Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy

Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (13 April 1885 – 7 September 1961) was a Dutch politician of the Anti Revolutionary Party (ARP). He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 3 September 1940 until 24 June 1945. He was the Prime Minister of the Dutch government in exile during World War II.^[1]

Biography

Early life

Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy was born in the village of Goënga near Sneek, in the province of Friesland, in the Netherlands. He was an ethnic Frisian, and his name is styled in the traditional Frisian way: first name ("Pieter"), patronymic ("Sjoerds", meaning "son of Sjoerd"), family name (Gerbrandy). Incidentally, the name Gerbrandy is also a patronymic; his great-great-grandfather Jouke Gerbrens (1769-1840) took 'Gerbrandy' (with a posher-sounding -y suffix meaning 'son of') as a family name on 30 December 1811.^[2]

Politics

From 1920 to 1930, he was a member of the States of Friesland for the Anti-Revolutionaire Partij (ARP), and became a professor at the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam (1930). Against his party's advice he was Minister of Justice (1939).

World War II

The royal family and many leading politicians had fled to London in 1940. There, they formed a government in exile. After De Geer's resignation and because of Gerbrandy's rejection of De Geer's defeatism, Queen Wilhemina appointed him as prime minister of the Dutch government in exile, serving in turn as minister of justice, the Colonies, and the general conduct of the War. On his initiative, the Dutch government started to broadcast from Radio Oranje. This station supplied the Dutch population with information from the free world whilst under the occupation of Nazi Germany. Gerbrandy became an aspirational figure to Dutch citizens during the wartime period, as such he was awarded a medal of valour in 1930 and knighted by HRH Princess Wilhelmina.

Postwar

In 1945, after the liberation of the south, he formed a new cabinet without socialists, which was alleged to be strictly subordinated to the military rule. He resigned after the total liberation. He strongly opposed the government's ‘Indonesian policy’, and in 1946–50 chaired the National Committee for the Maintenance of the Kingdom's Unity, which was against the separation of Indonesia and supported the idea of a Republic of the South Moluccas.

In 1950 his book, "Indonesia," was published. This book explains most everything that happened from the 1600s to 1948, it includes "The Indies under Netherlands Rule, The Rule of Law, The Japanese Occupation," and "Chaos." Each section includes detailed observations that he has made.

In 1948, he returned in the Dutch Parliament. However, because of his hot temper, he alienated himself from his party members. In 1956, he was member of a commission, which investigated the affair around Greet Hofmans. In 1959, he resigned as a member of Parliament.

Death

Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy died on 7 September 1961 in The Hague at the age of 76.

Decorations

• Knight – Order of the Netherlands Lion (1930)
• Grand Officer – Order of the Netherlands Lion (1946)

See also

• First Gerbrandy cabinet
• Second Gerbrandy cabinet
• Third Gerbrandy cabinet

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy.

• (Dutch) Official Parliamentary Biography Parlement & Politiek

Prime Ministers of the Netherlands Schimmelpenninck De Kempenaer Thorbecke Van Hall Van der Brugghen Rochussen Van Hall Ja. Van Zuylen van Nijevelt Van Heemstra Thorbecke Fransen van de Putte Ju. Van Zuylen van Nijevelt Van Bosse Thorbecke De Vries J. Heemskerk Kappeyne van de Coppello Van Lynden van Sandenburg J. Heemskerk Mackay Van Tienhoven Roëll Pierson Kuyper De Meester T. Heemskerk Cort van der Linden Ruijs de Beerenbrouck Colijn De Geer Ruijs de Beerenbrouck Colijn De Geer Gerbrandy Schermerhorn Beel Drees Beel De Quay Marijnen Cals Zijlstra De Jong Biesheuvel Den Uyl Van Agt Lubbers Kok Balkenende Rutte

Ministers of Colonial Affairs of the Netherlands (1848–1945) Rijk  Baud  Van den Bosch  Pahud  Mijer  Rochussen  Lotsy*  Van Kraaijenburg  Loudon  Uhlenbeck  Betz*  Van de Putte  Mijer  Trakranen  Hasselman  De Waal  Brocx  Van Bosse  Van de Putte  Van Oldenaller  Mees  Van Bosse  Wichers*  Van Rees  Van Oldenaller  De Brauw  Willem Frederik van Erp Taalman Kip*  Franciscus Gerard van Bloemen Waanders  August Willem Philip Weitzel*  Jacobus Petrus Sprenger van Eyk  Levinus Wilhelmus Christiaan Keuchenius  Æneas Mackay  Willem Karel van Dedem  Jacob Hendrik Bergsma  Jacob Theodoor Cremer  Titus van Asch van Wijck  Johannes Willem Bergansius*  Idenburg  Fock  Heemskerk*  Idenburg  De Waal Malefijt  Pleyte  Rambonnet*  Pleyte  Idenburg  De Beerenbrouck*  De Graaff  Colijn*  Welter  Koningsberger  De Graaff  Colijn  Welter  Cornelis van den Bussche  Welter  Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy  Van Mook *denotes interim

Ministers of Justice of the Netherlands Ministry of Security and Justice Tadama Reuvens Van Hooff Van der Goes van Dirxland Cambier Appelius Van Hugenpoth tot Aerdt Van Maanen Van Pallandt van Keppel Van Maanen Van Hall De Jonge van Campensnieuwland Donker Curtius Wichers Lightenvelt Nedermeyer van Rosenthal Strens Donker Curtius Van der Brugghen Boot Godefroi Olivier Pické Borret J. Heemskerk Wintgens Van Lilaar Jolles De Vries Van Lynden van Sandenburg Smidt Modderman Du Tour van Bellinchave Ruijs de Beerenbrouck Smidt Van der Kaay Cort van der Linden Loeff Van Raalte Nelissen T. Heemskerk Regout T. Heemskerk Ort T. Heemskerk Schokking J. Donner Van Schaik Goseling De Visser Gerbrandy Van Angeren Van Heuven Goedhart Gerbrandy Kolfschoten Van Maarseveen Wijers Van Maarseveen Struycken Mulderije Donker Beel Van Oven Samkalden Struycken Beerman Scholten Samkalden Struycken Polak Van Agt De Gaay Fortman De Ruiter Korthals Altes Hirsch Ballin Kosto Sorgdrager Korthals P. H. Donner Verdonk Hirsch Ballin Opstelten Blok Van der Steur