Gatot Soebroto
Encyclopedia
Gatot Subroto was an Indonesia
n general who began his military career with the Royal Dutch East Indies Army and rose to be deputy Army chief-of-staff.
, Central Java
. He began his education at a Eurpeesche Lagere School, an elementary school for the children of Europeans, but was expelled for fighting with Dutch children. He then moved to a Hollands Inlandse School for Indonesians. He did not continue his education after graduating from this elementary school, but instead found a job. However, he did not like this, and decided on a military career.
. After graduating, he joined the Royal Dutch East Indies Army (KNIL) and rose to the rank of sergeant. In 1942, the Japanese invaded the Dutch East Indies
, and Gatot joined the PETA (Defenders of the Father), an army set up by the Japanese in case of invasion by the allies. He received training in Bogor
, and was appointed commander of a company in Banyumas
, then a battalion commander.
Gatot was one of the group of ex-KNIL NCOs, which included future president Suharto and future army chief-of-staff Ahmad Yani
who joined the BKR (People's Security Agency), the forerunner of the Indonesian Army
as soon as it was set up after the Indonesian Declaration of Independence
on 17 August 1945. On 5 October 1946, he was appointed commander of the II/Gunung Jati Division in Central Java. On 31 May 1948 he became commander of the Military Police and later that year Military Governor of the Surakarta
-Semarang
-Pati
-Madiun
region. He was involved in the suppression of the 1948 Madiun Revolt. In July 1949, went to Yogyakarta shortly after Army commander Sudirman
's return to the city, which at the time was the capital. He was sick, and had to be treated at the Panti Rapih Hospital.
On 3 August 1949, President Sukarno
announced a ceasefire
with the Dutch, and Nasution, commander of the Java Military Territory, decided a reorganization of divisions was needed to face the threat of a possible third Dutch "police action". Central Java's III and IV divisions were merged, and Gatot Subroto appointed commander, although he was still in hospital at the time. He was officially inaugurated on 20 November as commander of the renamed III/Diponegoro Division, which became the IV/Diponegoro Military Territory in December. In this capacity, he issued a warning to one of his brigade commanders, Suharto over the establishment of a transport enterprise using Army vehicles, which the future president had set up to provide jobs for veterans.
In March 1952, Gatot moved to Makassar
to take over command of the VII/Wirabuana Military Territory, which covered all of Indonesia east of Java
and Kalimantan
. However on 16 November he was arrested and displaced by his chief-of-staff, Lt Col J.M. Warouw. This was one of a series of small-scale coups against officers blamed for their involvement in the 17 October 1952 incident where troops demonstrated in front of the Presidential Palace
in Jakarta calling for the dissolution of the legislature. Although Gatot supported the demonstration, he was not present in Jakarta at the time. He was subsequently either placed on non-active status as a result of the incident or resigned from the military.
. The party was called the League of Upholders of Indonesian Independence (IPKI). The party won four seats in the 1955 election, and Gatot Subroto became a member of the Indonesian legislature representing Central Java.
In 1959, together with Nasution, he called a special meeting of the major political parties at the time to persuade them to support the proposal to return to the 1945 Constitution
, which had been abrogated in favor of the Provisional Constitution of 1950
nine years before. All parties eventually agreed, and on 5 October 1959, the 1945 Constitution was reimposed by presidential decree
.
Later that year, Nasution and Gatot Subroto decided against taking further action against Suharto after his dismissal from the command of the Diponegoro Division following revelations of involvement in smuggling.
Gatot Subroto died suddenly in Jakarta on 11 June 1962 and was buried in the village of Mulyoharjo near Yogyakarta. A week later, he was declared a National Hero via Presidential Decision No.222/1962.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n general who began his military career with the Royal Dutch East Indies Army and rose to be deputy Army chief-of-staff.
Early life
Gatot Subroto was born in PurwokertoPurwokerto
Purwokerto is a city on the island of Java in Indonesia. It is the capital of Banyumas Regency, Central Java region. The estimated population of the city in 2005 was 249,705.-Geography:...
