Pieter Jelles Troelstra (1860-1930) was a Dutch politician active in the socialist workers' movement. He is most remembered for his fight for universal suffrage and his failed call for revolution at the end of World War I. Troelstra was married from 1888 until 1907 to Sjoukje Bokma de Boer, who was a well-known children's book writer under the pen name of Nynke van Hichtum.

Biography

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Early career

Troelstra was born in Leeuwarden on April 20, 1860 as the son of a liberal tax inspector. He went to read law at the University of Groningen. When he was finished he settled in Leeuwarden as a lawyer. He got into contact with politics and the workers' movement through a Frisian movement, later to be known as the Friese Volkspartij (Frisian Popular Party). He had originally joined this movement because of his poetry and interest in the Frisian language. Through the movement and his work as a lawyer, he got into the social-democratic part of this wide movement.

Involvement with the SDB

In 1890, Troelstra joined the Sociaal-Democratische Bond (Social-Democratic Union, SDB), an early Dutch socialist movement under the leadership of Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis. In time, he got into conflict with the anarchist tendencies of the movement. When in 1893 the SDB took a decisive anti-parliamentary stance, Troelstra no longer believed it could do any useful socialist work.

Founding of the SDAP

After trying to get some members of the SDB to join him, he was one of the twelve men who started the Sociaal-Democratische Arbeiders Partij (Social-Democratic Workers' Party, SDAP) in 1894. Unlike the old SDB, the SDAP was more like its German counterpart, then still also named the SDAP, which was taking a more reformist course, trying to get social law implemented, while still keeping the ideal of revolution up.

Troelstra was inclusive in his outlook. As leader of the Parliamentary faction of the SDAP, he did not insist upon a tight party line. This allowed a period of harmony within the SDAP between 1894 and 1900.

Troelstra's biggest political issue was universal suffrage in the Netherlands. This struggle reached its climax in 1910-1913. After electoral success, the SDAP under Troelstra's leadership was offered a place in the coalition government in 1913. This proposed coalition had plans for universal suffrage but Troelstra was forced to decline the offer by a party meeting that did not feel for cooperation with its traditional enemy. Universal suffrage did came to be in the Netherlands in 1917, under the leadership of the liberal minority cabinet of Cort van der Linden.

Proclamation of the socialist revolution

Inspired by the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the German Revolution, Troelstra made one of the moves that would guarantee him a place in parliamentary history: the proclamation of the socialist revolution in November 1918. There was already talk of possible revolutions in Great Britain and France. The poverty that resulted from the First World War had struck the lower class hard (also in the Netherlands). And now there was unrest in the Netherlands as well. In military camp Harskamp soldiers had started a revolt, which spread to a dozen other camps. This had nothing to do with politics, but the Russian revolution the previous year had also started like this. And there was such unrest among the workers in Rotterdam that a strike was likely. On 5 November Troelstra warned parliament for what might come. Right wing politicians also started thinking a revolution was unavoidable. On 9 November the German emperor Wilhelm II abdicated (and fled to the neutral Netherlands), a sign of the crumbling hierarchy, upon which a revolution in Germany seemed imminent. The mayor of Rotterdam saw what might come and called a meeting with socialists to ensure that, in case of a revolution, essential facilities like gas and water plants were left alone. The government had a similar meeting. On 10 November members of the SDAP who were at first sceptical now believed that a revolution was indeed possible.

The navy in Den Helder decided to disarm the sailors because there was too much unrest among them. The also socialist party RSC organised a meeting with mainly soldiers, who next marched on a military barracks to seek support, but were shot at, resulting in 3 dead and 18 wounded.

Because the revolution would not stop at the border, Troelstra suggested that power be transferred to the SDAP. A program of changes was drawn, including women's suffrage, an 8 hour work day, abolition of the first chamber, socialisation of appropriate companies and a state pension at the age of 60. But the party thought the time wasn't ripe and didn't allow him to go any further. Which he ignored. On 11 November Troelstra proclaimed the revolution. But the government had already started a counter-campaign (including posters and the spreading of 500,000 pamphlets) telling people that the revolutionaries formed a small minority. This caused the 'Orange-movement' (oranjebeweging), named after the colour of the royal house because it played on national and loyalist sentiments. Many people who were no monarchists (like Roman-Catholics and moderate socialists) joined the Orange-movement because a socialist revolution went to far for their taste. Trustworthy sections of the army were mobilised and sent to Rotterdam, Amsterdam and The Hague and vigilante patrols were installed. On 12 November Troelstra held an hours long speech in parliament. But the moment was gone. The revolution did not take place.

This has come to be known as Troelstra's Mistake (Troelstra's Vergissing). It is said that the Dutch did not really feel like a revolution. But others claim the potential leaders just weren't prepared and didn't seize the moment. The SDAP was divided and when they united they did so too late. The most active players in all this were the 'counter-revolutionaries' (the authorities). A symbolic act would have been needed, like occupying the city hall in Rotterdam, the centre of the unrest. After all this Troelstra was broken and stayed at home, but at a party conference two weeks later he was received with a standing ovation.

Although he could defend the position that the party had never had actual plans for a coup, his reputation had taken irreparable damage. The SDAP would not be re-invited to form a government until the national cabinet of 1939. But the political right wing had gotten a fright. The next cabinet, under Colijn, although right wing, started left wing social reforms.

Despite this (or maybe to some partly because of this), Troelstra was and still is seen as an inspirational figure for many in the Dutch workers' movement. He withdrew from politics in 1925. He died on May 12, 1930 in The Hague. To this day the The Hague section of the PvdA, the successor of the SDAP, celebrates labour day at a monument to Troelstra.

1860 births | 1930 deaths | Dutch politicians

Pieter Jelles Troelstra | Pieter Jelles Troelstra | Pieter Jelles Troelstra