num_pages: 185
description: The dominant role of the Indonesian military has long been a characteristic feature of the Indonesian political scene. But how did this dominance emerge? In this book Dr Salim Said delves into the circumstances of the Indonesian military's inception during the struggle for independence in the 1940s and the perceptions of its first commander-in-chief or panglima besar, General Sudirman, to answer this question. In his view, the fact that the military was a self created institution rather than one established by the government or a political party, the fact that General Sudirman was elected by his troops rather than by the government, the weakness of indigenous political and governmental institutions at that time, and the experience of running a military government for eight months during the guerrilla war period led to the panglima besar's perception of the military as the main defender of the country's sovereignty and to the consequent assertive role of the military.In an epilogue to his historical account, Dr Salim observes that while the legitimacy of the military's participation in politics has remained unquestioned, new circumstances following General Sudirman's death have constantly forced it to redefine the precise nature of that participation.
language: English
title: Genesis of Power: General Sudirman and the Military in Politics
titlecomplete: Genesis of Power: General Sudirman and the Military in Politics
ratings_count: 14
publisher: Ashgate Publishing