Hendrikus Colijn
Hendrikus Colijn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Prime Minister of the Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 26 May 1933 – 10 August 1939 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monarch | Wilhelmina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Dirk Jan de Geer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 4 August 1925 – 8 March 1926 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monarch | Wilhelmina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Dirk Jan de Geer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minister of Foreign Affairs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 24 June 1937 – 1 October 1937 Ad interim | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Hendrikus Colijn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Andries Cornelis Dirk de Graeff | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Jacob Adriaan Nicolaas Patijn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minister of Defence | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 2 September 1935 – 24 June 1937 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Hendrikus Colijn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Laurentius Nicolaas Deckers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Jannes van Dijk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minister of Water Management | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 13 January 1935 – 15 March 1935 Ad interim | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Hendrikus Colijn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Jacob Kalff | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Otto van Lidth de Jeude | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minister of Economic Affairs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 25 July 1939 – 10 August 1939 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Hendrikus Colijn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Max Steenberghe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Max Steenberghe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 17 April 1934 – 25 June 1934 Ad interim | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Hendrikus Colijn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Timotheus Verschuur | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Max Steenberghe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minister of Colonial Affairs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 26 May 1933 – 24 June 1937 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Hendrikus Colijn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Simon de Graaff | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Charles Welter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 4 August 1925 – 1 October 1925 Ad interim | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Hendrikus Colijn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Simon de Graaff | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Charles Welter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minister of Finance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 19 May 1939 – 25 July 1939 Ad interim | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Hendrikus Colijn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Jacob Adriaan de Wilde | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Christiaan Bodenhausen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 11 August 1923 – 8 March 1926 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (1923–1925) Hendrikus Colijn (1925–1926) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Dirk Jan de Geer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Dirk Jan de Geer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader of the Anti-Revolutionary Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 31 March 1920 – 18 September 1944 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Abraham Kuyper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Jan Schouten | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chairman of the Anti-Revolutionary Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 6 September 1939 – 18 September 1944 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader | Hendrikus Colijn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Jan Schouten | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Jan Schouten (1945) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 31 March 1920 – 26 May 1933 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader | Hendrikus Colijn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Abraham Kuyper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Jan Schouten | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minister of the Navy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 14 May 1912 – 29 August 1913 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Theo Heemskerk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Jan Wentholt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Jean Jacques Rambonnet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minister of War | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 4 January 1911 – 29 August 1913 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Theo Heemskerk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Wouter Cool | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Nicolaas Bosboom | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Hendrikus Colijn 22 June 1869 Burgerveen, Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 18 September 1944 Ilmenau, Nazi Germany | (aged 75)||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cause of death | Heart failure | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | Anti-Revolutionary Party | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse(s) |
Helena Groenenberg
(m. 1893; "his death" is deprecated; use "died" instead. 1944) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Relations | Arie Colijn (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Children | Anton Colijn (1894–1945) Hendrikus Colijn Jr. (1897–1945) Pieter Colijn (1903–1943) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater | Royal Military Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Occupation | Politician · Civil servant · Military officer · Teacher · Editor-in-chief · Businessman · Corporate director | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Signature | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Military service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Allegiance | Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Branch/service | Royal Netherlands East Indies Army | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years of service | 1886–1909 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rank | Major | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hendrikus "Hendrik" Colijn (22 June 1869 – 18 September 1944) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 4 August 1925 until 8 March 1926 and from 26 May 1933 until 10 August 1939.
Early life
He was born on 22 June 1869 in the Haarlemmermeer to Antonie Colijn and Anna Verkuijl, who had migrated to the newly created Haarlemmermeer polder from the Land of Heusden and Altena for religious reasons. He was the first of six children, all born in Haarlemmermeer. Colijn grew up in the Land of Altena.
