First Beel cabinet

The First Beel cabinet was the cabinet of the Netherlands from 3 July 1946 until 7 August 1948. The cabinet was formed by the political parties Catholic People's Party (KVP) and the Labour Party (PvdA) after the election of 1946. It was the first democratically elected cabinet formed after the end of World War II.The grand coalition (Roman/Red) cabinet was a majority cabinet in the House of Representatives.[1]

First Beel cabinet
42nd Cabinet of the Netherlands
The first meeting of the First Beel cabinet on 3 July 1946
Date formed	3 July 1946 (1946-07-03)
Date dissolved	7 August 1948 (1948-08-07) (Demissionary from 7 July 1948 (1948-07-07))
People and organisations
Head of state	Queen Wilhelmina
Head of government	Louis Beel
Deputy head of government	Willem Drees
No. of ministers	17
Total no. of members	19
Member party	Catholic People's Party (KVP) Labour Party (PvdA)
Status in legislature	Grand coalition (Roman/Red)
Opposition party	Anti-Revolutionary Party
Opposition leader	Jan Schouten
History
Election(s)	1946 election
Outgoing election	1948 election
Legislature term(s)	1946–1948
Incoming formation	1946 formation
Outgoing formation	1948 formation
Predecessor	Schermerhorn–Drees cabinet
Successor	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 (politionele acties). 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.

Cabinet members

Ministers			Title/Ministry		Term of office	Party
		Dr. Louis Beel (1902–1977)	Prime Minister		3 July 1946 – 7 August 1948	Catholic People's Party
				General Affairs	13 October 1947 – 7 August 1948
			Minister	Interior	23 February 1945 – 15 September 1947 ^[Retained]
		Willem Drees (1886–1988)	Deputy Prime Minister / Minister	Social Affairs	25 June 1945 – 7 August 1948 ^[Retained]	Labour Party
		Dr. Piet Witteman (1892–1972)	Minister	Interior	15 September 1947 – 7 August 1948	Catholic People's Party
		Baron Pim van Boetzelaer van Oosterhout (1892–1986)	Minister	Foreign Affairs	3 July 1946 – 7 August 1948	Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal)
		Dr. Piet Lieftinck (1902–1989)	Minister	Finance	25 June 1945 – 1 July 1952 ^[Retained]	Labour Party
		Johan van Maarseveen (1894–1951)	Minister	Justice	3 July 1946 – 7 August 1948	Catholic People's Party
		Dr. Gerardus Huysmans (1902–1948)	Minister	Economic Affairs	3 July 1946 – 14 January 1948 ^[Res]	Catholic People's Party
		Sicco Mansholt (1908–1995)			14 January 1948 – 20 January 1948 ^[Ad interim]	Labour Party
		Dr. Jan van den Brink (1915–2006)			20 January 1948 – 2 September 1952	Catholic People's Party
		Lieutenant colonel Alexander Fiévez (1902–1949)	Minister	War	3 July 1946 – 7 August 1948	Catholic People's Party
				Navy	3 July 1946 – 7 August 1946 ^[Ad interim]
					25 November 1947 – 7 August 1948
		Jules Schagen van Leeuwen (1896–1976)			7 August 1946 – 25 November 1947 ^[Res]	Independent Conservative (Social Conservative)
		Dr. Jos Gielen (1898–1981)	Minister	Education, Arts and Sciences	3 July 1946 – 7 August 1948	Catholic People's Party
		Hein Vos (1903–1972)	Minister	Transport	3 July 1946 – 1 March 1947	Labour Party
				Transport and Water Management	1 March 1947 – 7 August 1948
		Sicco Mansholt (1908–1995)	Minister	Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Supplies	25 June 1945 – 1 January 1958 ^[Retained]	Labour Party
		Dr. Johan Ringers (1885–1965)	Minister	Public Works and Reconstruction	25 June 1945 – 15 November 1946 ^[Retained] ^[Res]	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)
		Hein Vos (1900–1972)			15 November 1946 – 3 March 1947 ^[Ad interim]	Labour Party
		Lambertus Neher (1899–1967)		Reconstruction and Housing	3 March 1947 – 1 March 1948 ^[Res]	Labour Party
		Dr. Joris in 't Veld (1895–1981)			1 March 1948 – 2 September 1952	Labour Party
		Jan Jonkman (1891–1976)	Minister	Colonial Affairs	3 July 1946 – 30 August 1947 ^[Note]	Labour Party
		Dr. Louis Beel (1902–1977)			30 August 1947 – 3 November 1947 ^[Ad interim]	Catholic People's Party
		Jan Jonkman (1891–1976)			3 November 1947 – 30 August 1947	Labour Party
Ministers without portfolio			Title/Portfolio/Ministry		Term of office	Party
		Eelco van Kleffens (1894–1983)	Minister	• Foreign Policy (within Foreign Affairs)	1 March 1946 – 1 July 1947 ^[Retained] ^[Res]	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)
		Lubbertus Götzen (1894–1979)	Minister	• Colonial Policy (within Colonial Affairs)	11 November 1947 – 15 March 1951	Independent Christian Democrat (Protestant)
Source: (in Dutch) Rijksoverheid

^Retained Retained this position from the previous cabinet.

^Res Resigned.

^{Ad interim} Served ad interim.

^Note Jan Jonkman took a medical leave of absence, Louis Beel served from 30 August 1947 until 3 November 1947.

References

1. "Coalities tussen sociaaldemocraten en confessionelen" (in Dutch). Historisch Nieuwsblad. 10 August 2006. Retrieved 24 April 2018.

External links

Official

• (in Dutch) Kabinet-Beel I Parlement & Politiek
• (in Dutch) Kabinet-Beel I Rijksoverheid