, Central Java
Central Java
Central Java is a province of Indonesia. The administrative capital is Semarang. It is one of six provinces on the island of Java.This province is the province of high Human Development in Indonesia and its Points Development Index countries is equivalent to Lebanon. The province of Central Java...
. He began his education at a Eurpeesche Lagere School, an elementary school for the children of Europeans, but was expelled for fighting with Dutch children. He then moved to a Hollands Inlandse School for Indonesians. He did not continue his education after graduating from this elementary school, but instead found a job. However, he did not like this, and decided on a military career.
Pre-independence military career
In 1923, Gatot enrolled in military school in MagelangMagelang
Magelang is one of the largest cities of the 1,130 km² Magelang Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. It is also the largest town in the Kedu Plain between Mount Merbabu and Mount Sumbing in Central Java, Indonesia...
. After graduating, he joined the Royal Dutch East Indies Army (KNIL) and rose to the rank of sergeant. In 1942, the Japanese invaded the Dutch East Indies
Japanese Occupation of Indonesia
The Japanese Empire occupied Indonesia, known then as the Dutch East Indies, during World War II from March 1942 until after the end of War in 1945...
, and Gatot joined the PETA (Defenders of the Father), an army set up by the Japanese in case of invasion by the allies. He received training in Bogor
Bogor
Bogor is a city on the island of Java in the West Java province of Indonesia. The city is located in the center of the Bogor Regency , 60 kilometers south of the Indonesian capital Jakarta...
, and was appointed commander of a company in Banyumas
Banyumas
Banyumas or "Banjoemas" is a regency in the southwestern part of Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is Sumpiuh.The term Banyumasan is also used as an adjective referring to the culture, language and peoples of larger Banyumas area...
, then a battalion commander.
Gatot was one of the group of ex-KNIL NCOs, which included future president Suharto and future army chief-of-staff Ahmad Yani
Ahmad Yani
General Ahmad Yani was the commander of the Indonesian Army, and was killed by members of the 30 September Movement during an attempt to kidnap him from his house.-Early life:...
who joined the BKR (People's Security Agency), the forerunner of the Indonesian Army
Indonesian Army
The Indonesian Army , the land component of the Indonesian Armed Forces, has an estimated strength of 328,517 regular personnel. The force's history began in 1945 when the Tentara Keamanan Rakyat "Civil Security Forces" served as paramilitary and police.Since the nation's independence struggle,...
as soon as it was set up after the Indonesian Declaration of Independence
Indonesian Declaration of Independence
The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence was read at 10.00 a.m. on Friday, August 17, 1945. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed-resistance of the Indonesian National Revolution, fighting against the forces of the Netherlands until the latter officially acknowledged...
on 17 August 1945. On 5 October 1946, he was appointed commander of the II/Gunung Jati Division in Central Java. On 31 May 1948 he became commander of the Military Police and later that year Military Governor of the Surakarta
Surakarta
Surakarta, also called Solo or Sala, is a city in Central Java, Indonesia of more than 520,061 people with a population density of 11,811.5 people/km2. The 44 km2 city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoharjo Regency to the east and...
-Semarang
Semarang
- Economy :The western part of the city is home to many industrial parks and factories. The port of Semarang is located on the north coast and it is the main shipping port for the province of Central Java. Many small manufacturers are located in Semarang, producing goods such as textiles,...
-Pati
Pati
Pati may refer to:* Pati , an honorific* Pati Regency, Indonesia* Pati River, in Brazil* Patricia, a given name...
-Madiun
Madiun
Madiun is a city in the western part of the province of East Java Indonesia, an agricultural centre. It is the capital of the regency of the same name....
region. He was involved in the suppression of the 1948 Madiun Revolt. In July 1949, went to Yogyakarta shortly after Army commander Sudirman
Sudirman
General Sudirman was the first military commander of Indonesian forces during the country's fight for independence from the Dutch in the 1940s.-Life:...
's return to the city, which at the time was the capital. He was sick, and had to be treated at the Panti Rapih Hospital.
