Social Democratic Workers' Party (Netherlands)

Social Democratic Workers' Party Sociaal-Democratische Arbeiderspartij
Het Volk
Youth wing	Arbeiders Jeugd Centrale
Membership (1939)	82,415[1]
Ideology	Socialism Marxism Reformism Republicanism
Political position	Centre-left to left-wing
International affiliation	Second International (1894–1914) Labour and Socialist International (1923–1940)
Colours	Red
Politics of the Netherlands Political parties Elections

The Social Democratic Workers' Party (Dutch: Sociaal-Democratische Arbeiderspartij, SDAP) was a socialist political party in the Netherlands existing from 1894 to 1946. Originating from a split in the prior Social Democratic League, the party was a predecessor of the current social democratic Labour Party.

The SDAP was founded by members of the

, and most were intellectual-type men like teachers, vicars or lawyers. That is why SDB members and other socialists mockingly called the SDAP not a workers' party but a teachers' (Dutch: Schoolmeesters), vicars (Dutch: Dominees) and lawyers (Dutch: Advocaten) party still forming the acronym SDAP.

The party was founded in Zwolle in 1894. The party programme was a literal translation of the Erfurt Program of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). Both parties believed in an imminent revolution which would make an end to suffering and inequality between classes and between men and women. The parliamentary work was only seen as a means to help the workers before the revolution would set off.

In its first years, the SDAP was a small party, searching for the best way to organise itself. It received a lot of financial and organisational support from the German SPD. In 1894, the International recognised the SDAP as the labour party. The SDAP was open for other socialist organisations, such as trade unions to associate themselves with the party.

In 1896, Cornélie Huygens became the first female member of the SDAP, and the first woman in the Netherlands to be a member of a political party. She was known as the "Red Lady".^[2]

In the

.

In 1900, party leader Troelstra visited

Het Volk

, Dagblad voor de Arbeiderspartij ("The People, Paper for the Workers' Party"). In the same year the remainder of the SDB, which had been renamed Socialist League, joined the SDAP.

In the 1901 general election, the SDAP performed particularly well; it tripled its seats to six, the Liberal cabinet which the socialists supported lost its majority. The Coalition cabinet, composed of the Protestant Anti-Revolutionary Party and the Catholic General League, ignored the Socialists. After the election victory the party's power in the socialist pillar began to rise. In a massive reorganisation, the associated socialist organisations had to integrate with the party's branches.

In January 1903, a large

wanted to end the strike by posing harsh penalties against the strikers, because the strike struck vital industries.

Initially, the SDAP supported the strike, hoping it would spark a socialist revolution. But in reaction to the government legislation, moderate party members, including Troelstra, turned against the strikes. This led to a controversy between

moderate revisionists

.

The strike ended the cooperation of socialist unions with confessional unions and the social democratic SDAP and anarchists of other organisations. The strike however did not only lead to breaches. The trade unions were prepared to unite and work together with the SDAP. The Dutch Confederation of Trade Unions (NVV) was founded in 1905 by Henri Polak.

After the railway strike, the conflict between

.

On the eve of the 1905 general election, the revisionists won a crucial victory. The party decided to support liberal candidates who were in favour of universal suffrage. The party gained one seat, meaning it held seven seats, and supported the liberal minority De Meester cabinet.

Many members of the SDAP were irritated by the behaviour of the orthodox Marxists who were continuously denouncing moderates. Troelstra openly attacked the orthodox Marxists and the party congress in a formal resolution declared to oppose all labelling opportunists and revisionists. The orthodox Marxist chairman Pieter Lodewijk Tak resigned and was succeeded by Willem Vliegen. Tak also lost control of Het Volk to Vliegen.

In 1907, a group of orthodox Marxists around David Wijnkoop founded the magazine De Tribune, which attacked the revisionist leadership of the SDAP. Troelstra and other leaders removed him and his associates from the party ranks in 1909. Wijnkoop founded the orthodox Marxist Social Democratic Party (SDP) the same year. The SDP later became the Communist Party of Holland. This was one of the first splits within the European labour movement.

In the 1909 general election, the SDAP held on to its seven seats, but their liberal allies lost many seats to the Coalition parties, who won a majority of sixty seats. In the knowledge that they could not accomplish anything in parliament, the SDAP focused on the extra-parliamentary movement for universal suffrage, for both men and women, regardless of class.

