Britain and the Confrontation with Indonesia, 1960-66 (International Library of Twentieth Centruy History)

the Confrontation Is Britain's Forgotten War. Yet As David Easter Shows, It Was A Major Commitment Involving Over 54,000 British Servicemen And Near-escalation Into Full-scale War With Indonesia. President Sukarno's Confrontation' Of Indonesia Was An Attempt To Destroy Britain's Plans For Malayasia By Guerilla Warfare Including Air And Sea Landings, And Britain Responded With A Secret War By Supporting Rebel Groups, Propaganda And Clandestine Cross-border Raids. Sukarno Was Finally Overthrown By A Pro-western Military Government Which Renounced The Confrontation And Accepted Malaysia. Britain's Policy, However Seemingly Successful Was, However, Vital In Her Post-imperial Retreat From Empire And In Abandoning Her Global Defense Role. Contents List of Abbreviations List of Key Office Holders Map of Indonesia and Malaysia Introduction 1. The decision to form Malaysia, 1960-January 1962 2. The Brunei revolt and the start of Confrontation, January 1962-April 1963 3. Pressing ahead with Malaysia, April-Septemeber 1963 4. Coping with the Confrontation, September 1963-April 1964 5. Escalation and rethink, May-October 1964 6. Labour and the Confrontation, October 1964-March 1965 7. Exit Singapore, April-September 1965 8. The coup attempt in Indonesia, September 1965-January 1966 The 'Confrontation' is Britain's forgotten war. Yet as David Easter shows, it was a major commitment involving over 57,000 British servicemen and near-escalation into full-scale war with Indonesia. To understand Britain's role in the Confrontation it is necessary to examine why London decided to set up the new state of Malaysia in the first place.