Peasants' League
Encyclopedia
The Peasants' League was a Dutch
agrarian
political party
. The League played only a minor role in Dutch politics.
the party won one seat. It had campaigned with two lists, one religious list and one secular list, in order to appeal to both religious and secular farmers. During the First World War the Netherlands, a neutral country, had to rely on its own agriculture. Government influence in agriculture had increased, to the unhappiness of many farmers. The party's seat was taken by Frederik Bos
. Between 1918 and 1919 the League cooperated in the neutral parliamentary party, with other four one or two seat parties, namely the Alliance for the Democratization of the Army
, the Economic League
, the Middle Class Party
and the Neutral Party
. The parliamentary party was led by former minister Willem Treub
. TIn 1919 Bos was replaced by Arend Braat as member of parliament. Braat was an unsophisticated and unconventional MP, who attempted to revoke the law on daylight saving time
on five occasions but failed in each. He was ignored by most other politicians and scorned by the media for his unsophisticated behaviour. He immediately left the neutral parliamentary party.
In the elections of 1922
the party won an additional seat, this is partially explained by Braat's unconventional behaviour, which appealed the rural voters. The party's second MP De Boer tried to replace Braat as party leader. He was removed from the party ranks and participated in the 1925 elections
. Braat lost his second seat, but De Boer was unable to win a seat. After the 1929 election
the leadership of Braat became even more contested. Because of his aggressive strategy against supporters of De Boer the party's organization was not functioning well. Before the 1933
elections the party changed its name to National Farmers', Horticulturists' and Middle Class Party (Nationale Boeren-, Tuinders- en Middenstandspartij, NBTM) and renewed its party organizations. In this election it had two top candidates
Cornelis Vervoorn, a rich farmer, for the Northern provinces Groningen
and Drenthe
and Arend Braat, who been the party's leader for a long time, for the rest of the Netherlands. Unexpectedly Vervoorn was elected into parliament because he received more votes than Braat. Braat tried to convince Vervoorn to give up his seat, but he refused. In the 1937 election
the party lost its seat, this is partially explained by the rise of the National Socialist Movement
, which was linked to a strong agrarian organization Agriculture and Society
. It wanted to abolish Daylight saving time
, reduce taxation and government interference, found a ministry of agriculture, implement an old age pension, improve agricultural education, and end the merger of municipalities. The change of name in 1933 to National Farmers', Horticulturists' and Middleclassparty also implied an ideological reorientation. The party now also oriented towards the middle class in urban areas, while still holding on to its agrarian ideals. Small businesses, the middleclass, were seen as the link between farmers and consumers. It added several proposals to its party manifesto such as a cheaper supply of credit and the regulation of advertisements.
, Gelderland
, the northern region
of North Holland
and the southern islands of South Holland
.
, which had a similar agrarian agenda, the Peasants' League was very small and uninfluential.
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...
agrarian
Agrarianism
Agrarianism has two common meanings. The first meaning refers to a social philosophy or political philosophy which values rural society as superior to urban society, the independent farmer as superior to the paid worker, and sees farming as a way of life that can shape the ideal social values...
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...
. The League played only a minor role in Dutch politics.
Party History
The party was founded on February 17, 1917. In the elections of the 1918Dutch 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...
the party won one seat. It had campaigned with two lists, one religious list and one secular list, in order to appeal to both religious and secular farmers. During the First World War the Netherlands, a neutral country, had to rely on its own agriculture. Government influence in agriculture had increased, to the unhappiness of many farmers. The party's seat was taken by Frederik Bos
Frederik Bos
Frederik Bos was a Dutch politician.-References:...
. Between 1918 and 1919 the League cooperated in the neutral parliamentary party, with other four one or two seat parties, namely the Alliance for the Democratization of the Army
Alliance for the Democratization of the Army
The Alliance for the Democratization of the Army was a Dutch political party representing military interests. The VDW played only a marginal 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...
. TIn 1919 Bos was replaced by Arend Braat as member of parliament. Braat was an unsophisticated and unconventional MP, who attempted to revoke the law on daylight saving time
Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
on five occasions but failed in each. He was ignored by most other politicians and scorned by the media for his unsophisticated behaviour. He immediately left the neutral parliamentary party.
In the elections of 1922
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...
the party won an additional seat, this is partially explained by Braat's unconventional behaviour, which appealed the rural voters. The party's second MP De Boer tried to replace Braat as party leader. He was removed from the party ranks and participated in the 1925 elections
Dutch general election, 1925
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 1, 1925.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party * Agrarians' League...
