Achmed Sukarno
(b. Surabaya, 6 June 1901; d. 21 June 1970) Indonesian; President 1945 – 68 Son of a Muslim Javanese teacher and his Balinese wife, Sukarno was educated in his father's school, in the European school system, and at the Technical College in Bandung (1921 – 6), where he trained as an engineer and became imbued with radical, secular nationalism against Dutch colonialism.
After the PKI (Communist Party) was crushed in 1926 – 7 and with the Islamic party in disarray, Sukarno formed the Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI) in 1927. It was the first major party committed to the achievement of national unity and independence through mass participation and non-cooperation. Sukarno was interned by the Dutch in 1929 – 31 and rearrested in 1933 when he was exiled to Flores and later to Sumatra.
Released by the Japanese in 1942, Sukarno co-operated with them in the hope that they would assist the nationalist movement. Military reverses and Indonesian unrest forced the Japanese to make plans for the transfer of power but these were overtaken by Japan's surrender on 15 August 1945. On 17 August Sukarno and Dr Hatta proclaimed Indonesian independence.
In the subsequent four-year struggle against the restoration of Dutch control, Sukarno straddled divisions within the republican movement, oscillated between military and diplomatic methods, and benefited from the support of the USA and UN. When in December 1949 the Dutch surrendered claims to sovereignty, Sukarno continued the quest for national unity. His "Pancasila" (five principles) were intended as an ideological umbrella under which all Indonesians might gather, while his sponsorship of the "non-aligned movement" at the Bandung Conference (April 1955) was presented as a blow against European "neo-colonialism" and the "imperialism" of super powers.
The diversity of the vast archipelago, political factionalism, and rebellions in Sumatra and Sulawesi led Sukarno in 1957 to seek political balance through "Guided Democracy". Neither his charismatic leadership nor his manipulative skills, however, could achieve stability which was further undermined by galloping inflation. Increasingly hostile to Western capitalism, Sukarno embarked on foreign adventures (notably "Konfrontasi" with Malaysia, 1963 – 6), withdrew from the UN (January 1965) and moved closer to China. Meanwhile, the contest between Communist and non-Communist forces in Indonesia culminated in the coup and counter-coup of September – October 1965 which brought the military to power and plunged the country into bloodshed. This crisis effectively ended Sukarno's regime, though it was not until March 1968 that he was formally replaced as President by General Suharto.
