The Leader Who Freed 17,000 Islands Was Betrayed by His Own Generals

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]The man who freed 17,000 Islands was destroyed by the generals he trusted most. It's 1945, Jakarta, Indonesia.

[00:00:08]Sukarno declares independence from Dutch rule and becomes the founding president of the world's largest Muslim nation. He builds a powerful military to fight Western control. His revolutionary speeches inspire millions across Africa and Asia. He promotes loyal officers to defend the new republic. For years, his prestige seems unbreakable. But those same generals grow hungry for power.

[00:00:31]They plan in secret, moving slowly to avoid [music] suspicion. One by one, they strip away his authority. House arrest replaces the presidential palace.

[00:00:41]The revolutionary who united Indonesia was Sukarno.