The First Beel cabinet was the cabinet of the Netherlands from 3 July 1946 until 7 August 1948. The cabinet was formed by the Christian democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP) and the social democratic Labour Party (PvdA) after the 1946 general election. The cabinet was a centre-left grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives with prominent Catholic politician Louis Beel serving as Prime Minister, and dual serving as Minister of the Interior continuing from the previous cabinet. Labour leader Willem Drees continued as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs from the previous cabinet. According to one study, "Beel was of the opinion that a joint KVP–PvdA programme should be presented to other political groups. According to Beel, that programme should be socio-economically progressive, that is to say reform-oriented in favour of broad layers of the population. The socialists should not have to fear that a conservative wing within the KVP would rule the roost."

The cabinet served during the early years of the post-war 1940s. Domestically the beginning of the recovery and rebuilding following World War II continued with the Marshall Plan, it was also to implement several major social reforms to social security, including the Algemene Ouderdomswet. Internationally the beginning of the decolonization of the Dutch East Indies was continued. The cabinet suffered no major internal and external conflicts. Following a major revision of the Constitution, a snap election was called to simultaneously elect a new parliament. Following the election, the cabinet continued in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced by the Drees–Van Schaik cabinet.

Term

A major issue was the independence of the Dutch East Indies. This required a change in the Constitution. In November 1946, the Linggadjati Agreement was signed, but different interpretations led to Dutch military intervention (the Police Actions). Under international pressure through the UN, this ended and negotiations restarted, ultimately resulting in the new country Indonesia, but only under the next cabinet, Drees I. An important new law was the Noodwet Ouderdomsvoorziening by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs Willem Drees.

Composition

TitleMinisterTerm of office
ImageNamePartyStartEnd
Prime MinisterLouis BeelKVP3 July 19467 August 1948
Minister of General Affairs13 October 19477 August 1948
Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Social AffairsWillem DreesPvdA3 July 19467 August 1948
Minister of the InteriorLouis BeelKVP3 July 194615 September 1947
Piet WittemanKVP15 September 19477 August 1948
Minister of Foreign AffairsPim van Boetzelaer van OosterhoutIndep.3 July 19467 August 1948
Minister of FinancePiet LieftinckPvdA3 July 19467 August 1948
Minister of JusticeJohan van MaarseveenKVP3 July 19467 August 1948
Minister of Economic AffairsGerard HuysmansKVP3 July 194614 January 1948
Sicco Mansholt (ad interim)PvdA14 January 194820 January 1948
Jan van den BrinkKVP21 January 19487 August 1948
Minister of WarAlexander FiévezKVP3 July 19467 August 1948
Minister of the NavyAlexander Fiévez (ad interim)KVP3 July 19467 August 1946
Jules Schagen van LeeuwenIndep.7 August 194625 November 1947
Alexander Fiévez (ad interim)KVP25 November 19477 August 1948
Minister of Education, Arts and SciencesJos GielenKVP3 July 19467 August 1948
Minister of Transport (1946–1947) Minister of Transport and Water Management (1947–1948)Hein VosPvdA3 July 19467 August 1948
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food SuppliesSicco MansholtPvdA3 July 19467 August 1948
Minister of Public Works and Reconstruction (1946–1947) Minister of Reconstruction and Housing (1947–1948)Johan RingersIndep. Lib.3 July 194615 November 1946
Hein Vos (acting)PvdA15 November 19463 March 1947
Lambertus NeherPvdA3 March 19471 March 1948
Joris in 't VeldPvdA1 March 19487 August 1948
Minister of Overseas TerritoriesJan Jonkman[Note]PvdA3 July 194630 August 1947
Minister for Foreign AffairsEelco van KleffensIndep.3 July 19463 July 1947
Minister for Budgetary Affairs Overseas TerritoriesLubbertus GötzenIndep. AR11 November 19477 August 1948

Replaced by Louis Beel during a medical leave of absence from 30 August 1947 until 3 November 1947

External links

  • Parlement & Politiek (in Dutch)
  • Rijksoverheid (in Dutch)

Further reading

  • Boogaarts, M.D. (1989). De periode van het kabinet Beel, 3 juli 1946 - 7 augustus 1948, Band A. Parlementaire geschiedenis van Nederlandd sinds 1945 (in Dutch). The Hague: Sdu. hdl:. ISBN90-12-06403-1.
  • Boogaarts, M.D. (1989). De periode van het kabinet Beel, 3 juli 1946 - 7 augustus 1948, Band B. Parlementaire geschiedenis van Nederlandd sinds 1945 (in Dutch). The Hague: Sdu. hdl:. ISBN90-12-06403-1.
  • Boogaarts, M.D. (1989). De periode van het kabinet-Beel: 3 juli 1946 - 7 augustus 1948: Band C. Parlementaire geschiedenis van Nederlandd sinds 1945 (in Dutch). The Hague: Sdu. hdl:. ISBN90-12-06403-1.
  • Boogaarts, M.D. (1995). De periode van het kabinet Beel, 3 juli 1946 - 7 augustus 1948, Band D, eerste helft a: Nederlands-Indië. Parlementaire geschiedenis van Nederlandd sinds 1945 (in Dutch). Nijmegen: GNI. hdl:. ISBN90-71478-37-8.
  • Boogaarts, M.D. (1995). De periode van het kabinet Beel, 3 juli 1946 - 7 augustus 1948, Band D, eerste helft b: Nederlands-Indië. Parlementaire geschiedenis van Nederlandd sinds 1945 (in Dutch). Nijmegen: GNI. hdl:. ISBN90-71478-37-8.
  • Boogaarts, M.D. (1995). De periode van het kabinet Beel, 3 juli 1946 - 7 augustus 1948, Band D, tweede helft a: wederopbouw en volkshuisvesting; verkeer en waterstaat; bijlagen; bronnen en literatuur. Parlementaire geschiedenis van Nederlandd sinds 1945 (in Dutch). Nijmegen: GNI. hdl:. ISBN90-71478-46-7.
  • Boogaarts, M.D. (2004). De periode van het kabinet Beel, 3 juli 1946 - 7 augustus 1948, Band D, tweede helft b: register. Parlementaire geschiedenis van Nederlandd sinds 1945 (in Dutch). Nijmegen: Centrum voor Parlementaire Geschiedenis. hdl:. ISBN90-71852-17-2.