viewed as a struggle against Western imperialism.
On 18 December, radio broadcasts in Jakarta reported that the Dutch High Commissioner
Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
The Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies represented the Dutch rule in the Dutch East Indies between 1610 and Dutch recognition of the independence of Indonesia in 1949.The first Governors-General were appointed by the Dutch East India Company...
Dr. Beel
Louis Beel
Louis Joseph Maria Beel was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from July 3, 1946 until August 7, 1948 and again from December 22, 1958 until May 19, 1959...
was going to give an important speech the next day. This news did not reach Yogya because the Dutch had already cut down the communication line. Meanwhile General Spoor gave an instruction to begin a full-scale surprise attack against the republic. The operation was codenamed Operation Kraai (Kraai = Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
: crow). He timed the attack prior to coincide with Republic military exercises on 19 December, giving Dutch movements some temporary camouflage and enabling them to take the enemy by surprise. The attack was also launched without the prior knowledge of the UN Committee of Good Offices.
First attack
The first attack began in the early hours of 19 December. At 04.30, Dutch aircraft took off from BandungBandung
Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...
; heading for Yogyakarta via the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. Meanwhile, the Dutch High Commissioner Beel announced that the Dutch were no longer bound by the Renville Agreement
Renville Agreement
The Renville Agreement was a United Nations Security Council brokered political accord between the Netherlands who were seeking to re-establish their colony in South East Asia, and Indonesian Republicans seeking to secure Indonesian independence during the Indonesian National Revolution...
on radio. The operation began as the Dutch attacked major Indonesian centers in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
and Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
. At 05.30, Maguwo
Maguwo
Maguwo was a landing ground on the eastern outskirts of Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia which was in use in the 1940s .It was replaced by the Adisucipto airport, which was named after an Indonesian pilot killed in a Dutch attack on the Maguwo landing ground....
airport and the radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
at military aircraft including Yogyakarta was bombed by the ML-KNIL. The Republic fielded only three captured Japanese Mitsubishi Zeros whereas the ML-KNIL fielded with several American-built P-40 Kittyhawk and P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
fighters, B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
bombers and 23 Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
s carrying approximately 900 troops.
Maguwo airport was only defended by 47 lightly armed Indonesian Air Force
Indonesian Air Force
The Indonesian Air Force is the air force branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.The Indonesian Air Force has 34,930 personnel equipped with 110 combat aircraft including Su-27 and Su-30.-Before Indonesian independence :...
cadets who lacked anti-aircraft machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s. Dummies were landed by the Dutch to draw enemy fire which enabled Dutch fighter planes to strafe the defenders. The skirmish lasted for 25 minutes ending with the Dutch taking over Maguwo; killing 128 Republicans with no casualties. Having secured the airport perimeter by 06:45, the Dutch were able to land airborne troops in two successive waves and use Maguwo as an airhead for reinforcements from their main base in Semarang
Semarang
- Economy :The western part of the city is home to many industrial parks and factories. The port of Semarang is located on the north coast and it is the main shipping port for the province of Central Java. Many small manufacturers are located in Semarang, producing goods such as textiles,...
. At 8:30 am, General Spoor gave a radio broadcast ordering his forces to cross the Van Mook line
Van Mook Line
The Van Mook Line, also known as the Status Quo Line, named after Hubertus van Mook was an artificial boundary which separated Dutch and the Republic of Indonesia on Java during the Indonesian National Revolution...
and capture Yogya to "purge" the Republic of "unreliable elements".
The main aim of Operatie Kraai was to quickly destroy the Tentara Nasional Indonesia
Military of Indonesia
The Indonesian National Armed Forces in 2009 comprises approximately 432,129 personnel including the Army , Navy including the Indonesian Marine Corps and the Air Force ....
(TNI) which General Spoor thought would desperately defend their capital. Thus, with Dutch superiority both in the air and on land, the Dutch army would easily execute a final and decisive victory upon the Indonesian army. However, most of the TNI had left Yogyakarta, defending western Yogyakarta's border from another Dutch military campaign. The commander General Nasution himself was on an inspection tour in East Java. The air attack found the Indonesians unprepared and within hours, the advancing Dutch army had quickly taken the airport, main road, bridge and strategic locations. General Sudirman's strategy was to avoid any major contact with the Dutch main army, thus saving the Indonesians from total defeat. He would prefer to lose territory but gain extra time to consolidate his army.
The capture of Yogyakarta
After hearing the surprise attack, Indonesian military commander General SudirmanSudirman
General Sudirman was the first military commander of Indonesian forces during the country's fight for independence from the Dutch in the 1940s.-Life:...
broadcasted Perintah kilat (quick command) via radios. He also requested Sukarno and other leaders to evacuate from Yogya, and join his guerrilla army. After a cabinet meeting, they refused and decided to stay in Yogyakarta, and keep communicating with UN and KTN
KTN
KTN may refer to:*Katoen Natie, a global logistics provider based in Belgium*Kawish Television Network*Kenya Television Network*Ketchikan International Airport...
envoys. Sukarno also announced the plan of "emergency government" in Sumatra, in the event something happened to the Indonesian leadership in Yogyakarta.
