Example of an Annotated Bibliography

The Indonesian War of Independence (1945–1949)

This annotated bibliography focuses on political dynamics, diplomacy, military strategy, and social experiences during the Indonesian War of Independence. The annotations assess each source’s contribution to understanding the 1945–1949 period, including limitations, argument strengths, and relevance for further research.

References and Annotations

Lestari, M., & Hidayat, S. (2020). “Logistics of the Revolution: Supply Networks and Regional Resilience of the Republic, 1946–1948.” Journal of History and Policy, 12(2), 115–147.

This article examines how logistical networks (food, medicine, ammunition, and information) supported the Republic’s ability to survive. The authors highlight the role of local actors—small business owners, pesantren networks, and women’s groups—in ensuring that supply routes continued to function amid blockades and military operations.

The article offers a “behind the front lines” perspective that is often overlooked in battle narratives. However, generalizations across regions are sometimes too quick; several claims appear to need stronger comparative data. This article is suitable for enriching analysis on young-state capacity and social resilience during the independence war.

Prabuwijaya, R. (2018). Diplomacy at the Table, War in the Field: Republic Negotiations 1945–1949. Jakarta: Pustaka Nusantara Akademik.

This book traces the Republic’s diplomatic path from early negotiations to the recognition of sovereignty, emphasizing how political decisions made at the center affected the escalation of conflicts in the regions. The author maps shifts in bargaining positions from international forums to informal communication among elites.

The book’s main strength is its neat chronology and its analysis of strategic decisions, which is easy to follow. Its limitation is that the discussion of civil society dynamics is relatively brief, making the social context of the negotiations less clearly depicted. In terms of relevance, this source is useful for the literature review section discussing diplomacy (Linggadjati, Renville, Roem–Royen) and the relationship between negotiation and armed conflict.

Suryaningrum, A. (2019). “Radio, Rumor, and the Republic: Information Warfare in Java during the Revolution.” Media and Society, 8(1), 33–68.

This article examines how radio broadcasts, pamphlets, and rumors influenced morale, mobilization, and perceptions of legitimacy during the war of independence. The author maps patterns of propaganda messages, including how messages were reinterpreted at the community level. The communication analysis is sharp and helps bridge political history with media studies. However, the theoretical framework is dense; general readers may need time to follow the conceptual terms used. This article is highly useful for sections discussing legitimacy, mass mobilization, and the role of media in the revolution.

van der Kroon, J. (2016). Counterinsurgency and Compromise: Dutch Military Planning in Indonesia, 1947–1949. Leiden: North Sea Academic Press.

This work discusses Dutch military planning after 1945, including the logic of major operations and “restoration of order” strategies framed as stabilization.

The author highlights internal tensions between military targets, domestic political pressure, and increasing international scrutiny. Its contribution is in showing the conflicts of interest within the planning structure, challenging the notion of a “single voice” on the Dutch side. Its weakness is that the use of normative terminology sometimes obscures the impact of policies on civilians.This book is useful as a comparative source for building a two-sided analysis (Republic–Dutch) without falling into a single narrative.

Wibawa, D. P. (2021). Between Two Fronts: Civilian Experiences during the 1945–1949 Revolution. Yogyakarta: Meridian Press.

This book presents an overview of civilian experiences—displacement, forced labor, food shortages, and daily negotiations with various armed authorities. The author emphasizes that “independence” was also experienced as a series of difficult choices and social adaptations at the family level.

The book’s strength is its humanistic perspective, which adds depth to war narratives. Its limitation is that some sections are long descriptions; readers seeking theoretical argumentation may need supplementary sources. This book is suitable for expanding discussions on the impact of the independence war on social structures, household economies, and collective memory.

Conclusion

These five sources show how the Indonesian War of Independence can be understood through various lenses: diplomacy, logistics, military planning, information warfare, and civilian experiences. If developed for real research, the annotated bibliography should be supplemented with primary sources (archives, newspapers from 1945–1949, memoirs) as well as regional comparative studies to strengthen validity and analytical depth.