. Braat lost his second seat, but De Boer was unable to win a seat. After the 1929 election
Dutch general election, 1929
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 3, 1929.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party * Agrarians' League...
the leadership of Braat became even more contested. Because of his aggressive strategy against supporters of De Boer the party's organization was not functioning well. Before the 1933
Dutch general election, 1933
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on April 26, 1933.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
elections the party changed its name to National Farmers', Horticulturists' and Middle Class Party (Nationale Boeren-, Tuinders- en Middenstandspartij, NBTM) and renewed its party organizations. In this election it had two top candidates
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...
Cornelis Vervoorn, a rich farmer, for the Northern provinces Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
and Drenthe
Drenthe
Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
and Arend Braat, who been the party's leader for a long time, for the rest of the Netherlands. Unexpectedly Vervoorn was elected into parliament because he received more votes than Braat. Braat tried to convince Vervoorn to give up his seat, but he refused. In the 1937 election
Dutch general election, 1937
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on May 26, 1937.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
the party lost its seat, this is partially explained by the rise of the National Socialist Movement
National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands
The National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands was a Dutch fascist and later national socialist political party. As a parliamentary party participating in legislative elections, the NSB had some success during the 1930s...
, which was linked to a strong agrarian organization Agriculture and Society
Ideology & Issues
The party advocated the interests of farmers and tried to fight the disadvantaged position of rural communities. The party saw agriculture as the primary source of wealth of the Netherlands. Its main goal was to ensure a reasonable income for farmers, to expand the farming sector and protect property rightsProperty
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
. It wanted to abolish Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
, reduce taxation and government interference, found a ministry of agriculture, implement an old age pension, improve agricultural education, and end the merger of municipalities. The change of name in 1933 to National Farmers', Horticulturists' and Middleclassparty also implied an ideological reorientation. The party now also oriented towards the middle class in urban areas, while still holding on to its agrarian ideals. Small businesses, the middleclass, were seen as the link between farmers and consumers. It added several proposals to its party manifesto such as a cheaper supply of credit and the regulation of advertisements.
Leadership & Support
This table shows the Peasants' League'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 | Michelle Larson | Michelle Larson |
| 1919 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Arend Braat |
| 1920 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Arend Braat |
| 1921 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Arend Braat |
| 1922 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... |
2 | 0 | Arend Braat | Arend Braat |
| 1923 | 2 | 0 | no election | Arend Braat |
| 1924 | 2 | 0 | no election | Arend Braat |
| 1925 Dutch general election, 1925 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 1, 1925.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party * Agrarians' League... |
1 | 0 | Arend Braat | Arend Braat |
| 1926 | 2 | 0 | no election | Arend Braat |
| 1927 | 1 | 0 | no election | Arend Braat |
| 1928 | 1 | 0 | no election | Arend Braat |
| 1929 Dutch general election, 1929 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 3, 1929.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party * Agrarians' League... |
1 | 0 | Arend Braat | Arend Braat |
| 1930 | 1 | 0 | no election | Arend Braat |
| 1931 | 1 | 0 | no election | Arend Braat |
| 1932 | 1 | 0 | no election | Arend Braat |
| 1933 Dutch general election, 1933 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on April 26, 1933.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party... |
1 | 0 | Arend Braat and Cornelis Vervoorn | Cornelis Vervoorn |
| 1934 | 1 | 0 | no election | Cornelis Vervoorn |
| 1935 | 1 | 0 | no election | Cornelis Vervoorn |
| 1936 | 1 | 0 | no election | Cornelis Vervoorn |
Municipal and Provincial Government
The party was particularly strong in the provincial legislatives of Drenthe and Groningen. Where it also held several seats in local legislatives.Electorate
The electorate of party consisted out of farmers form DrentheDrenthe
Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
, Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
, the northern region
West Friesland (region)
West Friesland is a contemporary region in the northwestern Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.The region covers an area of about , delineated by the Westfriese Omringdijk...
of North Holland
North Holland
North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...
and the southern islands of South Holland
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
.
International Comparison
Compared to the Swedish Farmers' LeagueCentre Party (Sweden)
The Centre Party is a centrist political party in Sweden. The party maintains close ties to rural Sweden and describes itself as "a green social liberal party". The ideology is sometimes called agrarian, but in a European context, the Centre Party can perhaps best be characterized as social...
, which had a similar agrarian agenda, the Peasants' League was very small and uninfluential.