The First Drees cabinet, also called the Second Drees cabinetAccording to a different numbering this was the Second Drees cabinet because it was the second cabinet with Willem Drees as Prime Minister, after the Drees–Van Schaik cabinet. was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 15 March 1951 until 2 September 1952. The cabinet was a continuation of the previous Drees–Van Schaik cabinet and 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 fall of the previous cabinet. 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 Frans Teulings the Minister of the Interior in the previous cabinet served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister without portfolio for the Interior.
The cabinet served during early years of the turbulent 1950s. Domestically the recovery and rebuilding following World War II continued with the assistance of the Marshall Plan, it also able to finalize several major social reforms to social security, welfare, child benefits and education from the previous cabinet. Internationally the decolonization of the Dutch East Indies following the Indonesian National Revolution continued, the European Coal and Steel Community was founded after the signing of the Treaty of Paris. The cabinet suffered no major internal and external conflicts and completed its entire term and was succeeded by the Second Drees cabinet following the election of 1952.
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 Labour Party Frans Teulings (1891–1966) Deputy Prime Minister Interior • Civil Defence 15 maart 1951 – 2 september 1952 Catholic People's Party Minister Johan van Maarseveen (1894–1951) Minister Interior 15 March 1951 – 18 November 1951 Catholic People's Party Frans Teulings (1891–1966) 18 November 1951 – 6 December 1951 Catholic People's Party Dr. Louis Beel (1902–1977) 6 December 1951 – 7 July 1956 Catholic People's Party Dirk Stikker (1897–1979) Minister Foreign Affairs 7 August 1948 – 2 September 1952 People's Party for Freedom and Democracy Dr. Piet Lieftinck (1902–1989) Minister Finance 25 June 1945 – 1 July 1952 Labour Party Willem Drees (1886–1988) 1 July 1952 – 2 September 1952 Labour Party Hendrik Mulderije (1896–1970) Minister Justice 15 March 1951 – 2 September 1952 Christian Historical Union Jan van den Brink (1915–2006) Minister Economic Affairs 21 January 1948 – 2 September 1952 Catholic People's Party Kees Staf (1905–1973) Minister War and Navy 15 March 1951 – 19 May 1959 Christian Historical Union Dr. Dolf Joekes (1885–1962) Minister Social Affairs 7 August 1948 – 15 September 1951 Labour Party Minister Social Affairs and Health 15 September 1951 – 2 September 1952 Dr. Theo Rutten (1899–1980) Minister Education, Arts and Sciences 7 August 1948 – 2 September 1952 Catholic People's Party Hendrik Wemmers (1897–1983) Minister Transport and Water Management 15 March 1951 – 2 September 1952 Independent Christian Democratic Protestant Sicco Mansholt (1908–1995) Minister Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Supplies 25 June 1945 – 1 January 1958 Labour Party Dr. Joris in 't Veld (1895–1981) Minister Reconstruction and Housing 1 March 1948 – 2 September 1952 Labour Party Dr. Willem Drees (1886–1988) Minister Colonial Affairs 15 March 1951 – 30 March 1951 Labour Party Leo Peters (1900–1984) 30 March 1951 – 2 September 1952 Catholic People's Party Minister without portfolio Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party Dr. Guus Albregts (1900–1980) Minister Interior • Public Organisations • Small and Medium-sized Businesses 15 March 1951 – 2 September 1952 Catholic People's Party 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 Independent Conservative Liberal Ferdinand Kranenburg (1911–1994) State Secretary War and Navy • Army • Air Force 1 June 1951 – 1 June 1958 Labour Party Vice admiral Harry Moorman (1899–1971) • Navy 1 May 1949 – 19 May 1959 Catholic People's Party Dr. Piet Muntendam (1901–1986) State Secretary Social Affairs • Primary Healthcare • Elderly Care • Disability Policy 1 April 1950 – 15 September 1951 Labour Party Social Affairs and Health 15 September 1951 – 1 October 1953 Dr. Aat van Rhijn (1892–1986) State Secretary Social Affairs • Social Security • Unemployment • Occupational Safety • Social Services 15 February 1950 – 15 September 1951 Labour Party Social Affairs and Health 15 September 1951 – 22 December 1958 Jo Cals (1914–1971) State Secretary Education, Arts and Sciences • Youth Care • Nature • Media • Culture • Art • Recreation • Sport 15 March 1950 – 2 September 1952 Catholic People's Party Lubbertus Götzen (1894–1979) State Secretary Colonial Affairs • Netherlands-Indonesian Union • Colonial Fiscal Policy 15 March 1951 – 2 September 1952 Independent Christian Democratic Protestant
Trivia Nine cabinet members had previous experience as scholars and professors: Louis Beel (Administrative Law), 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), Guus Albregts (International Economics), Piet Muntendam (Social Medicine) and Aat van Rhijn (Fiscal Law).
References
External links Kabinet-Drees II Parlement & Politiek Kabinet-Drees I Rijksoverheid