The First Beel cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 3 July 1946 until 7 August 1948. The cabinet was formed by the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP) and the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) after the election of 1946. The cabinet was a centre-left[1] grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives with prominent Catholic politician Louis Beel serving as Prime Minister and dual served as Minister of the Interior continuing from the previous cabinet. Labour Leader Willem Drees continued as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs from the previous cabinet. According to one study, “Beel was of the opinion that a joint KVP-PvdA program should be presented to other political groups. According to Beel, that program should be socio-economically progressive, that is to say reform-oriented in favor of broad layers of the population. The socialists should not have to fear that a conservative wing within the KVP would rule the roost.”[2]

First Beel cabinet

Cabinet of the Netherlands
First meeting of the cabinet at the Ministry of General Affairs on 3 July 1946
Date formed3 July 1946 (1946-07-03)
Date dissolved7 August 1948 (1948-08-07)
2 years, 35 days in office
(Demissionary from 7 July 1948 (1948-07-07))
People and organisations
MonarchQueen Wilhelmina
Prime MinisterLouis Beel
Deputy Prime MinisterWillem Drees
No. of ministers17
Ministers removed5
Total no. of members19
Member partyCatholic People's Party
(KVP)
Labour Party
(PvdA)
Status in legislatureCentrist
Majority government
(Grand coalition/Roman-Red)
History
Election1946 election
Outgoing election1948 election
Legislature terms1946–1948
Incoming formation1946 formation
Outgoing formation1948 formation
PredecessorSchermerhorn–Drees cabinet
SuccessorDrees–Van Schaik cabinet

The cabinet served during early years of the post-war 1940s. Domestically the beginning of the recovery and rebuilding following World War II continued with the Marshall Plan, it was also to implement several major social reforms to social security. Internationally the beginning of the decolonization of the Dutch East Indies was continued. The cabinet suffered no major internal and external conflicts. Following a major revision of the constitution a snap election was called to simultaneously elect a new parliament. Following the election the cabinet continued in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced with the Drees–Van Schaik cabinet.[3][4]

Term

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A major issue was the independence of the Dutch East Indies. This required a change in the constitution. In November 1946 the Linggadjati Agreement was signed, but different interpretations led to Dutch military intervention (politionele acties). Under international pressure through the UN, this ended and negotiations restarted, ultimately resulting in the new country Indonesia, but only under the next cabinet, Drees I. An important new law was the 'Noodwet Ouderdomsvoorziening' by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs Willem Drees.

Cabinet Members

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Ministers Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
  Dr.
Louis Beel
(1902–1977)
Prime Minister 3 July 1946 –
7 August 1948
Catholic
People's Party
General Affairs 11 October 1947 –
7 August 1948
Minister Interior 23 February 1945 –
15 September 1947
[Retained]
  Willem Drees
(1886–1988)
Deputy
Prime Minister
Social Affairs 25 June 1945 –
7 August 1948
[Retained]
Labour Party
Minister
  Dr.
Piet Witteman
(1892–1972)
Minister Interior 15 September 1947 –
7 August 1948
Catholic
People's Party
  Baron
Pim van
Boetzelaer
van Oosterhout

(1892–1986)
Minister Foreign Affairs 3 July 1946 –
7 August 1948
Independent
Conservative Liberal
  Dr.
Piet Lieftinck
(1902–1989)
Minister Finance 25 June 1945 –
1 July 1952
[Retained] [Continued]
Labour Party
  Johan van
Maarseveen

(1894–1951)
Minister Justice 3 July 1946 –
7 August 1948
Catholic
People's Party
  Dr.
Gerardus
Huysmans

(1902–1948)
Minister Economic Affairs 3 July 1946 –
14 January 1948
[Res]
Catholic
People's Party
  Sicco Mansholt
(1908–1995)
14 January 1948 –
20 January 1948
[Ad Interim]
Labour Party
  Dr.
Jan van
den Brink

(1915–2006)
20 January 1948 –
2 September 1952
[Continued]
Catholic
People's Party
  Lieutenant colonel
Alexander Fiévez
(1902–1949)
Minister War 3 July 1946 –
7 August 1948
Catholic
People's Party
Navy 3 July 1946 –
7 August 1946
[Ad Interim]
25 November 1947 –
7 August 1948
  Rear admiral
Jules Schagen
van Leeuwen

(1896–1976)
7 August 1946 –
25 November 1947
[Res]
Independent
Social Conservative
  Dr.
Jos Gielen
(1898–1981)
Minister Education, Arts
and Sciences
3 July 1946 –
7 August 1948
Catholic
People's Party
  Hein Vos
(1903–1972)
Minister Transport 3 July 1946 –
1 March 1947
Labour Party
Transport and
Water Management
[Note]
1 March 1947 –
7 August 1948
  Sicco Mansholt
(1908–1995)
Minister Agriculture,
Fisheries and
Food Supplies
25 June 1945 –
1 January 1958
[Retained] [Continued]
Labour Party
  Dr.
Johan Ringers
(1885–1965)
Minister Public Works and
Reconstruction
25 June 1945 –
15 November 1946
[Retained] [Res]
Independent
Classical Liberal
  Hein Vos
(1900–1972)
15 November 1946 –
3 March 1947
[Acting]
Labour Party
  Lambertus Neher
(1899–1967)
Reconstruction
and Housing
[Note]
3 March 1947 –
1 March 1948
[Res]
Labour Party
  Dr.
Joris in 't Veld
(1895–1981)
1 March 1948 –
2 September 1952
[Continued]
Labour Party
  Jan Jonkman
(1891–1976)
Minister Colonial Affairs 3 July 1946 –
30 August 1947
[Note]
Labour Party
  Dr.
Louis Beel
(1902–1977)
30 August 1947 –
3 November 1947
[Acting]
Catholic
People's Party
  Jan Jonkman
(1891–1976)
3 November 1947 –
30 August 1947
Labour Party
Ministers without portfolio Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s) Term of office Party
  Eelco van
Kleffens

(1894–1983)
Minister Foreign Affairs United Nations 1 March 1946 –
1 July 1947
[Retained] [App]
Independent
Classical Liberal
  Lubbertus Götzen
(1894–1979)
Minister Colonial Affairs Colonial
Fiscal Policy
11 November 1947 –
15 March 1951
[Continued]
Independent
Christian Democratic
Protestant
Resigned
Retained from the previous cabinet
Continued in the next cabinet
Acting
Ad Interim
Ministry renamed
Medical leave of absence from 30 August 1947 until 3 November 1947
Appointed as Ambassador to the United States and the United Nations

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Changing Liaisons The Dynamics of Social Partnership in 20th Century West-European DemocraciesBy Karel Davids, 2007, P.165
  2. ^ III. De kabinetsformatie van 1946 a. De formatie tot 17 juni 1946
  3. ^ "Coalities tussen sociaaldemocraten en confessionelen" (in Dutch). Historisch Nieuwsblad. 10 August 2006. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  4. ^ F.J.F.M. Duynstee; J. Bosmans (1977). Parlementaire geschiedenis van Nederland na 1945 , deel 1, Het kabinet-Schermerhorn-Drees (1945-1946). Van Gorcum. p. 5. ISBN 90-232-1412-9.
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