The Alliance for the Democratization of the Army (in Dutch: Verbond tot Democratisering der Weermacht, VDB) was a Dutch

Politics of the Netherlands

The politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a decentralised unitary state. The Netherlands is described as a consociational state...

 political party

Political party

A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...

 representing military

Military

A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...

 interests. The VDW played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.

Party History

The VDW was founded as a political arm of the officers' union Ons Belang (Our Interest). The 1918 elections

Dutch general election, 1918

A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 3, 1918. It was the first election in which universal male suffrage was applied, and the first in which a system of proportional representation was used...

 were the first election in the Netherlands which used a system of proportional representation

Proportional representation

Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...

. With only 7000 votes (0.5% of the votes) the VDW one seat, as did several other one or two person parties. After the elections the election law became more restrictive. Between 1918 and 1921 the VDW cooperated in the neutral parliamentary party, with other four one or two seat parties, namely the Peasants' League

Peasants' League

The Peasants' League was a Dutch agrarian political party. The League played only a minor role in Dutch politics.-Party History:...

, the Economic League

Economic League (Netherlands)

The Economic League was a Dutch liberal political party. It played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.-Party History:...

, the Middle Class Party

Middle Class Party

The Middenstandspartij was a Dutch political party representing middle class interests. It played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.-Party History:...

 and the Neutral Party

Neutral Party

The Neutral Party was a Dutch political party representing artists' interests. It played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.-History:...

. The parliamentary party was led by former minister Willem Treub

Willem Treub

Marie Willem Frederik Treub was a Dutch politician.-References:* in the Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland...

. The alliance ended in 1921 when the Economic League, the Middle Class Party and the Neutral Party all merged into the Liberal State Party

Liberal State Party

The Liberal State Party, "the Freedom League" , was a Dutch conservative liberal political party from 1921 to 1948...

, together with two larger liberal parties. The VDW did not take part in the 1922 election

Dutch general election, 1922

A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 5, 1922. It was the first election under universal suffrage, which became reality after the acceptance of a proposal by Marchant in 1919 that gave women full voting rights...

.

Ideology & Issues

The VDW was a typical special interest party. Its main goal was to represent the interests of officers and petty officers. It favoured the implementation of a conscripted army

Conscription

Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...

 in which men would serve as soldiers and women as nurses. It wanted schools to teach more physical education

Physical education

Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....

 and youth to do more sports and shooting exercises. It advocated free education

Education in the Netherlands

Education in the Netherlands is characterized by division: education is orientated toward the needs and background of the pupil. Education is divided over schools for different age groups, some of which are divided in streams for different educational levels...

 and free healthcare for students. It wanted a stronger army and fleet. It favoured a more democratic army, with a stronger role for military unions, better salaries and pensions for officers.

Leadership & Support

This table show the VDW's results in elections to the House of Representatives and Senate, as well as the party's political leadership: the fractievoorzitter, is the chair of the parliamentary party and the lijsttrekker is the party's top candidate in the general election, these posts are normally taken by the party's leader.

Year	HoR	S	Lijsttrekker Lijsttrekker Lijsttrekker is a Dutch term for the top candidate of a party on a party list. He or she is almost always the party's political leader. After an election, this person usually leads the party's faction in the States-General, or serves in a senior position in the Cabinet if his party is part of...	Fractievoorzitter
1918 Dutch general election, 1918 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 3, 1918. It was the first election in which universal male suffrage was applied, and the first in which a system of proportional representation was used...	1	0	Willem Wijk	Willem Wijk
1919	1	0	no elections	Willem Wijk
1920	1	0	no elections	Willem Wijk
1921	1	0	no elections	Willem Wijk

Electorate

The party drew most its support from officers

Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...

, under officer

Under Officer

Under Officer is an appointment held by senior cadets at some Commonwealth officer training establishments and in University Officers' Training Corps in the United Kingdom, and also a rank used in some Commonwealth cadet forces.-Australia:...

 and petty officers.