The party's original strategy was to organise mass strikes for universal suffrage. But the socialist union NVV feared reprisals from employers, so the SDAP decided to start a

decided not to attend the Prinsjesdag ceremonies. For the 1912 Prinsjesdag the Red Tuesday was forbidden.

During this time, the

(Together Strong). Samen Sterk tried to found trade unions for female employees, starting with house maids. This caused considerable controversy in bourgeoisie circles.

In the 1913 general election, the SDAP more than doubled its seats to 15. As a serious force in parliament, the SDAP was asked to participate in government by the liberal formateur, and was offered three ministerial posts. The SDAP, even the reformist Troelstra, refused government participation, because the party acknowledged one of its major ideals, national disarmament, could not be realised. Instead of an unstable minority government, an extra-parliamentary cabinet was formed, comprising liberal and non-partisan ministers. The cabinet intended to realise socialist demands, like universal suffrage, the state pension and the eight-hour working day.

After the 1913 municipal elections, however, the SDAP did accept government responsibility in Zaandam and Amsterdam, forming municipal executives with the liberals.

After World War I had broken out, the SDAP supported the Dutch policy of armed neutrality. This support was welcomed by the leaders of the other parties but not by many SDAP members. In 1915, a special conference declared that the SDAP only supported the government temporarily and the support could be withdrawn, thus preventing another party-wide conflict.

During the war, the Allies blockaded the Dutch ports, which in turn led to an enormous lack of food; riots broke out in the major cities. The SDAP supported the government actions against these riots. Many of the protesters were furious about the SDAP and changed allegiance to the Social Democratic Party.

Meanwhile, the political system was in revision. A constitutional reform enabling universal suffrage was prepared by the liberal cabinet. In order to realise this change a two-thirds majority was necessary. This practically meant that all major parties, including the Coalition parties needed to agree with the change. The Coalition parties would consent to the change, but only if confessional schools would be granted finances equal to the public schools and if universal suffrage was not extended to women.

The SDAP was especially critical of the second demand. On 17 September 1916, it organised a mass rally with 40,000 demonstrators, demanding female suffrage. In the end, however, the party consented with the changes the confessional parties demanded. With some changes, women were granted the right to be elected and women's suffrage was deconstitutionalised, meaning that only a normal majority was necessary to implement the change. In 1919, the left-liberal Henri Marchant initiated a bill to implement female suffrage, and in 1922 the first election with real universal suffrage was held.

In

parties, including the communists. The confessional parties however won a majority.

In November 1918,

: Troelstra's vergissing). Many SDAP members were displeased with Troelstra. He politically survived the 1919 party congress, though only narrowly.

Troelstra's mistake, the SDAP's reluctance to form a socialist/liberal government in 1913 and the electoral strength of the confessional parties prevented the SDAP's participation in government until 1939.

The SDAP won in the 1919 municipal elections, and socialist-supported municipal executives were formed in many cities.

In 1919, many socialist demands (universal suffrage, the eight hour workday and state pensions) were implemented. The party began to shift their focus away from the revolution and towards the direct improvement of the position of the working class.

Between 1919 and 1939, the SDAP got increasingly more seats but were kept out of government by a confessional majority; in 1926, Roman Catholic State Party leader, Wiel Nolens said that the confessionals would only govern with the socialists in a case of extreme necessity.

During the 1930s, the SDAP began to moderate its policies. It removed the demand of national disarmament in 1934, and became less republican, for instance sending a telegram with felicitations to Queen Wilhelmina in 1938 after her daughter, princess

the guilder and allowing the national debt to rise in order to increase employment.

In reaction to this moderate course, a group of orthodox Marxist members, led by

, many of the 3,000 split members returned.

This course of moderation was suddenly interrupted by the incidents surrounding the mutiny on the cruiser De Zeven Provinciën. During the mutiny, the political leadership of the SDAP announced that, although they did not support it, they could understand the motives behind the mutiny. Because of this incident the government temporarily forbade soldiers to be a member of the SDAP.

In 1939, at the dawn of World War II, prominent SDAP members were asked to participate in a national coalition, led by Protestant politician De Geer; the dawning war was the extreme necessity that allowed the SDAP to enter government. After the Netherlands was invaded by the Germans this government became the Dutch government-in-exile, in London. The SDAP first supplied two ministers (Albeda and Jan van de Tempel) and in 1944 they were joined by Jaap Burger. The SDAP was banned in 1940 by the occupying force. Many SDAP members were involved in resistance work during the war.

