Drees–Van Schaik cabinet

The Drees–Van Schaik cabinet, also called the First Drees cabinet[1] was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 7 August 1948 until 15 March 1951. The cabinet was formed by the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP) and Christian Historical Union (CHU), the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) and the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) after the election of 1948. The cabinet was a centrist grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives with Labour Leader Willem Drees serving as Prime Minister. Prominent Catholic politician Josef van Schaik a former Minister of Justice served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister without portfolio for the Interior.

Drees–Van Schaik cabinet
First Drees cabinet

43rd Cabinet of the Netherlands
The members of the Drees–Van Schaik cabinet in the House of Representatives on 10 December 1948
Date formed7 August 1948 (1948-08-07)
Date dissolved15 March 1951 (1951-03-15)
2 years, 220 days in office
(Demissionary from 24 January 1951 (1951-01-24))
People and organisations
Head of stateQueen Wilhelmina (1948)
Queen Juliana (1948–1951)
Head of governmentWillem Drees
Deputy head of governmentJosef van Schaik
No. of ministers15
Total no. of members18
Member partyCatholic People's Party
(KVP)
Labour Party
(PvdA)
Christian Historical Union
(CHU)
People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
(VVD)
Status in legislatureCentrist
Majority government
(Grand coalition/Roman-Red)
Opposition partyAnti-Revolutionary Party
Opposition leaderJan Schouten
History
Election(s)1948 election
Legislature term(s)1948–1952
Incoming formation1948 formation
Outgoing formation1951 formation
PredecessorFirst Beel cabinet
SuccessorFirst Drees cabinet
Netherlands
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The cabinet served during final years of the post-war 1940s and the first years of the turbulent 1950s. Domestically the beginning of the recovery and rebuilding following World War II started with the Marshall Plan, it was also to implement several major social reforms to social security, welfare, child benefits and education. Internationally the beginning of the decolonization of the Dutch East Indies started following the Indonesian National Revolution and the forming of the Netherlands New Guinea following the West New Guinea dispute. The cabinet suffered several major internal and external conflicts including multiple cabinet resignations, the cabinet fell 29 months into its term on 24 January 1951 following a disagreement in the coalition over the handling of the New Guinea policy and the cabinet continued in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced with the First Drees cabinet on 15 March 1951.[2]

Term

This coalition had a 76% representation in the second chamber of parliament. It had to have a broad basis for the change in constitution that was required to make the Dutch East Indies independent, resulting in the new country Indonesia (in December 1949). In 1948 a second politionele actie (litt: politional action, but actually a military intervention) was embarked upon, but ended under international pressure. The rejection of a VVD-motion over New Guinea in 1951 led to the fall of the cabinet. However, no elections were held and a new cabinet was formed with the same parties, Drees I.

In 1949, the Netherlands entered the NATO. In the same year several alterations of the German border took place.

Prime Minister of Belgium Paul-Henri Spaak and Prime Minister Willem Drees at a Benelux conference in The Hague on 10 March 1949.
Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Prime Minister Willem Drees at the Ministry of Defence on 11 January 1951.

