Two Essays On Indonesia: Airpower And Sovereignty In Revolution; Cambodia And The Indonesian Connection

Abstract

"Airpower and Sovereignty in Revolution" addresses how the Indonesian Republican government used foreign pilots to acquire meaningful airpower during its struggle for independence. Samuel Crowl (2009) argued that the Indonesian revolution was successful because the Republican government carried out "an unprecedented 'diplomatic revolution'" by attracting international support beyond Europe and the United States. Without airpower the Republicans would not have been able to maintain their diplomatic revolution in the face of increasing Dutch Isolation. This essay explores how the Republicans acquired and employed airpower. "Cambodia and the Indonesian Connection" argues that the events in Cambodia since its independence are better understood by examining the relationship between Indonesia and Cambodia from 1955 through 1975. By examining this relationship one can better understand 1) the neutralist course Prince Sihanouk attempted to pursue, 2) the path to the Cambodian genocide, and 3) the importance each state played in the other's foreign policy.