On 3 August 1949, President Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
announced a ceasefire
Ceasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
with the Dutch, and Nasution, commander of the Java Military Territory, decided a reorganization of divisions was needed to face the threat of a possible third Dutch "police action". Central Java's III and IV divisions were merged, and Gatot Subroto appointed commander, although he was still in hospital at the time. He was officially inaugurated on 20 November as commander of the renamed III/Diponegoro Division, which became the IV/Diponegoro Military Territory in December. In this capacity, he issued a warning to one of his brigade commanders, Suharto over the establishment of a transport enterprise using Army vehicles, which the future president had set up to provide jobs for veterans.
In March 1952, Gatot moved to Makassar
Makassar
Makassar, is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the largest city on Sulawesi Island. From 1971 to 1999, the city was named Ujung Pandang, after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably...
to take over command of the VII/Wirabuana Military Territory, which covered all of Indonesia east of Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
and Kalimantan
Kalimantan
In English, the term Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, while in Indonesian, the term "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo....
. However on 16 November he was arrested and displaced by his chief-of-staff, Lt Col J.M. Warouw. This was one of a series of small-scale coups against officers blamed for their involvement in the 17 October 1952 incident where troops demonstrated in front of the Presidential Palace
Istana Merdeka
Merdeka Palace , is a palace in Central Jakarta, Indonesia, used as the official residence of the President of the Republic of Indonesia. The palace is located directly in front of Merdeka Square and The National Monument. The palace previously served as a residence for the Governor-General of the...
in Jakarta calling for the dissolution of the legislature. Although Gatot supported the demonstration, he was not present in Jakarta at the time. He was subsequently either placed on non-active status as a result of the incident or resigned from the military.
Political career
On 20 May 1953, he attended a meeting led by Nasution (also inactive) in Tugu, West Java at which it was decided to establish a political party to "fight for the return to the spirit of the 1945 ConstitutionConstitution of Indonesia
The Constitution of Indonesia is the basis for the government of the Indonesia.The constitution was written in June, July and August 1945, when Indonesia was emerging from Japanese control at the end of World War II...
. The party was called the League of Upholders of Indonesian Independence (IPKI). The party won four seats in the 1955 election, and Gatot Subroto became a member of the Indonesian legislature representing Central Java.
Return to the military
Soon after the elections, the cabinet and the Army began the process of appointing an Army chief-of-staff to replace the acting head Colonel Lubis, who had not officially been installed. Gatot Subroto emerged as a "compromise candidate", but turned down the job as he was worried about being manipulated by other officers. He told that cabinet that of they wanted a high quality officer, they should recall Nasution to the post. Nasution was officially re-appointed on 7 November 1955. The following year, Gatot Subroto was appointed deputy chief-of-staff, a position he held until his death.In 1959, together with Nasution, he called a special meeting of the major political parties at the time to persuade them to support the proposal to return to the 1945 Constitution
Constitution of Indonesia
The Constitution of Indonesia is the basis for the government of the Indonesia.The constitution was written in June, July and August 1945, when Indonesia was emerging from Japanese control at the end of World War II...
, which had been abrogated in favor of the Provisional Constitution of 1950
Provisional Constitution of 1950
The 1950 Provisional Constitution replaced the Federal Constitution of 1949 when Indonesia unilaterally withdrew from the union with the Netherlands agreed at the Round Table Conference and returned to being a unitary state. It came into force on August 17, 1950...
nine years before. All parties eventually agreed, and on 5 October 1959, the 1945 Constitution was reimposed by presidential decree
President Sukarno's 1959 Decree
The Presidential Decree of 5 July 1959 was issued by President Sukarno in the face of the inability of the Constitutional Assembly of Indonesia to achieve the two-thirds majority to reimpose the 1945 Constitution...
.
Later that year, Nasution and Gatot Subroto decided against taking further action against Suharto after his dismissal from the command of the Diponegoro Division following revelations of involvement in smuggling.
Gatot Subroto died suddenly in Jakarta on 11 June 1962 and was buried in the village of Mulyoharjo near Yogyakarta. A week later, he was declared a National Hero via Presidential Decision No.222/1962.