Portrait: AI-generated imagined likeness
Politician · Military leader
Indonesian military officer and politician. He built a new post-Sukarno order and promoted long-term dictatorship and economic development. He is a person who thinks about nation-building in Southeast Asia during the Cold War.
View in catalogJakarta
Work
Indonesian transition of 1965-1966
1965–1966
Political event · Leader
New Order Indonesia
1966–1998
Political event · Leader
Map: Natural Earth (PD)
Born in Java in the Dutch East Indies, he became a soldier after serving in the colonial army and military organizations during the Japanese occupation. After the war of independence, the military had a great influence on politics in Indonesia.
He seized power after the political upheaval of 1965 and replaced Sukarno as president. While promoting anti-Communist policies, deepening relations with the West and promoting economic development, they severely restricted political freedom.
Although the Suharto regime emphasized stability and growth, it had many negative aspects such as corruption, human rights violations, and the East Timor issue. The Asian currency crisis of 1997 exposed the weaknesses of long-term governments.
Studying Suharto reveals that the Cold War in Southeast Asia was intertwined with domestic politics, the military, development policy, and international aid. His New Order system is an important case for considering the relationship between economic growth and authoritarianism, and is also the premise of modern Indonesian politics.
