Social democrat party of the workmen (Netherlands)

The social democrat Parti the workmen (SDAP) was a Political party Netherlands, one of the ancestors of the Workers party.

History of the Party

1893-1904

The party is rested by members of the social democrat Ligue (SDB) after a conflict between the anarchistic wings and reformists. At the time of the congress of the SDB in 1893, with Groningen, a majority decided for the stop of the participation in the elections. They feared that parliamentary work does not move away them from socialism.

A minority of the members, taken along by Pieter Jelles Troelstra, tried to prevent this decision, then left the party to create new. The creation of a new party was discussed within the socialist movement, because Troelstra was seen as a middle-class force having destroyed the unit of the SDB and the socialist movement.

When the anarchists started to take the total control of the SDB, of important social democrat regional figures joined the group of Troelstra. Together, they formed a group called " twelve apôtres". They all came almost from the provinces of Plank and Groningen, or from the big cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam. They were for the majority of occupying people educated of the middle-class functions: teachers, lawyers, men of the church… This is why the members of the SDB made fun a long time of the SDAP by calling it the party (P) teachers (S) (Schoolmeesters), vicars (D) (Dominees) and lawyers (A) (Advocaten).

The party was founded with Zwolle in 1894. The program of the party was a literal translation of the program of Erfurt of the social democrat Parti Germany (SDP). The two parties believed in a revolution immanente which would put a term at the sufferings and the inequalities between the classes and the men and the women. Parliamentary work was seen only like one means of helping the workmen while waiting for the revolution.

In the first years, the SDAP was a small part seeking best the manner of organizing itself. It was much to help, as well organisationnellement as financially, by the German SDP. It was recognized the year even its foundation like section Dutchwoman of the Internationale Socialist. The party was opened with the other socialist organizations, such as the trade unions.

In 1897, the party gained its first two seats with the Tweede Kamer, the Lower House of the Dutch Parliament. Pieter Jelles Troelstra gained a seat in Plank and became the chief of the group at the Parliament. At the Parliament, the SDAP supported the social legislation of the government of liberal majority, carried out by Nicolaas Gerald Pierson. During this period, the party became the greatest socialist party of the country, attracting famous writers and poets such as Hermann Gorter, Henriette Roland Holst-van der Schalk and Hermann Heijermans, as well as the journalist Pieter Lodewijk Tak.

In 1900, the leader of the Troelstra party went to Berlin and accepted an important amount of money thanks to which the party created its own daily newspaper, called Het Volk, Dagblad voor of Arbeiderspartij (People, newspaper of the party of the workers). The same year, which remained social democrat League (SDB), famous socialist Ligue, joined the SDAP.

At the time of the elections of 1901, the SDAP was left there particularly well: it tripled its seats to count six of them. However, the liberals lost their majority and a government Christian Democrat, composed of the Protestants of the Parti anti-revolutionist and catholics the general catholic Ligue, was formed. The SDAP was ignored by the government.

This victory made it possible however the party to acquire an unquestionable weight with respect to the other associated socialist organizations, which had to be integrated in the party.

1903-1919

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