Military service
At the age of 16, he went to a military academy in Kampen for officer training, where he graduated as a 2nd lieutenant in 1892. On 18 September 1893, he married Helena Groenenberg (23 September 1867 – 14 February 1947).[1] and was sent to the Dutch East Indies. During his 16 years in the Dutch East Indies, he spent ten years in the Colonial Army, serving in the Aceh War as the lieutenant of J. B. van Heutsz, and six further years in the Colonial administration, having the same role towards van Heutsz when the latter became Governor General in 1904.
Colijn's letters to his wife from his period on Lombok reveal his participation in acts of brutality which by modern standards would be considered severe war crimes:
I have seen a mother carrying a child of about 6 months old on her left arm, with a long lance in her right hand, who was running in our direction. One of our bullets killed the mother as well as the child. From now on we couldn't give any mercy, it was over. I did give orders to gather a group of 9 women and 3 children who asked for mercy and they were shot all together. It was not a pleasant job, but something else was impossible. Our soldiers tacked them with pleasure with their bayonets. It was horrible. I will stop reporting now.[2]
Political life
After his return to the Netherlands in 1909, he was elected as an Anti-Revolutionary Party Member of Parliament for the district Sneek (Before 1918, the Dutch voting system was the same as the British).
In 1911, he was appointed Minister of War[3] and revised the Dutch Selective Service System. In May 1918 he acted as an intermediary between the British and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany to arrange an armistice, resulting in the Kaiser getting refuge in The Netherlands.
Business life
In 1910 the Holland Dakota Landbouw Compagnie is established[4] with Hendrikus Colijn and his brother nl:Arie Colijn as the primary share holders.[5]
From 1914 to 1922 he served as CEO for the Bataafse Petroleum Maatschappij (BPM). In 1925, he also became CEO of Royal Dutch Shell.
Prime minister
In 1922 he accepted the political leadership of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (Calvinist) from Dr. Abraham Kuyper. Already one year later he succeeded resigning minister Dirk Jan de Geer as Minister of Finance.[3] In 1925 Colijn also became prime minister,[3] but a year later Colijn had to step down when the House of Representatives accepted a resolution by Gerrit Hendrik Kersten of the Protestant Reformed Political Party which called for diplomatic ties with the Vatican to be broken. This was unacceptable to the Roman Catholic State Party then in government.[6] Colijn then returned to the Senate, and from 1927 to 1929, he served as head of the Dutch delegation to the League of Nations in Geneva. At the election of 1929 he was elected for the House of Representatives, and immediately became Parliamentary leader of his party. This proved to be a success: at the election of 1933 the ARP gained two seats, and Colijn became Prime Minister again.[3] From 1933–1939 he served four more times as prime minister. During the 1930s his government faced the effects of the Great Depression, which took a heavy toll on the Netherlands. Colijn's government responded to the economic crisis with a very strict fiscal policy, which may have further weakened the Dutch economy (no evidence is presented for this theory that more government spending would have helped, rather than hurt, the economy of the Netherlands). Colijn's decision to adhere to the Gold Standard until 1937, long after most of the trading partners of the Netherlands had dropped it, also played a role in lengthening the economic crisis. In 1939, his latest cabinet, with Protestant and liberal ministers but without Catholic ministers, lasted only three days before a government crisis.
World War II and death
After the Dutch defeat in the Battle of the Netherlands in 1940, he published an essay entitled "On the Border of Two Worlds",[7] in which he called for accepting German leadership in Europe, immediately after the Royal House had fled to England, leaving him behind. His view was influenced by the tremendous show of force the German blitzkrieg had shown and the relative weakness of the Allied forces. Soon thereafter, he tried to organize political resistance but was arrested in June 1941 and taken to Berlin for interrogation. The Germans tried to have him confess that he had conspired with the British to invade the Netherlands to serve as an excuse for the German invasion.
