Republic of Indonesia (1949–1950)

The Republic of Indonesia (1949–1950), also known as the Republic of the United States of Indonesia (RUSI), was a short-lived federal state to which the Netherlands formally transferred sovereignty over the former Dutch East Indies. It existed from December 27, 1949, to August 17, 1950.

The creation of RUSI was the result of the Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference held in The Hague. This conference aimed to resolve the Indonesian National Revolution and achieve a formal transfer of sovereignty. Under the terms of the agreement, the Dutch recognized RUSI as an independent and sovereign state. However, RUSI was a federation consisting of several states and autonomous territories, some of which were created or supported by the Dutch and distrusted by Indonesian nationalists. The agreement also stipulated the continuation of the Netherlands-Indonesia Union, a largely symbolic structure that aimed to foster cooperation between the two countries.

The structure of RUSI was heavily criticized by Indonesian nationalists who desired a unitary state. They perceived the federal structure as a Dutch attempt to weaken the Republic of Indonesia and maintain influence over the archipelago. Internal conflicts and political instability plagued RUSI throughout its brief existence.

Ultimately, popular pressure and political maneuvering led to the dissolution of RUSI. Most of the states and territories willingly joined the original Republic of Indonesia, based in Yogyakarta. On August 17, 1950, the Republic of the United States of Indonesia was formally dissolved, and a unitary Republic of Indonesia was proclaimed, adopting the provisional 1950 constitution. Sukarno, who had been the President of the original Republic, became the President of the newly unified Indonesia. The transition marked the end of the Dutch colonial presence and the beginning of a new era for Indonesia as a fully independent and unified nation.