Confronting Sukarno: British, American, Australian and New Zealand Diplomacy in the Malaysian-Indonesian Confrontation, 1961-5 [Hardcover]

John Subritzky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 16, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0312227841 | ISBN-13: 978-0312227845

Fundamental themes concerning the Asian Cold War are discussed as a result of this book's examination of the regional and international implications of the Malaysian-Indonesian Confrontation, more popularly known as Konfrontasi. In particular, the concern of western policy makers with an increasingly belligerent communist China, the importance of Konfrontasi to the war in Vietnam, and the British situation east of Suez are examined in detail. The author draws extensively from recently declassified documents in the US, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“...this book will be indispensable to serious students of the region...” —American Historical Review

“...a first-rate piece of international history about a topic that deserves closer attention...” —International History Review

About the Author

John Subritzky is Policy Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 266 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (September 16, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312227841
• ISBN-13: 978-0312227845
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,309,554 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Important Contribution to the "Konfrontasi" Literature, April 19, 2001

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LF - See all my reviews

This review is from: Confronting Sukarno: British, American, Australian and New Zealand Diplomacy in the Malaysian-Indonesian Confrontation, 1961-5 (Hardcover)

The Indonesian Confrontation against Malaysia represents a challenging case study for scholars, historians and political scientists because it takes place at a time when the conduct of international relations was influenced by ideas and interests which may seem alien today. It is hard, for instance, to separate Sukarno's genuine fears of neocolonial encirclement from his desire to exaggerate external threats in order to justify his "Crush Malaysia" campaign, and to separate the internal dynamics of a regional conflict from the broader antagonisms of the Cold War. This book fills in an important gap in the literature by chronicling the conflict from the standpoint of the Western countries, who are the "Nekolim" so feared by Sukarno. It offers important historical lessons about the potential and limits of overlapping multilateral security arrangements (Anglo-Malayan Defence Agreement, ANZUS agreements, Commonwealth, SEATO etc) in guaranteeing peace and security. The extensive network of alliances could act as a deterrent to aggressors, yet once deterrence fails (which it has and very well might again), the next development is always one of two evils: conflicts become escalated and involve many players, or someone must renege on a security obligation. The U.S., for instance, had distanced itself from its SEATO and ANZUS commitments for fear of being embroiled in the Konfrontasi crisis. This book describes diplomatic developments between the Western countries in useful detail. J.A.C. Mackie's "Konfrontasi" is still the best book on the subject from the M'sian and Indonesian angle. Djiwandono's "Konfrontasi Revisited" offers a view from the other side of the fence i.e. relations between Indonesia and the Soviet Union (as well as China).