Final answer:
Both the Soviet Union and the United States wanted Indonesia as an ally for strategic military positioning and access to natural resources. President Sukarno accepted aid from both while maintaining a neutral stance to prevent either side from controlling Indonesia.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of why both the Soviet Union and the United States wanted Indonesia as an ally during the Cold War era can be attributed to several factors. Primarily, both superpowers desired allies for strategic military positioning and access to natural resources. Indonesia, with its large population and substantial oil deposits, was particularly attractive. Furthermore, its geographical position in Southeast Asia made it a key player in the broader strategic game of influence in the region. Both nations courted Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, who took aid from both but maintained a non-aligned stance to keep them from interfering in Indonesia's sovereignty.
This quest for allies was part of the broader Cold War strategy where both superpowers sought to expand their influence around the globe, often supporting different sides in proxy wars, like those in Korea and Vietnam. The Cold War was characterized by an intense ideological struggle that went beyond direct military confrontation to include espionage, surveillance, and the struggle for technological supremacy.