In the historiography of Indonesia, World War II is normally equated with the period of Japanese occupation from March 9, 1942 (following two months of fighting against the Dutch colonial army) until August 75, 7945. Before the Japanese invasion, however, the daily lives of Indonesians had already been gravely affected by warfare. When lapan attacked and occupied the southern coastal cities of China in 1937-1938, trading between China and Indonesia plummeted. When war broke out in Europe late in 1939, the Dutch authorities in Jakarta also began preparing to be attacked. The Japanese surrender in 1945, moreover, was merely the prelude to even greater violence. On August 17, 1945, Indonesia declared its independence, and as the Dutch returned to reinstate their control, a brutal war erupted which was to last until the end of 1949. Thus while this chapter focuses primarily on Indonesian society under ]apanese occupation, it is necessary to place events in their historical context by going beyond the usual time frame and looking at trends from around the outbreak of World War II in Europe to the end of Indonesia's war of independence. In understanding something as broad as a society at war, it is also necessary to consider various perspectives. Modern Indonesian history often depicts the Japanese occupation as one of its darkest periods: Before 1942, daily life for many was a struggle for survival; during the occupation, many lost that struggle.
Daily Lives of Civilians in Wartime Asia : From the Taiping Rebellion to the Vietnam War p. 159-189