The Battle of Surabaya was fought between pro-independence
Indonesian soldiers and militia against British and British Indian Troops as a
part of the Indonesian National Revolution. The peak of the battle was in
November 1945. Despite fierce resistance, British Indian troops managed to
conquer Surabaya, the second-largest city in Indonesia. The battle was the
heaviest single battle of the revolution and became a national symbol of
Indonesian resistance. Considered a heroic effort by Indonesians, the battle
helped galvanise Indonesian and international support for Indonesian
independence. 10 November is celebrated annually as Heroes' Day .
HISTORY
British forces brought in a small Dutch military contingent
which it termed the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA). The British
became worried about the increasing boldness and apparent strength of the
nationalists, who attacked demoralised Japanese garrisons across the
archipelago with rudimentary weapons such as bamboo spears in order to seize
their arms The main goals of British troops in Surabaya were the seizing of
weapons from Japanese troops and Indonesian militia, taking care of former
prisoners-of-war (POW), and sending the remaining Japanese troops back to
Japan.
By the time the Allied forces arrived at the end of October
1945, the pemuda ('youth') foothold in Surabaya City was described as "a
strong unified fortress". Ferocious fighting erupted when 6,000 Indian
troops landed in the city to evacuate European internees. Following the killing
on 30 October of the British commander(aws. Mallaby ) , Brigadier the British retaliated with a punitive sweep
that began on 10 November, under the cover of air attacks. Although the
European forces largely captured the city in three days, the poorly armed
Republicans fought for three weeks, and thousands died as the population fled
to the countryside.
Six thousand British Indian troops were sent into the city
on 25 October to evacuate European internees and within three days fighting
began. After heavy fighting between the
British Indian forces and around 20,000 Indonesian armed regulars of the newly
formed People's Security Army (TKR) and mobs of 70,000–140,000 people, the
British flew in the influential President Sukarno, Vice President Hatta and his
ministers Amir Sjarifuddin, and a ceasefire was achieved on 30 October.
At dawn on 10 November, a day now commemorated in Indonesia
as Heroes' Day, British troops began a methodical advance through the city
under the cover of naval and air bombardment. Fighting was heavy, with British
troops clearing buildings room by room and consolidating their gains. Despite
the fanatical resistance of the Indonesians, half of the city was conquered in
three days and the fighting over in three weeks(November 29) Estimates of Indonesian deaths range between
6,300 and 15,000, and perhaps 200,000 fled the devastated city.[2][12] British
Indian casualties totalled approximately 600.
The Republicans lost much of their manpower, but it was the
loss of weaponry that would severely hamper Republican military efforts for the
remainder of the independence struggle. The battle for Surabaya was the
bloodiest single engagement of the war, and demonstrated the determination of
the rag-tag nationalist forces; their sacrificial resistance became a symbol
and rallying-cry for the revolution. It also made the British reluctant to be
sucked into a war, considering how stretched their resources in southeast Asia
were during the period after the Japanese surrender; within a few years, in
fact, Britain openly supported the Republican cause in the United Nations. It
was also a watershed for the Dutch as it removed any doubt that the Republic
was a well-organized resistance with popular support, In November 1946, the last British troops left
Indonesia. The "Heroes of the 10 November" statue in Surabaya
commemorates this battle. 10 November is now commemorated in Indonesia as
"Heroes' Day", in memory of the battle.
1.Orientation
:
character :
- aws.mallaby
-moh. Hatta
-Amir Sjarifuddin
-soekarno
Time :
- By the time the Allied forces arrived at the end of October 1945,
the pemuda ('youth') foothold in Surabaya City was described as "a strong
unified fortress".
-10 November is now commemorated
in Indonesia as "Heroes' Day", in memory of the battle.
- It was also a watershed for the Dutch as it removed any doubt that the
Republic was a well-organized resistance with popular support, In November 1946, the last British troops
left Indonesia
Place :
- Six thousand British Indian troops were sent into the city (surabaya )
on 25 October to evacuate European internees and within three days fighting
began.
2.problem
problem =
-when indonesian already declarate about the independence , ally
force(us,england,dutch,etc) still
doesn’t admit indonesian independent so they attacked surabaya.
Climax =
-Dutch military contingent (NICA) came to indonesian seizing all weapons from Japanese troops and Indonesian
militia, taking care of former prisoners-of-war (POW), and sending the
remaining Japanese troops back to Japan, But they didn’t their word because they actually attack
indonesian’s people with they army who used modern technology and in other side
indonesian’s people just used a simple
weapon like sharp bamboo
3.Resolution
happy ending because we can make ally force army retreat and leave our
nation but sadly we loss many heroes and
many infrastructure was broken
4.Moral Message
-although we just a weak people but if we all together and unite, we can make a
better future for our country,and
especially for ourselves
-although we have many,tough, and smart
enemy but we can beat them all with our
might because if we unite we can be a better
nation
