Pieter Jelles Troelstra - Biography

Dutch politician, lawyer, and Frisian poet, born in Leeuwarden, N Netherlands. He became a member of the Sociaal-Democratische Bond (SDB) and opposed Domela Nieuwenhuis. In 1894 he co-founded the Sociaal-Democratische Arbeiderspartij (SDAP) and was its acknowledged leader for 30 years. An MP (1897–1925), he was strongly attacked by the left wing of the party. In November 1918 he proclaimed the revolution, but no-one took much notice, and his authority waned from then on. He believed that parliamentarism should be backed up by direct action, which made him very unpopular. He wrote poetry in the Frisian language under the pseudonym Piter Jelles.

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 1904 to Sjoukje Bokma de Boer, who was a well-known children's book writer under the pen name of Nynke van Hichtum.

Biography

Early career

Troelstra was born in Leeuwarden on April 20, 1860 as the son of a liberal tax inspector. 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).

Involvement with the SDB

In 1890, Troelstra joined the Sociaal-Democratische Bond (Social-Democratic League, SDB), an early Dutch socialist movement under the leadership of Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis. 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.

Troelstra's biggest political issue was universal suffrage in the Netherlands. 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.

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. This had nothing to do with politics, but the Russian revolution the previous year had also started like this. 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. 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.

Because the revolution would not stop at the border, Troelstra suggested that power be transferred to the SDAP. On 11 November Troelstra proclaimed the revolution. On 12 November Troelstra held an hours long speech in parliament. 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. 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.

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. To this day the The Hague section of the PvdA, the successor of the SDAP, celebrates labour day at a monument to Troelstra.