Bung Karno and the Fossilization of Soekarno’s Thought
Author(s)
Anderson, Benedict Richard O’Gorman
Abstract
Sukarno (1901-70) became the first president of the Republic of Indonesia in 1945. In the early years of his rule he was extremely popular and revered for his nationalism, leadership, and prudent reforms. However, as he grew older his political ideas became more fixed and inflexible. Even the “new” concepts and slogans of his last decade of rule were just variations on the political ideas he acquired as a young man. Although he remained an ardent nationalist, the “fossilization” of his political thinking crippled his ability to adapt to changing circumstances and contributed to his overthrow by General Suharto in 1967.
