Neutral Netherlands: A Small Imperialist Power in the Epoch of War and Revolution. Left-wing Soldiers' and Sailors' Organisations, 1914–1919

Abstract

The First World War changed world relations drastically and triggered enormous social and political upheavals. Prior to the conflict, European nations had dominated the globe. However, the mass slaughter on the continent saw the start of the rise in power and influence of the USA. Huge political changes occurred in countries that lost the war. The monarchs in Germany and Austria–Hungary fell. The Czarist regime in Russia was toppled and replaced by the young Soviet government. People also fought for radical political and social change in the Netherlands—and the country was rocked by soldiers' uprisings in 1918—but they did not succeed. Eventually the status quo continued, although the government's pace of reforms was quickly stepped up. Despite its neutrality, the ‘Great War’ was the spark that led to an attempted revolution in the Netherlands, in the opinions of some participants, or a push for radical social change, according to other players. The Dutch army was mobilised for four years but it did not take part in the armed conflict. Nevertheless this situation was to have serious consequences. After three and a half years of military service, many soldiers suffered from low morale. At the end of October 1918 a mutiny broke out. The leader of the Social Democratic Labour Party, Pieter Jelles Troelstra, saw this event as evidence that the soldiers no longer had confidence in their superiors. In late October and early November, there were enormous tensions within the Dutch armed forces. This was pregnant with social and political consequences, but eventually this intense mood petered out. Despite the relatively brief period of crisis in the armed forces, many issues arise from this situation. What were the causes of the tremendous stresses in the armed forces? Were the soldiers a potential revolutionary factor in Dutch society? In late 1918, were the army and navy still reliable pillars for the state?