17th December 1949 was Sukarno’s crowning moment.
4 years after declaring Indonesian independence from the Dutch in 1945, the backlash and formalities were settled. Indonesia would officially no longer be a Dutch colony and have it’s own leader. Having been in exile, it was time for Sukarno to be sworn in as Head of State at the Kraton in Yogyakarta.
Even if your Dutch isn’t fluent, the fact that history was in the making is palpable in this awesome newsreel.
Watch the moment that Sukarno became the first President of an Independent Indonesia…
