Hari Pahlawan and Battle of Surabaya

Hari Pahlawan (Indonesian for Heroes' Day/Warriors' Day) is a Remembrance Day annually celebrated on 10 November in Indonesia. The day commemorates the 1945 Battle of Surabaya, in which pro-independence Indonesian soldiers and militia fought against British and Dutch troops as part of the Indonesian National Revolution.

The history was begun like this: The Battle of Surabaya was fought between pro-independence Indonesian soldiers and militia against British and Dutch troops as a part of the Indonesian National Revolution. The peak of the battle was in November 1945. Despite fierce resistance, British Indian troops managed to conquer Surabaya, the second-largest city in Indonesia, on behalf of the Netherlands. The battle was the heaviest single battle of the revolution and became a national symbol of Indonesian resistance. Considered a heroic effort by Indonesians, the battle helped galvanize Indonesian and international support for Indonesian independence. 10 November is celebrated annually as Heroes' Day.

Bung Tomo (Source: id.wikipedia.com

By the time the Allied forces arrived at the end of October 1945, the pemuda ('youth') foothold in Surabaya City was described as "a strong unified fortress”. Ferocious fighting erupted when 6,000 Indian troops landed in the city to evacuate European internees. Following the killing on 30 October of the British commander, Brigadier A.W.S. Mallaby, the British retaliated with a punitive sweep that began on 10 November, under the cover of air attacks. Although the European forces largely captured the city in three days, the poorly armed Republicans fought for three weeks, and thousands died as the population fled to the countryside.

Battle of Surabaya 1945. British troop. (source: panoramio.com)

Despite the military defeat suffered by the Republicans and a loss of manpower and weaponry that would severely hamper Republican forces for the rest of the revolution, the battle and defense mounted by the Indonesians galvanized the nation in support of independence and helped garner international attention. For the Dutch, it removed any doubt that the Republic was not simply a gang of collaborators without popular support. It also had the effect of convincing Britain that wisdom lay on the side of neutrality in the revolution; within a few years, in fact, Britain would support the Republican cause in the United Nations.

(Source: 

 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroes_Day_%28Indonesia%29

 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Surabaya)