Sejarah Mempertahankan Kemerdekaan Indonesia | Pertempuran Surabaya, Ambarawa, Medan Area & Bandung

Independence and the Arrival of the Allies

• News of Indonesia’s proclamation of independence on August 17, 1945, spread gradually because communications between regions were limited. Radio, newspapers, telegrams, posters, envoys, young people, and word of mouth carried the news.
• As people learned of independence, they raised the red-and-white flag, held public meetings, and organized in support of the Republic. Some kingdoms and sultanates also declared their support.
• Independence did not immediately make the country secure. Japanese forces remained, and Allied troops began arriving after Japan’s surrender in World War II.
• The Allies’ AFNEI forces were officially tasked with disarming Japanese troops, freeing prisoners of war and internees, and maintaining security during the handover. However, the Dutch returned alongside them through NICA, which sought to restore Dutch colonial administration.
• The clash between Indonesia’s claim to independence and the Dutch effort to re-establish control fueled suspicion and resistance across the archipelago.

Battle of Surabaya

• British forces led by Brigadier General A.W.S. Mallaby arrived in Surabaya on October 25, 1945. Tensions grew, including after the Dutch flag was raised at the Yamato Hotel. Local youths tore off its blue section, leaving red and white.
• Armed clashes began on October 27. President Soekarno, Mohammad Hatta, and Information Minister Amir Sjarifuddin went to Surabaya to help secure a ceasefire, which was agreed on October 29.
• The truce was short-lived. Mallaby died on October 30; the subtitles note that historical accounts differ on the exact circumstances. The British then issued an ultimatum demanding that residents surrender their weapons.
• Bung Tomo’s radio speech urged the people of Surabaya not to surrender. He called for resistance if they were attacked and framed the struggle as a choice between freedom and submission.
• The ultimatum was rejected. On November 10, 1945, British forces attacked by land, sea, and air. Surabaya was eventually largely taken, but resistance continued. The battle became a major symbol of the independence struggle, and November 10 is commemorated as Heroes’ Day.

Battle of Ambarawa

• Allied troops arrived in Semarang on October 20, 1945, officially to evacuate prisoners of war. NICA also arrived, and reports that some released prisoners were armed heightened Republican concerns.
• Fighting broke out around Magelang and Ambarawa. The area was strategically important because it lay between key Central Java centers and the TKR’s headquarters.
• After an initial agreement to halt fighting, clashes resumed on November 20. Republican forces lost Lieutenant Colonel Isdiman on November 26, after which Colonel Sudirman took command.
• Sudirman chose to surround Ambarawa rather than rely on a direct assault. His “supit urang” strategy involved:
  • Coordinating attacks from several sectors.
  • Cutting Allied supply routes from Semarang.
  • Encircling Allied positions.
• The coordinated attack began on December 12. The Allies withdrew to Semarang on December 15. The battle demonstrated the growing ability of Republican forces to coordinate and use strategy and terrain against better-equipped opponents.

Medan Area

• Allied troops landed at Belawan on October 9, 1945, led by Brigadier General Ted Kelly. NICA accompanied them, and the release and re-arming of some former prisoners, including KNIL members, increased local concern.
• A direct trigger for fighting came on October 13, when a NICA member reportedly seized and trampled a red-and-white badge worn by an Indonesian youth. Clashes followed.
• The Allies demanded that weapons be handed over. On December 1, they marked the limits of an area they occupied, helping give rise to the name Medan Area.
• British and NICA forces launched a major attack on December 10. They gained control of Medan by April 1946, and the North Sumatra Republican government moved to Pematangsiantar.
• Resistance continued outside the city. Because armed groups had been operating under separate commands, their leaders met at Tebing Tinggi on August 10, 1946, and united under the Medan Area People’s Army Regiment Command.
• An order to cease armed contact took effect on February 15, 1947. Although the Republic had lost control of Medan, the struggle continued for months and demonstrated that resistance extended well beyond Java.

Bandung Sea of Fire

• Allied troops arrived in Bandung on October 12, 1945, officially to free prisoners and disarm Japanese forces. Dutch civilians released from internment and some NICA activity contributed to growing tensions.
• Fighting continued through late 1945 and early 1946. After an ultimatum, Allied forces took control of North Bandung, while South Bandung remained under Republican control.
• On March 23, 1946, the Allies ordered Indonesian troops to leave South Bandung. Republican leaders faced a choice between defending the city against a much stronger force or withdrawing.
• After discussions involving A.H. Nasution, TNI commanders, militia leaders, and government officials, the decision was made to withdraw but destroy buildings and facilities that could benefit the opposing side.
• On the night of March 24, 1946, Republican forces and residents set fires across parts of Bandung and evacuated the city. This event became known as the Bandung Sea of Fire.

Central Lesson

The video presents the defense of independence as a nationwide struggle, not a single battle. It emphasizes popular mobilization, the political conflict created by the Dutch return, and the development of Republican military organization—from local resistance to coordinated strategies and unified commands. In Bandung, it also shows that defending the Republic sometimes meant abandoning territory to deny it to the enemy.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Narrator/voice-over: Presents the historical account throughout the video.
• Bung Tomo: Featured through a radio speech urging the people of Surabaya to resist the British ultimatum.
• Historical accounts of Mallaby’s death: Referred to generally as differing, but no specific source is named in the subtitles.