Indonesia
In the 19th century, the Dutch took control of what is now known as Indonesia. But until the 20th century, they only controlled coastal strongholds. It was not until the turn of the century that the Dutch began to have control over the whole area that is now known as Indonesia. The control was short-lived.
During WWII, the Japanese took control of Indonesia and completely occupied the area that the Dutch had once controlled. The occupation by the Japanese was enough to encourage the once suppressed independence movement and the citizens of Indonesia began to rise up against Japanese rule. Life under Japanese control was brutal and it unified all Indonesians across political and social divides.
According to the UN, 4 million people died in Indonesia during the Japanese occupation. The Japanese used the Indonesians for forced labor and famine caused rampant starvation. Once the Japanese surrendered in August 1945, the Indonesians had no intention of coming back under the rule of the Dutch. Two days after the Japanese surrender, Sukarno declared independence and was appointed the first president of Indonesia.
The Netherlands tried to reclaim Indonesia through both military and diplomatic means. But international pressure from the United States and the UN caused the Netherlands to back down from the fight in 1949. The Dutch formally recognized the Independence of all of Indonesia, with the exception of West New Guinea which would not get its independence as part of Indonesia until 1962.