Paper Example on History of Indonesia in the 20th Century and the Role of Islam

Introduction

Indonesia is a sovereign country located in Southeast Asia. The Dutch colonized Indonesia and later agreed to grant it independence in 1949 (Vickers, 2013). As a country, Indonesia has a rich history that stretches from early years before civilizations to the present day. However, the 20th century is the focal point as far as the history of Indonesia is concerned. It is during this period that Indonesia gained its independence. Typically, Indonesia is a democratic country with an over-arching political history in the 20th century.

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The Over-Arching Political History of Indonesia in the 20th Century

Before the 20th century, the Dutch government mistreated Indonesians by forcing them to work on sugar plantations. However, during the early 20th century, they began receiving fair treatment from the Dutch (Vickers, 2013). It is essential to pinpoint that during this period, the Dutch government introduced a dogma dubbed ethical policy. Notably, this theory encompassed expenditure on sanitation, irrigation, health care, and building of schools. Nevertheless, the ethical policy failed to improve the lives of the majority of Indonesians. The positive implication of this policy was that at least some Indonesians became educated as well as familiarizing themselves with western ideas like socialism and liberalism. The ramification for this was the emergence of the nationalist movement in the early 20th century. This movement began clamoring for the country's independence.

Key Turning Points and Major Events

In 1940, the Germans occupied the Netherlands or Holland. This weakened the authority and control of the Dutch in Indonesia. Two years later, the Japanese invaded Indonesia in 1942. As a result, on 8 March 1942, the Dutch troops surrendered. It is for this reason that the Indonesians regarded Japanese as their liberators. Nonetheless, the Japanese soon became brutal and began the exploitation of Indonesian resources (Frey, Pruessen, Tan, & Yong, 2015). Indonesians then revolted against Japanese and on August 15, 1945, the Japanese troops surrendered to the Indonesian freedom fighters. After the defeat of the Japanese, Young Indonesian nationalists began seeking independence before the return of the Dutch. On August 17, 1945, Indonesia gained its independence with Sukarno and Hatta becoming its president and vice president respectively (Vickers, 2013).

The British left Indonesia in November 1946 and later the same month, the Dutch had their troops back in Indonesia and signed Linggadjati agreement (Frey et al., 2015). Imperatively, this agreement was meant to recognize Indonesia as a new republic in Sumatra and Java. The agreement further stated that the new republic would become part of Holland's federal union in 1949. In 1947, Holland attempted to retake entire Indonesia. However, strong international condemnation made them withdraw. Later in December 1948, they tried again to retake Indonesia, a situation that prompted the Indonesians to turn to the infamous guerrilla warfare and reclaim their independence. In November 1949, the Indonesians had a breakthrough in their fight for independence as the Dutch agreed to withdraw their troops. Finally, in December 1949, the Dutch withdrew all their troops from Indonesia.

The Appropriate Point in the 20th Century for Indonesians

For Indonesia, the appropriate moment selected was in 1940 when the Germans invaded Holland. This moment was appropriate for the attainment of independence of Indonesia as it weakened Holland's influence in Indonesia. As a result, Indonesians became involved in the struggle for their independence. Another significant event was in December 1948 when Indonesians fought against Holland's retake of their country through guerrilla warfare. This event was significant because it finally made Indonesians to regain their full independence from the Dutch.

Political Groups Who Want Power in Indonesia

During the early 20th century, there was the nationalist movement whose main aim was to fight the independence of Indonesia. This political group organized guerilla warfare that was imperative in resisting retake of their country. However, there has been a recent rise of Islamists in Indonesia who have adopted a strong viewpoint that threatens the democratic process in Indonesia (Bolland, 2016). These Islamists have introduced legislation aimed to increase religious court powers. This group has pushed Indonesian government ministers to take individual stances regarding issues such as religious minorities, homosexuals, and so on. The Islamists have swayed the general election in Indonesia, therefore thwarting the democratic process.

The issue of Democracy in Indonesia

After its independence, Indonesia became a democratic country in which its leaders were elected through majority votes. However, in 1957, Sukarno, the then president introduced a guided democracy in which the parliamentary powers were reduced greatly and those of Sukarno increased. Later, Suharto seized power from Sukarno and became a dictator. In this regard, Indonesia was under dictatorship rule between 1966 and 1998. From 1998 to date, the country has been under a democratic government in which election results determine the ruler or president (Erb, Faucher, & Sulistiyanto, 2013).

Personal Assessment of the Events in Indonesia

The Indonesians fought hard for their independence soon after the inception of the 20th century. They manage to acquire independence through their determination and the international pressure from its allies such as the US. However, rather than developing their country for prosperity, they soon began scrambling for power. Some of its leaders became rebels and formed a political outfit which later inherited Dutch-owned companies, a situation that fueled the attempted coup in 1965. It is essential to note that had the Indonesians embraced democracy after they gained independence, their country would have been probably the best in Asia.

Recommendations to the Country

If I were the Indonesian government advisor, I would have recommended that the country uphold democracy in order to promote peace and stability within the nation. I would also recommend the government to engage the hard-liner Islamists in dialogue to help in the identification of issues that affect them and find an amicable solution that is all binding. I will also recommend that the government form a reconciliatory commission to help in the unification of the country. By so doing, there will be everlasting peace within the country, Indonesia.

Conclusion

Indonesia gained its independence from the Dutch in 1949. Nonetheless, the crucial event that led to the struggle for freedom was in 1940 when the Germans invaded Holland. Just like any other country, Indonesia has political groups that are detrimental to its democracy and internal peace. Indonesia has hard-liner Islamists who influence electoral processes in the country. It is therefore crucial for the government to unite all its citizens through the establishment of a reconciliatory commission.

References

Bolland, B. (2016). The struggle of Islam in modern Indonesia (p. 292). Brill.

Erb, M., Faucher, C., & Sulistiyanto, P. (Eds.). (2013). Regionalism in Post-Suharto Indonesia. Routledge.

Frey, M., Pruessen, R. W., Tan, T. Y., & Yong, T. T. (2015). The Indonesian revolution and the fall of the Dutch empire: actors, factors, and strategies. The Transformation of Southeast Asia (pp. 97-118). Routledge.

Vickers, A. (2013). A history of modern Indonesia. Cambridge University Press.