Cabinet Members
Ministers Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
Willem Drees
(1886–1988)		 Prime Minister General Affairs 7 August 1948 –
22 December 1958
[Continued]		 Labour Party
Josef van Schaik
(1882–1962)		 Deputy
Prime Minister		 Interior • Civil Reform
• Decolonization
Policy		 7 August 1948 –
15 March 1951		 Catholic
People's Party
Minister
Johan van
Maarseveen
(1894–1951)		 Minister Interior 7 August 1948 –
15 June 1949
[App]		 Catholic
People's Party
Josef van Schaik
(1882–1962)		 15 June 1949 –
20 September 1949
[Acting]		 Catholic
People's Party
Frans Teulings
(1891–1966)		 20 September 1949 –
15 March 1951		 Catholic
People's Party
Dirk Stikker
(1897–1979)		 Minister Foreign Affairs 7 August 1948 –
2 September 1952
[Continued]		 People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
Dr.
Piet Lieftinck
(1902–1989)		 Minister Finance 25 June 1945 –
1 July 1952
[Retained] [Continued]		 Labour Party
René Wijers
(1891–1973)		 Minister Justice 7 August 1948 –
15 May 1950
[Res]		 Catholic
People's Party
Johan van
Maarseveen
(1894–1951)		 15 May 1950 –
10 July 1950
[Ad Interim]		 Catholic
People's Party
Teun Struycken
(1906–1977)		 10 July 1950 –
15 March 1951		 Catholic
People's Party
Dr.
Jan van
den Brink
(1915–2006)		 Minister Economic Affairs 20 January 1948 –
2 September 1952
[Retained] [Continued]		 Catholic
People's Party
Captain
Wim Schokking
(1900–1960)		 Minister War and Navy 7 August 1948 –
16 October 1950
[Res]		 Christian
Historical Union
Hans s'Jacob
(1906–1967)		 16 October 1950 –
15 March 1951		 Independent
Christian Democratic
Protestant
Dr.
Dolf Joekes
(1885–1962)		 Minister Social Affairs 7 August 1948 –
15 September 1951
[Continued]		 Labour Party
Dr.
Theo Rutten
(1899–1980)		 Minister Education, Arts
and Sciences		 7 August 1948 –
2 September 1952
[Continued]		 Catholic
People's Party
Josef van Schaik
(1882–1962)		 Minister Transport and
Water Management		 7 August 1948 –
1 November 1948
[Acting]		 Catholic
People's Party
Derk Spitzen
(1896–1957)		 1 November 1948 –
15 March 1951		 Independent
Christian Democratic
Protestant
Sicco Mansholt
(1908–1995)		 Minister Food Supplies,
Agriculture and
Fisheries		 25 June 1945 –
1 January 1958
[Retained] [Continued]		 Labour Party
Dr.
Joris in 't Veld
(1895–1981)		 Minister Reconstruction
and Housing		 1 March 1948 –
2 September 1952
[Retained] [Continued]		 Labour Party
Maan Sassen
(1911–1995)		 Minister Colonial Affairs 7 August 1948 –
14 February 1949
[Res]		 Catholic
People's Party
Johan van
Maarseveen
(1894–1951)		 14 February 1949 –
15 March 1951		 Catholic
People's Party
Minister without portfolio Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
Lubbertus Götzen
(1894–1979)		 Minister Colonial Affairs • Colonial
Fiscal Policy		 11 November 1947 –
15 March 1951
[Retained]		 Independent
Christian Democratic
Protestant
State Secretaries Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
Nico Blom
(1899–1972)		 State Secretary Foreign Affairs • Dutch East Indies 16 February 1950 –
2 September 1952
[Continued]		 Independent
Conservative
Liberal
Dr.
Wim van
der Grinten
(1913–1994)		 State Secretary Economic Affairs • Public
Organisations
• Small and
Medium-sized
Businesses		 29 January 1949 –
15 March 1951		 Catholic
People's Party
Wim Fockema
Andreae
(1909–1996)		 State Secretary War and Navy • Army
• Air Force		 1 May 1949 –
27 November 1950
[Res]		 People's Party
for Freedom and
Democracy
Vice admiral
Harry Moorman
(1899–1971)		 27 November 1950 –
1 June 1951
[Continued]		 Catholic
People's Party
• Navy 1 May 1949 –
19 May 1959
[Continued]
Dr.
Piet Muntendam
(1901–1986)		 State Secretary Social Affairs • Primary
Healthcare
• Elderly Care
• Disability Policy		 1 April 1950 –
15 September 1951
[Continued]		 Labour Party
Dr.
Aat van Rhijn
(1892–1986)		 • Social Security
• Unemployment
• Occupational
Safety
• Social Services		 15 February 1950 –
15 September 1951
[Continued]		 Labour Party
Jo Cals
(1914–1971)		 State Secretary Education, Arts
and Sciences		 • Youth Care
• Nature
• Media
• Culture
• Art
• Recreation
• Sport		 15 March 1950 –
2 September 1952
[Continued]		 Catholic
People's Party
Resigned
Retained from the previous cabinet
Continued in the next cabinet
Acting
Ad Interim
Appointed as Minister of Colonial Affairs

Trivia
  • Eight cabinet members had previous experience as scholars and professors: Piet Lieftinck (Financial and Business Economics), Jan van den Brink (Public Economics and Economical Statistics), Dolf Joekes (Labour Law), Theo Rutten (Applied Psychology), Joris in 't Veld (Public Administration), Wim van der Grinten (Fiscal Law), Piet Muntendam (Social Medicine) and Aat van Rhijn (Fiscal Law).
  • Three cabinet members (later) served as Party Leaders and Lijsttrekkers: Willem Drees (1946–1946) of the Social Democratic Workers' Party and (1946–1958) of the Labour Party, Dirk Stikker (1946–1948) of the Freedom Party and Dolf Joekes (1938–1946) of the Free-thinking Democratic League.
  • Three cabinet members would later be granted the honorary title of Minister of State: Willem Drees (1958), Josef van Schaik (1951) and Jo Cals (1966).
  • Four cabinet members later served as in high-profile international functions: Dirk Stikker (Secretary General of NATO), Piet Lieftinck (Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank), Sicco Mansholt (European Commissioner and President of the European Commission) and Maan Sassen (European Commissioner).
  • The age difference between oldest cabinet member Josef van Schaik (born 1882) and the youngest cabinet member Jan van den Brink (born 1915) was 33 years, 71 days.

References
  1. According to a different numbering this was the First Drees cabinet because it was the first cabinet with Willem Drees as Prime Minister.
  2. "Coalities tussen sociaaldemocraten en confessionelen" (in Dutch). Historisch Nieuwsblad. 10 August 2006. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
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