After World War II, there was a widespread sentiment in the Netherlands that the political system should be changed. This was called the

resistance movement.

When it was founded in 1897 the SDAP was a

party, which wanted to improve the situation of Dutch workers through parliament.

The parties main issues were the 5 k's the party opposed:

1. Capital (Dutch: Kapitaal): the party opposed the rule of capital, and wanted to create a socialist society.
2. Church (Dutch: Kerk): the party opposed the control the church had over large parts of society.
3. monarchy and wanted to transform the Netherlands into a republic
   .
4. Dutch army. The party opposed militarism and nationalism. After the rise of the German Nazi Party
   the SDAP began to agitate for a people's army.
5. Pubs (Dutch: Kroeg): the party thought that alcoholism
   was one of the greatest foes of the working class.

Electoral results

House of Representatives

Election	Lead candidate	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Government
1897	None	12,312	3.0	2 / 100	2	Confidence and supply
1901		36,981	9.5	6 / 100	4	In opposition
1905		65,561	11.2	6 / 100		Confidence and supply
1909		82,855	13.9	7 / 100	1	In opposition
1913		142,185	18.5	17 / 100	10	Confidence and supply
1917				15 / 100	2	Confidence and supply
1918	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	296,145	22.0	22 / 100	7	In opposition
1922		567,769	19.4	20 / 100	2	In opposition
1925	Willem Albarda	706,689	22.9	24 / 100	4	In opposition
1929		804,714	23.8	24 / 100		In opposition
1933		798,632	21.5	22 / 100	2	In opposition
1937		890,661	21.9	23 / 100	1	In opposition

Representation

This table shows the SDAP's results in elections to the House of Representatives, Senate and provincial councils, as well as the party's parliamentary leader, this post is normally taken by the party's leader. It also possible that the party leader is member of cabinet, if the SDAP was part of the governing coalition, the highest ranking minister is listed, supportive indicates that the SDAP did not supply any ministers, but was supportive of the legislation proposed by cabinet.

Year	HoR	S	SP	Parliamentary leader	Cabinet
1897	2	0	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	supports Pierson cabinet
1898	2	0	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	supports cabinet
1899	2	0	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	supports cabinet
1900	2	0	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	supports cabinet
1901	6	0	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	opposition
1902	6	0	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	opposition
1903	6	0	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	opposition
1904	6	0	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	opposition
1905	7	0	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	supports De Meester cabinet
1906	7	0	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	supports cabinet
1907	7	0	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	supports cabinet
1908	7	0	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	supports cabinet
1909	7	0	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	opposition
1910	7	0	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	opposition
1911	7	0	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	opposition
1912	7	0	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	opposition
1913	15	2	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	supports Cort van der Linden cabinet
1914	15	2	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	supports cabinet
1915	15	2	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	supports cabinet
1916	15	2	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	supports cabinet
1917	15	2	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	supports cabinet
1918	22	2	unknown	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	opposition
1919	22	3	117	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	opposition
1920	22	4	117	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	opposition
1921	22	4	117	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	opposition
1922	20	4	117	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	opposition
1923	20	11	107	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	opposition
1924	20	11	107	Pieter Jelles Troelstra	opposition
1925	24	11	107	Johan Willem Albarda	opposition
1926	24	11	107	Johan Willem Albarda	opposition
1927	24	11	120	Johan Willem Albarda	opposition
1928	24	11	120	Johan Willem Albarda	opposition
1929	24	11	120	Johan Willem Albarda	opposition
1930	24	11	120	Johan Willem Albarda	opposition
1931	24	11	127	Johan Willem Albarda	opposition
1932	24	11	127	Johan Willem Albarda	opposition
1933	22	11	127	Johan Willem Albarda	opposition
1934	22	11	127	Johan Willem Albarda	opposition
1935	22	11	126	Johan Willem Albarda	opposition
1936	22	11	126	Johan Willem Albarda	opposition
1937	23	12	126	Johan Willem Albarda	opposition
1938	23	12	126	Johan Willem Albarda	opposition
1939	23	12	124	Willem Drees	Johan Willem Albarda
1940	out of session				Johan Willem Albarda
1941	out of session				Johan Willem Albarda
1942	out of session				Johan Willem Albarda
1943	out of session				Johan Willem Albarda
1944	out of session				Johan Willem Albarda
1945	23	12	124	Willem Drees	Johan Willem Albarda

Founders, known as the 12 apostles: Frank van der Goes, Pieter Jelles Troelstra, Henri van Kol, Adriaan Gerhard, Helmig Jan van der Vegt, Louis Cohen, Jan Fortuijn, Willem Helsdingen, Henri Polak, Jan Schaper, Hendrik Spiekman, and Willem Vliegen.