Meanwhile 2,600 fully armed Dutch troops (infantry and paratroopers) led by Colonel D.R.A. van Langen had gathered in Maguwo, ready to capture Yogyakarta. At the same day most of Yogyakarta fell into the Dutch with key targets like the air force and chief-of-staff headquarters razed by both Indonesian "scorched earth" tactics and Dutch bombing. Indonesian President Sukarno, Vice-President Mohammad Hatta
Mohammad Hatta
was born in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Dutch East Indies . He was Indonesia's first vice president, later also serving as the country's Prime Minister. Known as "The Proclamator", he and a number of Indonesians, including the first president of Indonesia, Sukarno, fought for the independence of...
, and ex prime minister Sutan Sjahrir
Sutan Sjahrir
Sutan Sjahrir , an avant garde and idealistic Indonesian intellectual, was a revolutionary independence leader...
were seized by the Dutch and subsequently exiled to Bangka
Bangka Island
Bangka is an island lying east of Sumatra, Indonesia. Population 626,955. Area: c.4,600 sq mi .There is an additional small island named Pulau Bangka in northern Sulawesi, Indonesia.-Geography:...
. They let themselves be captured hoping it would outrage international support. However, this action was later criticized among Indonesian military circles which regarded it as an act of cowardice by the political leadership. Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX stayed at his palace in Yogyakarta and did not leave during the entire occupation. The Sultan himself refused to cooperate with the Dutch administration and rejected mediation attempts by the pro-Dutch Sultan
Pontianak Sultanate
Pontianak Sultanate or Kesultanan Pontianak is a monarchy in the province of Pontianak, Indonesia.-History:Pontianak Sultanate was founded in 1771 by explorers from Hadhramaut led by al-Sayyid Syarif Abdurrahman al-Kadrie, descendants of Imam Ali ar-Ridha...
of Pontianak Hamid II
Sultan Hamid II
Sultan Hamid II, born Syarif Abdul Hamid Alkadrie was the last Sultan of Pontianak and the only President of the State of West Kalimantan from 1946 to its disestablishment in 1950. He was the eldest son of Sultan Syarif Muhammad Alkadrie...
.
"Emergency Government" and Guerrilla warfare
As planned before, emergency government was declared at 19 December. This was named Emergency Government of the Republic of IndonesiaEmergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia
The Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia , was established by Indonesian Republicans after the Netherlands occupied Yogyakarta in Central Java the location of the temporary Republican capital...
(Indonesian: Pemerintah Darurat Republik Indonesia), based on Bukittinggi
Bukittinggi
Bukittinggi is one of the larger cities in West Sumatra, Indonesia, with a population of over 91,000 people and an area of 25.24 km². It is situated in the Minangkabau highlands, 90 km by road from the West Sumatran capital city of Padang. It is located at , near the volcanoes Mount...
, West Sumatra
West Sumatra
West Sumatra is a province of Indonesia. It lies on the west coast of the island Sumatra. It borders the provinces of North Sumatra to the north, Riau and Jambi to the east, and Bengkulu to the southeast. It includes the Mentawai Islands off the coast...
, led by Sjafruddin Prawiranegara
Sjafruddin Prawiranegara
Sjafruddin Prawiranegara, also written Syafruddin Prawiranegara, was an Indonesian politician, economist, and latterly Islamic philosopher.- Early life :...
. Sudirman radioed his immediate support for this government.
By 20 December, all remaining republican troops in Yogya had been withdrawn. All parts of Indonesia except Aceh
Aceh
Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...
and some cantons in Sumatra fell under Dutch control. Sudirman, who was suffering from tubercolosis led the guerrillas from his sickbed. General A. H. Nasution
Abdul Haris Nasution
In this Indonesian name, the name "Nasution" is a family name, and the person should be referred to by the family name "Nasution".Abdul Haris Nasution was an Indonesian general who was twice appointed Army Chief of Staff and who escaped an assassination attempt during the...
, military commander of Java territories declared military government in Java, initiated a new guerrilla tactic called Pertahanan Keamanan Rakyat Semesta (Nation in Arms), transforming the whole of Java Island into a guerrilla front.
International reaction and ceasefire
This attack was well publicised internationally with many newspapers, including those in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
condemning Dutch aggression in their editorials. The United States threatened to suspend Marshall plan
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was the large-scale American program to aid Europe where the United States gave monetary support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II in order to combat the spread of Soviet communism. The plan was in operation for four years beginning in April 1948...
aid to the Dutch. This included Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was the large-scale American program to aid Europe where the United States gave monetary support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II in order to combat the spread of Soviet communism. The plan was in operation for four years beginning in April 1948...
funds vital for Dutch post-World War II rebuilding that had so far totalled $US 1 billion. The Netherlands Government had spent an amount equivalent to almost half of this funding their campaigns in Indonesia. The perception that American aid was being used to fund "a senile and ineffectual imperialism" encouraged many key voices in the United States - including those amongst the US Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
- and from within American churches and NGOs to speak out in support of Indonesian independence.
On 24 December, the UN Security Council called for the end of hostilities. In January 1949, it passed a resolution demanding the reinstatement of the Republican government. The Dutch had achieved most of their objectives and announced a ceasefire in Java on 31 December and on the 5 January in Sumatra. The guerrilla war nonetheless continued. Hostilities eventually ended on 7 May with the signing of the Roem-Royen peace agreement.
Bibliographu
- Operation Kraai (General Spoor) vs Surat Perintah no. 1 (General Sudirman), Gramedia Publisher-Indonesian Language