The Schermerhorn–Drees cabinet was the cabinet of the Netherlands from 25 June 1945 until 3 July 1946. The cabinet was primarily formed by the Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP), the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) and the Christian Historical Union (CHU) following the end of World War II. The cabinet was a provisional centre-left grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives, with prominent civil engineer Willem Schermerhorn serving as Prime Minister. SDAP leader Willem Drees served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs.
This, the first Dutch cabinet after World War II, was appointed by Queen Wilhelmina just a month after the Netherlands was liberated by the Allied forces. It was a royal cabinet (which means that the cabinet is appointed by the monarch, and is not the result of an election). The States General of the Netherlands was not yet functional, and would not become so until November 1945.
The cabinet served during the early days of the post–World War II 1940s. Domestically, it initiated recovery and rebuilding, and implemented several major reforms to social security. Internationally, the formation of the United Nations was started and the beginning of the decolonization of the Dutch East Indies.
Cabinet actions One of the main tasks of the cabinet was to revive the Dutch economy after the war and to rebuild the devastated infrastructure (ports, railroads, roads). Furthermore the Dutch administration had to be restored. Furthermore the cabinet had to deal with the arrest and prosecution of Dutch war criminals and Dutch collaborators.
Until August 1945 the war against Japan in the Dutch East Indies was also a main objective of the cabinet. After the Japanese surrender the cabinet was faced with the Indonesian nationalists Sukarno and Hatta, who proclaimed the independence of their country.
Another objective of the cabinet was the purification of the black money circuit. During the period the bank accounts in the Netherlands were under investigation by the Ministry of Finance, every Dutch citizen was given 10 guilders by the cabinet, in the Netherlands known as 'Het tientje van Lieftinck' (Lieftinck's tenner), named after the minister of Finance, Dr. Lieftinck.
Composition TitleMinisterTerm of office Image NamePartyStartEnd Prime Minister Minister of General Warfare 25 June 1945 3 July 1946 Minister of Social Affairs 25 June 1945 3 July 1946 Minister of the Interior 25 June 1945 3 July 1946 Minister of Foreign Affairs Indep. 25 June 1945 1 March 1946 Indep. 1 March 1946 3 July 1946 Minister of Finance 25 June 1945 3 July 1946 Minister of Justice 25 June 1945 3 July 1946 Minister of Commerce and Industry 25 June 1945 3 July 1946 Minister of War 25 June 1945 3 July 1946 Minister of the Navy Minister of Shipping Indep. 25 June 1945 3 July 1946 Minister of Education, Arts and Sciences Ind. CH 25 June 1945 3 July 1946 Minister of Transport and Energy 25 June 1945 3 July 1946 Minister of Food Supply, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Supply 25 June 1945 3 July 1946 Minister of Public Works and Reconstruction Indep. 25 June 1945 3 July 1946 Minister of Overseas Territories Indep. 25 June 1945 3 July 1946 Minister for Foreign Affairs Indep. 25 June 1945 1 March 1946 Indep. 1 March 1946 3 July 1946
References
External links
Kabinet-Schermerhorn-Drees Rijksoverheid