Late in the war after the tide had turned against the Germans, according to a grandson, Himmler wanted to keep Colijn available as a possible intermediary with the British, as he had done earlier for Wilhelm II. The very fact that the Gestapo allowed the visit suggests that Himmler was already making contingency plans in case of a German loss. In March 1943 Colijn was put under house arrest in a remote mountain hotel in Ilmenau, where he died on 18 September 1944.[8][9]
Decorations
Honours | ||||
Ribbon bar | Honour | Country | Date | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|
Knight 3rd Class of the Military Order of William | Netherlands | 1 August 1895 | Style of Excellency | |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau | Netherlands | 12 March 1926 | Elevated from Grand Officer (5 September 1913) | |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion | Netherlands | 31 August 1929 | Elevated from Commander (11 August 1923) | |
Honorific Titles | ||||
Ribbon bar | Honour | Country | Date | Comment |
Minister of State | Netherlands | 31 August 1929 | Style of Excellency |
References
- ^ Cardinaal, C.N. "Helena Groenenberg (1867-1947) » Stamboom De Kanter » Genealogie Online". Genealogie Online.
- ^ Engelfriet, Aad. "Introduction to the History of the Dutch East Indies Aad 'Arcengel' Engelfriet". home.iae.nl.
- ^ a b c d "Defense in two spheres - Holland's New Cabinet". The Age. 25 May 1939. p. 8. Retrieved 13 May 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Middelburgsche Courant - 6 juni 1910 - pagina 7". Krantenbank Zeeland.
- ^ Smits, Mari. "'Anthonie Colijn (1870-1932). Boer, boerenvoorman, burgemeester' in: P.E. Werkman en R.E. van der Woude (red.), Wie in de politiek gaat, is weg? Protestantse politici en de christelijk-sociale beweging (Hilversum: Verloren 2009), pp. 151-176".
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(help) - ^ (in Dutch) Vaticaan moet plaats kennen; by Lousewies van der Laan, Elly Plooij-van Gorsel and Joke Swiebel, Trouw, 18 November 2000
- ^ DE GRENS V A N TWEE WERELDEN[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Dr. H. (Hendrik) Colijn". www.parlement.com.
- ^ Oral History Hendrik "Henk" Colijn Archived 2016-06-30 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Official
- (in Dutch) Dr. H. (Hendrik) Colijn Parlement & Politiek
- (in Dutch) Dr. H. Colijn (ARP) Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal
- Newspaper clippings about Hendrikus Colijn in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW
- 1869 births
- 1944 deaths
- Anti-Revolutionary Party politicians
- Chairmen of the Anti-Revolutionary Party
- Directors of Royal Dutch Shell
- Dutch chief executives in the oil industry
- Dutch civil servants
- Dutch corporate directors
- Dutch magazine editors
- Dutch people of World War II
- Dutch prisoners of war in World War II
- Graduates of the Koninklijke Militaire Academie
- Reformed Churches Christians from the Netherlands
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau
- Knights Third Class of the Military Order of William
- Royal Netherlands East Indies Army officers
- Recipients of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
- Recipients of the Order of the House of Orange
- Ministers of Colonial Affairs of the Netherlands
- Ministers of Defence of the Netherlands
- Ministers of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands
- Ministers of Finance of the Netherlands
- Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
- Ministers of Transport and Water Management of the Netherlands
- Ministers of State (Netherlands)
- Ministers of the Navy of the Netherlands
- Ministers of War of the Netherlands
- Members of the Senate (Netherlands)
- Members of the House of Representatives (Netherlands)
- Leaders of the Anti-Revolutionary Party
- People from Haarlemmermeer
- Prime Ministers of the Netherlands
- Prisoners who died in German detention
- World War II political leaders
- World War II prisoners of war held by Germany
- 19th-century Dutch East Indies people
- 20th-century Dutch businesspeople
- 20th-century Dutch civil servants
- 20th-century Dutch East Indies people
- 20th-century Dutch educators
- 20th-century Dutch military personnel
- 20th-century Dutch politicians