Post-war and Death
In early August Sudirman approached Sukarno and asked him to continue the guerrilla war; Sudirman did not expect the Dutch to abide by the Roem-Royen Agreement, based on the failings of the previous agreements. Sukarno disagreed, which was a blow to Sudirman. When Sudirman threatened to resign his post, blaming the government's inconsistency for his tuberculosis and Oerip's death in November 1948, Sukarno threatened to do so as well. As he thought that such a resignation would have a destabilising effect, Sudirman stayed his hand, and a Java-wide cease fire came into effect on 11 August 1949.
Continuing to suffer from tuberculosis, Sudirman was checked into Panti Rapih. He stayed in Panti Rapih until near the end of the year, being released by October; he was transferred to a sanatorium in nearby Pakem. As a result of his illness, Sudirman made few public appearances. Sudirman was transferred to a home in Magelang in December. In the meantime, the Indonesian and Dutch governments held a several-month long conference which resulted in Dutch recognition of Indonesian sovereignty on 27 December 1949. Sudirman, despite his illness, was reconfirmed that day as commander-in-chief of the TNI, now serving the newly established Republic of the United States of Indonesia. On 28 December, Jakarta once again became the nation's capital.
Sudirman died in Magelang at 18:30 on 29 January 1950; this was reported in a special broadcast over RRI. Upon receiving news of his death, the Sudirman family home received numerous visitors, including the entirety of the 9th Brigade, which was stationed nearby. The following morning Sudirman's body was brought to Yogyakarta. As the funeral convoy passed, led by four tanks and consisting of eighty motor vehicles, thousands of mourners stood at the sides of the streets. The convoy was organised by members of the 9th Brigade.
The viewing, held at the Great Mosque of Yogyakarta in the afternoon, was attended by numerous political and military elite from both Indonesia and foreign countries; this included Prime Minister Abdul Halim, Minister of Defence Hamengkubuwana IX, Minister of Health Johannes Leimena, Minister of Justice Abdoel Gaffar Pringgodigdo, Minister of Information Arnold Mononutu, Chief of the Air Force Soerjadi Soerjadarma, Colonel Paku Alam VIII, and Suharto. The viewing was closed with a 24-gun salute. Sudirman's body was brought to Semaki Heroes' Cemetery on foot, with a crowd of mourners 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) long trailing behind. He was interred next to Oerip, after another gun salute. His wife filled in the first scoop of dirt, followed by the government ministers. The national government ordered flags to be flown at half mast throughout the country, and Sudirman was promoted to full general. Major-General Tahi Bonar Simatupang was selected as the new leader of the armed forces. Sudirman's memoirs were published later that year; a series of his speeches were also published in 1970.
Read more about this topic: Sudirman
Famous quotes containing the words post-war and/or death:
“Much of what Mr. Wallace calls his global thinking is, no matter how you slice it, still “globaloney.” Mr. Wallace’s warp of sense and his woof of nonsense is very tricky cloth out of which to cut the pattern of a post-war world.”
—Clare Boothe Luce (1903–1987)
“American family life has never been particularly idyllic. In the nineteenth century, nearly a quarter of all children experienced the death of one of their parents.... Not until the sixties did the chief cause of separation of parents shift from death to divorce.”
—Richard Louv (20th century)