Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck
Encyclopedia
Jhr.
Charles Joseph Maria Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (1 December 1873 – 17 April 1936) was a Dutch
nobleman and Prime Minister of the Netherlands
from 1918 to 1925 and again from 1929 to 1933. He was a member of the Roman Catholic RKSP.
, a town with a Bishop
's see
in the province of Limburg
, in the very south of the Netherlands
. Born into an aristocratic family, he grew up in a predominantly Roman Catholic community and went to school in Maastricht
and in The Hague
. He attended the Utrecht University
and in 1895 Ruijs de Beerenbrouck obtained his master's degree in law at the Leiden University
.
He was the son of Gustave Louis Marie Hubert Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (1842-1926), Minister of Justice in the government-Mackay
(founder of the labor and social laws first) and later governor of Limburg (1918).
in Maastricht. In 1899 Ruijs de Beerenbrouck became a member of the Maastricht City council
and in 1905 he was elected to the House of Representatives. Ruijs de Beerenbrouck remained a city councillor
and a member of parliament until 16 May 1918, when he became Queen's Commissioner
of the province of Limburg (in the province of Limburg usually called "Gouverneur" (governor)).
Ruijs de Beerenbrouck did not stay in office as Queen's Commissioner for long, as on 9 September 1918 he was appointed as Prime Minister of the Netherlands
.
As Prime Minister he had to deal with the aftermath of World War I
. Although The Netherlands remained neutral during the conflict, Ruijs de Beerenbrouck nevertheless was facing several problems, especially the return of German
troops through the province of Limburg and the exile of the German emperor Wilhelm II.
In November 1918 the leader of the Sociaal Democratische Arbeiders Partij (SDAP
) (Social-Democratic Labour Party), Pieter Jelles Troelstra
, inspired by the Russian Revolution of 1917
and the German Revolution of 1918–1919 called for a socialist revolution among the working class. Fortunately for Ruijs de Beerenbrouck, the revolution attempt of Troelstra met with little enthusiasm. However, in order to satisfy the working class, he enacted several social reforms.
From 1925 to 1929 Ruijs de Beerenbrouck was President of the House of Representatives.
During his third cabinet Ruijs de Beerenbrouck had to deal with the worldwide Great Depression
of 1929 and the early 1930s, which had crippling effects on the Dutch economy
, effects which lasted longer than they did in most European countries. The depression lead to large unemployment and poverty, as well as increasing social unrest. Ruijs de Beerenbrouck was forced to cut down government expenses and to devaluate the national currency, the Guilder, but these measures only worsened the effects of the economic crisis.
In February 1933 the third cabinet Ruijs de Beerenbrouck ordered the bombing of the navy cruiser "De Zeven Provinciën", when sailors aboard the cruiser, cruising near Sumatra
, mutinied because of the cutting of their wages. Twenty three mutineers were killed, resulting in a prolonged controversy and recriminations (see Mutiny on "De Zeven Provinciën").
In 1933 Ruijs de Beerenbrouck again became President of the House of Representatives. He remained in office until his death.
Ruijs de Beerenbrouck died on 17 April 1936 in Utrecht
.
Jonkheer
Jonkheer is a Dutch honorific of nobility.-Honorific of nobility:"Jonkheer" or "Jonkvrouw" is literally translated as "young lord" or "young lady". In medieval times such a person was a young and unmarried son or daughter of a high ranking knight or nobleman...
Charles Joseph Maria Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (1 December 1873 – 17 April 1936) was a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
nobleman and Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands. He is the de facto head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates the policy of the government...
from 1918 to 1925 and again from 1929 to 1933. He was a member of the Roman Catholic RKSP.
Early life
Charles Joseph Maria Ruijs de Beerenbrouck was born on 1 December 1873 in RoermondRoermond
Roermond is a city, a municipality, and a diocese in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.The city of Roermond is a historically important town, on the lower Roer at the east bank of the Meuse river. It received city rights in 1231...
