The British Occupation of Indonesia, 1945-1946: Britain, The Netherlands and the Indonesian Revolution

The British Occupation of Indonesia, 1945-1946: Britain, The Netherlands and the Indonesian Revolution
Richard McMillan (Routledge, 2005)
ISBN: 9780415355513

This is the first work to examine systematically the British occupation of Indonesia after the Second World War. The occupation by British-Indian forces between 1945 and 1946 bridged the gap between the surrender of Japan and the resumption of Dutch rule, and this book is a reappraisal of the conduct on the ground of that British Occupation. Contrary to previous studies, it demonstrates that occupation was neither exclusively pro-Dutch nor pro-Indonesian; nor was it the orderly affair portrayed in the official histories. Richard McMillan draws upon a wide range of sources previously unavailable to scholars – such as recently declassified government papers and papers in private archives; he has also carried out revealing interviews with key players.