Red Week (Netherlands): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 16:07, 9 April 2020

Red Week or Troelstra's Mistake was a period of unrest and an anticipation of revolution in the Netherlands in late 1918, part of a wider wave of socialist revolutions in Europe.

Background

Although the Netherlands had been neutral during World War I, it had still triggered a number of serious problems in the Netherlands that created the conditions for revolution in the Netherlands:

Severe economic crisis triggered by mines and submarines blowing up merchant ships in the Netherlands and the economic crisis in other countries caused by the war leading to very high unemployment and rising cost of living (notably food)
Socialist-inspired revolutions in Russia and Germany
Military repression of food riots
Large waves of Belgian refugees entering the Netherlands
Unpaid wages for soldiers

Events

The revolution began with a mutiny of soldiers on the 25th of October at an army base over unpaid wages, who set fire to part of their base. Following this, debates began in the Socialist Party over the possibility of a revolution after the events in Russia and Germany. On the 11th of November, socialist leader Troelsta created this list of demands:

Abolition of the Senate
Introduction of state retirement at the age of 60
Immediate demobilization
Immediate introduction of general women's suffrage
Immediate introduction of the eight-hour legal day
Fast and adequate provision for the housing shortage
Socialization of all eligible companies
Full unemployment care

In response, the government installed extra security around the royal family and armed the police with carbine rifles, soldiers occupied key government buildings and patrolled the streets of major cities, alcohol sales were banned, ships were disarmed (to prevent something similar to the Kiel Mutiny) Food rations were increased, but the government warned it would be taken away if unrest occurred. Small skirmishes occurred between soldiers mutinying against the government but overall a revolution failed to materialise.

Results

The revolution failed to take any form.

References

Wikipedia (Dutch) - Red Week

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-'''Red Week''' or '''Troelstra's Mistake''' was an attempted socialist [[List of Revolutions|revolution]] in the [[Netherlands]] in [[Timeline of Libertarian Socialism in Western Europe|1918]], part of a [[Revolutions of 1916 - 1923|wider wave of socialist revolutions in Europe]].
+'''Red Week''' or '''Troelstra's Mistake''' was a period of unrest and an anticipation of revolution in the [[Netherlands]] in [[Timeline of Libertarian Socialism in Western Europe|late 1918]], part of a [[Revolutions of 1916 - 1923|wider wave of socialist revolutions in Europe]].
-== Backgrou ==
+== Background ==
-Aever
+Although the Netherlands had been neutral during [[World War I]], it had still triggered a number of serious problems in the Netherlands that created the conditions for revolution in the Netherlands:
+* Severe economic crisis triggered by mines and submarines blowing up merchant ships in the Netherlands and the economic crisis in other countries caused by the war leading to very high [[unemployment]] and rising cost of living (notably food)
+* Socialist-inspired revolutions in [[October Revolution (Russia)|Russia]] and [[German Revolution (1918)|Germany]]
+* Military repression of [[Potato Riots (1917)|food riots]]
+* Large waves of [[Belgium|Belgian]] refugees entering the Netherlands
+* Unpaid wages for soldiers
-Troelstra's Mistake was a futile appeal for a socialist revolution in the Netherlands in November 1918. The name is taken from the essential role played by Pieter Jelles Troelstra during the attempted revolution. The attempt lasted almost a week, from November 9 to November 14, which was then called De Roode Week. [2]
+== Events ==
+The revolution began with a mutiny of soldiers on the 25th of October at an army base over unpaid wages, who set fire to part of their base. Following this, debates began in the Socialist Party over the possibility of a revolution after the events in Russia and Germany. On the 11th of November, socialist leader Troelsta created this list of demands:
+* Abolition of the Senate
+* Introduction of state retirement at the age of 60
+* Immediate demobilization
+* Immediate introduction of general women's suffrage
+* Immediate introduction of the eight-hour legal day
+* Fast and adequate provision for the housing shortage
+* Socialization of all eligible companies
+* Full unemployment care
+In response, the government installed extra security around the royal family and armed the police with carbine rifles, soldiers occupied key government buildings and patrolled the streets of major cities, alcohol sales were banned, ships were disarmed (to prevent something similar to the [[Kiel Mutiny]]) Food rations were increased, but the government warned it would be taken away if unrest occurred. Small skirmishes occurred between soldiers mutinying against the government but overall a revolution failed to materialise.
-The call for revolution was the result of the economic malaise after the First World War and several other revolutions that played out, such as the German November Revolution and the Russian Revolution, and was prompted by the recent mutiny in the army camp De Harskamp. These events were the source of inspiration and the conviction that radical social changes could also be brought about in the Netherlands.
+== Results ==
+The revolution failed to take any form.
-At the time, the various movements within the socialist movement had not yet profiled themselves strongly. The question of whether to pursue a "violent overthrow" of capitalist society or a gradual transition "by peaceful and parliamentary means" would lead to a sharp division of minds between the communists and revolutionary socialists on the one hand and the social democrats on the other.
-Troelstra believed that the socialist revolution could also take place in the Netherlands, as there was a great deal of unrest in politics. He was mistaken about this. Although there was commotion about the person of General Snijders, this did not have the character of a constitutional crisis. Due to a lack of organization and the fact that a countermovement that was well organized soon arose, the attempt to revolution fizzled out.
 == References ==
 [[Wikipedia]] (Dutch) - [https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vergissing_van_Troelstra Red Week]