, a town with a Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
's see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
in the province of Limburg
Limburg (Netherlands)
Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...
, in the very south of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Born into an aristocratic family, he grew up in a predominantly Roman Catholic community and went to school in Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
and in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. He attended the Utrecht University
Utrecht University
Utrecht University is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Established March 26, 1636, it had an enrollment of 29,082 students in 2008, and employed 8,614 faculty and staff, 570 of which are full professors....
and in 1895 Ruijs de Beerenbrouck obtained his master's degree in law at the Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
.
He was the son of Gustave Louis Marie Hubert Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (1842-1926), Minister of Justice in the government-Mackay
Mackay
Mackay is a Scottish surname which can refer to:*Clan Mackay, the Scottish clan from which the surname "MacKay" derives*Mackay Trophy, named in honour of Clarence Mackay, is awarded annually by the US Air Force for the "Most Meritorious Flight"...
(founder of the labor and social laws first) and later governor of Limburg (1918).
Career
He started his career in 1896 as a lawyerLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in Maastricht. In 1899 Ruijs de Beerenbrouck became a member of the Maastricht City council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
and in 1905 he was elected to the House of Representatives. Ruijs de Beerenbrouck remained a city councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
and a member of parliament until 16 May 1918, when he became Queen's Commissioner
Queen's Commissioner
The Queen's Commissioner is the head of a province in the Netherlands, who is chairman of both the Provinciale Staten and the Gedeputeerde Staten , but only has a right to vote in the latter...
of the province of Limburg (in the province of Limburg usually called "Gouverneur" (governor)).
Ruijs de Beerenbrouck did not stay in office as Queen's Commissioner for long, as on 9 September 1918 he was appointed as Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands. He is the de facto head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates the policy of the government...
.
As Prime Minister he had to deal with the aftermath of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Although The Netherlands remained neutral during the conflict, Ruijs de Beerenbrouck nevertheless was facing several problems, especially the return of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
troops through the province of Limburg and the exile of the German emperor Wilhelm II.
In November 1918 the leader of the Sociaal Democratische Arbeiders Partij (SDAP
SDAP
# Sociaal Democratische Arbeiders Partij, a Dutch political party that later merged into the Partij van de Arbeid# Social Democratic Workers' Party of Germany, a German political party that later merged into the Social Democratic Party of Germany...
) (Social-Democratic Labour Party), Pieter Jelles Troelstra
Pieter Jelles Troelstra
Pieter Jelles Troelstra 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...
, inspired by the Russian Revolution of 1917
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
and the German Revolution of 1918–1919 called for a socialist revolution among the working class. Fortunately for Ruijs de Beerenbrouck, the revolution attempt of Troelstra met with little enthusiasm. However, in order to satisfy the working class, he enacted several social reforms.
From 1925 to 1929 Ruijs de Beerenbrouck was President of the House of Representatives.
During his third cabinet Ruijs de Beerenbrouck had to deal with the worldwide Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of 1929 and the early 1930s, which had crippling effects on the Dutch economy
Economic system
An economic system is the combination of the various agencies, entities that provide the economic structure that defines the social community. These agencies are joined by lines of trade and exchange along which goods, money etc. are continuously flowing. An example of such a system for a closed...
, effects which lasted longer than they did in most European countries. The depression lead to large unemployment and poverty, as well as increasing social unrest. Ruijs de Beerenbrouck was forced to cut down government expenses and to devaluate the national currency, the Guilder, but these measures only worsened the effects of the economic crisis.
In February 1933 the third cabinet Ruijs de Beerenbrouck ordered the bombing of the navy cruiser "De Zeven Provinciën", when sailors aboard the cruiser, cruising near Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, mutinied because of the cutting of their wages. Twenty three mutineers were killed, resulting in a prolonged controversy and recriminations (see Mutiny on "De Zeven Provinciën").
In 1933 Ruijs de Beerenbrouck again became President of the House of Representatives. He remained in office until his death.
Ruijs de Beerenbrouck died on 17 April 1936 in Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
.