Many SDAP members of parliament were also members of a provincial or municipal council. Since 1913 the SDAP had participated in the municipal government of Amsterdam. Several famous SDAP politicians, like

) and was very important for the credibility of the post-war PvdA.

In 1919 the SDAP had 1162 members of municipal councils and 72 members of the municipal executive.

The figure below shows the SDAP's results in the 1927 provincial elections. In several provinces, the urban North Holland and South Holland especially, the party performed very well. In the Catholic and predominantly rural South, Limburg and North Brabant, the party had a marginal position. In the Protestant and rural North, especially Groningen and Friesland, the party also performed well.

Province	Seats in SP (1927)
Limburg	4
North Brabant	4
Zeeland	4
Utrecht	8
North Holland	21
South Holland	21
Gelderland	11
Overijssel	8
Drenthe	8
Friesland	14
Groningen	14

In the period 1897-1919, when voting rights were restricted the party mainly received support from educated workers and young members of the

.

The party historically received strong support from the major cities, such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam, and the northern provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe and the industrial region Twente.

The highest organ of the SDAP was the

and had the final say over the party program.

Membership

When the SDAP was founded in 1897 it has around 600 members organised in 25 municipal branches.

In 1919 the party had around 49,000 members in around 645 municipal branches.

In 1938 the party had around 88,000 members in around 650 municipal branches.

The party's membership throughout its existence is displayed in the chart below.[3]

This graph was using the legacy Graph extension, which is no longer supported. It needs to be converted to the new Chart extension.

Between 1894 and 1914 the SDAP was member of the Second International, after World War I, it lost its international contacts.

The party was a member of the Labour and Socialist International between 1923 and 1940.^[4]

The SDAP had strong links with other socialist organisations in the socialist

. The youth organisation Arbeiders Jeugdcentrale (Workers' Youth Central, AJC) was a large youth organisation aligned with the SDAP, founded in 1918, with around 11,500 members in 1935. The women's association aligned with the SDAP was Samen Sterk (Together Strong) founded in 1912. The student's association aligned with the SDAP was the Social Democratic Students Club, (Sociaal-Democratische Studentenclub, SDSC). A Workers' Education Institute (Instituut voor Arbeiders Ontwikkeling IvAO) was set up in 1924 and a scientific bureau in 1935. But the SDAP also had close links with workers' recreational organisations like the League of Workers' Singing Association and the Dutch Workers' Sporting Association. The teetotalist movement also had close links with the SDAP.

Between 1897 and 1919 the SDAP supported liberal politicians, who were in favour of universal suffrage, in some districts. Several liberal minority governments were supported by the socialists. These relations deteriorated after the SDAPs unwillingness to participate in socialist/liberal cabinet in 1913 and Troelstra's mistake (in 1918). Furthermore, universal suffrage, a goal which united the liberals and the socialists was granted in 1918.

The relations between the SDAP and the confessional parties was particularly bad. The confessional parties saw socialism as an atheist ideology. This prevented SDAP government participation until 1939. Following the 1919 election some Christian socialist parties entered parliament which advocated stronger cooperation between the SDAP and the confessional parties. These calls were ignored by the confessional parties.

The SDAP was in constant state of cold war with the communist party

parties should cooperate with social democratic parties, the relationship improved.

The SDAP also had good relations with the

.

Footnotes

• J. Perry, P.J. Knegtmans, D.F.J. Bosscher, F. Becker and P. Kalma (1994). Honderd jaar sociaal-democratie in Nederland 1894-1994. Amsterdam: Uitgeverij Bert Bakker.
• H. de Vos. (1976) Geschiedenis van het socialisme in Nederland, in het kader van zijn tijd, deel 1. Baarn: Het wereldvenster

• Bert Altena, "Bürger in der Sozialdemokratie: Ihre Bedeutung für die Entwicklung der Sozialdemokratischen Arbeiterpartei (SDAP) in den Niederlanden 1894-1914" (Citizens in The Social Democracy: Their Importance for the Development of the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) in the Netherlands, 1894-1914), Geschichte und Gesellschaft, vol. 20, no. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1994), pp. 533–548. In JSTOR
• Archief SDAP at the International Institute of Social History