IT was October 5, 1945. And no one was thinking of Švejk. Or at least none of the young men determined to form an army for the two-month old Republic of Indonesia who had read The Good Soldier Švejk.

We know why. At the time, Indonesia was setting forth with the conviction of an assured youth; not yet aware that there are many things that should be made fun of—even matters mighty and noble: As I recall, Švejk—a work of prose full of ri