Independence and the Battle of Margarana
Bali in Indonesia's revolution and republic · Independence & Living Heritage
Japan occupied Bali during the Second World War. After Indonesia proclaimed independence in 1945, Balinese republican forces resisted the attempted restoration of Dutch rule. I Gusti Ngurah Rai and his fighters died at Margarana in 1946; he is remembered as a national hero, and Bali's international airport bears his name.
Timeline
Japanese occupation
Japanese forces occupied Bali as part of their conquest of the Netherlands East Indies. Wartime mobilization, scarcity, and coercion disrupted life across the island.
Indonesia proclaims independence
Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaimed Indonesian independence in Jakarta. Balinese supporters of the republic organized amid uncertainty over the return of Dutch colonial authority.
The Battle of Margarana
Republican commander I Gusti Ngurah Rai and his Ciung Wanara force fought Dutch troops near Marga. Ngurah Rai and most of his force were killed in a battle remembered in Bali as a puputan.
Bali joins the Indonesian republic
The Netherlands transferred sovereignty to the United States of Indonesia in December 1949. The federal structure was dissolved in 1950, and Bali became part of the unitary Republic of Indonesia.
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Sources
Citations behind the dates, names, and numbers on this page.
- 1Encyclopaedia Britannica — Indonesia: Independent Indonesia
Context for the independence struggle, sovereignty transfer, and early republic.
- 2Museum Nasional Indonesia — I Gusti Ngurah Rai
National heritage context for Indonesia's independence era.