On 17 August 1945, Sukarno, leader of the Indonesian Nationalist Party, declared independence from the Netherlands, citing the Atlantic Charter. The Dutch tried to re-establish their colonial control, but a prolonged guerrilla war ensued. In 1949, the Dutch recognized Indonesian independence.
Geography played a significant role in Indonesia’s road to independence. Situated between the Indian and Pacific oceans, the archipelago is the largest in the world, with over 17,000 islands. The Dutch East India Company began to colonize the islands…