Gatot Soebroto

General Gatot Soebroto
Col Soebroto in 1950
Born	(1907-10-10)10 October 1907 Purwokerto,Dutch East Indies
Died	11 June 1962(1962-06-11)(aged 54) Jakarta,Indonesia
Buried	Ungaran,Semarang Regency,Central Java, Indonesia
Allegiance	Dutch East Indies(1923–1942) Empire of Japan(1943–1945) Indonesia(1945–1962)
Service/branch	Royal Netherlands Indies Army (KNIL) Defenders of the Homeland (PETA) Indonesian Army
Years of service	1923–1942, 1943–1945, 1945–1962
Rank	Lieutenant General(at death) General(posthumously)
Battles/wars	Indonesian National Revolution
Awards	National Hero of Indonesia
Children	Nining Indriastati Nunung Indriastuti Nanang Bambang Sardjono Kuncoro Bambang Sidik Bambang Utomo Bambang Cahyo Bob Hasan(adopted)

GeneralGatot Soebroto(Enhanced Spelling:Gatot Subroto,10 October 1907 – 11 June 1962) was an Indonesian general who began his military career with theRoyal Dutch East Indies Army (KNIL)and rose to be deputy Army chief-of-staff.

Early life

Soebroto was born inPurwokerto,Central Java.He began his education at aEuropeesche Lagere School,an elementary school for the children of Europeans, but was expelled for fighting with the Dutch children.He then moved to aHollandsch-Inlandsche Schoolfor Indonesians. He did not continue his education after graduating from this elementary school but instead found a job. However, he was dissatisfied and decided on a military career.

Pre-independence military career

In 1923, Gatot enrolled in a military school inMagelang.After graduating, he joined theRoyal Dutch East Indies Army(KNIL) and rose to the rank of sergeant.In 1942, theJapanese invaded the Dutch East Indies,and Gatot joined thePembela Tanah Air(PETA), an army set up by the Japanese in case of invasion by the Allies. He received training inBogor,and was appointed commander of a company inBanyumas,then a battalion commander.

Gatot was one of the group of ex-KNIL NCOs, which included future presidentSoehartoand future army chief of staffAhmad Yaniwho joined the BKR (People's Security Agency), the forerunner of theIndonesian Armyas soon as it was set upafter theIndonesian Declaration of Independenceon 17 August 1945. On 5 October 1946, he was appointed commander of the II/Gunung Jati Division inCentral Java.On 31 May 1948, he became commander of the Military Police and later that year Military Governor of theSurakarta-Semarang-Pati-Madiunregion. He was involved in the suppression of the1948 Madiun Revolt.In July 1949, he went toYogyakartashortly after Army commanderSoedirman's return to the city, which at the time was the capital. There he was sick and had to be treated at thePanti Rapih Hospital.

On 3 August 1949, PresidentSukarnoannounced a ceasefire with the Dutch, andNasution,commander of the Java Military District, decided a reorganization of divisions was needed to face the threat of a possible third Dutch "police action". Central Java's III and IV divisions were merged, and Gatot Soebroto was appointed commander, although he was still in hospital then.He was officially inaugurated on 20 November as commander of the renamed III/Diponegoro Division, which became theIV/Diponegoro Military Regionin December.In this capacity, he warned one of his brigade commanders, Suharto, about establishing transport enterprise using Army vehicles, which the future president had set up to provide jobs for veterans.

In March 1952, Gatot moved toMakassarto take over command of the VII/Wirabuana Military Region, which covered all of Indonesia east ofJavaandKalimantan.However, on 16 November he was arrested and displaced by his chief of staff, Lt. Col.J. F. Warouw.This was one of a series of small-scale coups against officers blamed for their involvement in the17 October 1952 incidentwhere troops demonstrated in front of thePresidential Palacein Jakarta calling for the dissolution of the legislature. Although Gatot supported the demonstration, he was not present in Jakarta at the time.He was subsequently either placed on non-active status as a result of the incidentor resigned from the military.

Political career

Soebroto on a 1969 stamp

On 20 May 1953, he attended a meeting led byNasution(also inactive) in Tugu,West Javaat which it was decided to establish a political party to "fight for the return to the spirit of the1945 Constitution.The party was called theLeague of Supporters of Indonesian Independence(IPKI). The party won four seats in the1955 election,and Gatot Soebroto became a member of the Indonesian legislature representing Central Java.

Return to the military

Soon after the elections, the cabinet and the Army began the process of appointing an Army chief of staff to replace the acting head Colonel Lubis, who had not officially been installed.Gatot Soebroto emerged as a "compromise candidate",but turned down the job as he was worried about being manipulated by other officers. He told the cabinet that if they wanted a high-quality officer, they should recall Nasution to the post.Nasution was officially re-appointed on 7 November 1955.The following year, Gatot Soebroto was appointed deputy chief-of-staff, a position he held until his death.

In 1959, together with Nasution, he called a special meeting of the major political parties at the time to persuade them to support the proposal to return to the1945 Constitution,which had been abrogated in favor of theProvisional Constitution of 1950nine years before. All parties eventually agreed, and on 5 October 1959, the 1945 Constitution was reimposed bypresidential decree.

Later that year, Nasution and Gatot Soebroto decided against taking further action againstSoehartoafter his dismissal from the command of the Diponegoro Division following revelations of involvement in smuggling.

Gatot Soebroto died suddenly in Jakarta on 11 June 1962 and was buried in a Buddhist funeral ceremony in the village of Kalirejo Ungaran near Semarang. A week later, he was declared aNational Hero of Indonesiavia Presidential Decision No.222/1962.