Towards the Indonesian Republic: Marxist Lineages in the National Revolution
Geoffrey Gunn, author
Date of publication:
2025
Publisher:
ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute
Number of pages:
426
Code:
BM630
Soft Cover
ISBN: 9789815203004
About the publication
Drawing on little known archival sources, this work brings to the fore the salience of a schism in the Indonesian communist movement between pro-Moscow loyalists and “national-communists” reaching back to the 1920s, which survived even the Japanese occupation and surfaced in the throes of the National Revolution (1945–49). At the heart of the rift lay contrasting visions of revolutionary tactics, the salience of Islam in an Islamic majority society, the vexed question of alliance between leftists and other anti-colonial forces, and even the concept and definition of state and national ideology. As such, we cannot ignore the lineages of Marxism in the National Revolution, which trace their roots to the pioneer actions on Java by Dutch communists, themselves influenced by the Bolshevik Revolution. Contrary to the image of a non-revolutionary peasantry and a nationalist leadership broken or tamed by colonial carceral practices, the picture that emerges is one of acute agency on the part of an awoken population at a critical historical moment at the end of World War II.
“There is no more complicated period in the history of the Indonesian national revolution than that of 1945–49 during the war with the Dutch colonial armies nor a more complicated strand in Indonesian history than that of its Marxist lineage. Dr Gunn’s book is a truly unique and fascinating account of both, fusing perspectives from a range of colonial as well as indigenous sources. Sukarno, Hatta, Sjahrir, Amir Sjariffudin, all appear, but none more so than Tan Malaka. It is as provocative a read as any well-researched historical novel, but it is not fiction but reality. It is very well documented and needs to be read at least twice.”
—Max Lane, Visiting Senior Fellow, Indonesia Studies Programme, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute
“There have been numerous books on Indonesian independence movements that led to the birth of the Republic of Indonesia. Nevertheless, this book by Geoffrey Gunn differs from previous ones in the sense that it focuses on the role of Marxist radical movements, especially that of Tan Malaka, in the Indonesian anti-colonial struggle. It begins with the emergence of the Communist movement, failed rebellions of 1926–27, the Japanese occupation, the Madiun Affair, and ends with the international recognition of Indonesia’s independence in 1949. Using various newly available archives, including that of the Russian, and recently published articles and books on the subject, the author has presented a revisionist history of Indonesian independence with a fresh perspective.”
—Leo Suryadinata, Visiting Senior Fellow, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute; formerly Professor in Political Science, National University of Singapore
Contents
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Towards the Indonesian Republic: Marxist Lineages in the National Revolution
[Whole Publication, ISBN: 9789815203011], by Geoffrey Gunn, author -
Preliminary pages with Introduction
- PART ONE: OPPRESSION
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1. Colonial Incarceration: The Boven Digul Experience
- PART TWO: THE WORLD IN MOTION
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2. The Origins of Anti-Colonial Nationalism
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3. The Failed Rebellions of 1926–27
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4. Infighting in Moscow
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5. Tensions in Holland
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6. Nationalism Resurgent
- PART THREE: THE JAPANSE OCCUPATION
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7. Collaboration and Resistance Under Japanese Militarism
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8. Indonesian Agency in the Independence Proclamation
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9. The Digulists Down Under: Waging the Struggle from Australia
- PART FOUR: DEFENCE OF INDEPENDENCE
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10. The Struggle over Central Java
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11. The Struggle Outside Java
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12. Rise and Fall of the Sayap Kiri
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13. The Madiun Affair Revisited
- PART FIVE: STRUGGLE/DIPLOMACY
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14. Trials of the Persatuan Perjuangan, or Struggle Front
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15. The Tan Malaka Endgame and the Triumph of Diplomacy
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Epilogue
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Bibliography
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Index
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About the Author
