Trias politica+The social issues /The battle of the schools /The battle over suffrage

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Montesquieu

Important French philosopher during the Enlightenment

1689-1775

Montesquieu

Separation of powers: 'Trias Politica';

1. Legislative power

2. Executive power

3. Judicial power

Montesquieu

Separation of powers: 'Trias Politica';

1. Legislature (1st and 2nd chamber)

2. Executive power (Government + king)

3. Judicial power (Judges)

Never in the hands of one person!

Learning goal

1. the arise of different political parties

2. explain what the 3 political talking points were and in what way the different political parties wanted to solve it.

Situation around 1848

• Due to census suffrage, mostly wealthy men (11%) aged 23 years and above of the population voted.
• These men mainly voted for the Liberals.
• The Liberals thus had the most power in the Netherlands.
• Women were also not allowed to vote.

Why do political parties arise?

• Catholics feel disadvantaged. They fight for emancipation: equal rights as Protestants
• Socialists want to help the socially disadvantaged.

• Against the ideas of Liberals (mainly Protestants)

Around 1900

1.The social issues.

2. The battle of the schools.

3. The battle over suffrage

The Social Issues

• An issue is a problem

Workers' poor living and working conditions are evident.

Late 19th century.

Especially in the cities.

• 
  

Social Issues

• 'The rich get richer, the poor get poorer'

Only 'the rich' get to vote

This keeps 'the rich' in power

Let op: De weekinkomsten van een mannelijke arbeider

was ongeveer 900 cent (9 gulden)

Who helps the workers? 

• Some manufacturers did give the workers some extras (sometimes also out of self-interest: a fitter worker works harder...)

Workers go on strike: this only works if everyone goes on strike, and that was hard to sustain

Workers start cooperating in unions.

Who helps the workers? 

The Netherlands has three major political groups: socialists, confessionalists  and liberals.

These political groups all have a different solution to the Social Question, but also all have their own interests

Socialists

• Government must do all it can to protect workers

Better workers' conditions (including more pay)

To achieve this: fight for universal suffrage (including with strikes and demonstrations)

Liberals

• Night watchman state: government only provides order and security

Leave the economy completely free

Social laws cost too much money

Liberal Union (more to follow)

Confessionalists

• Confession=faith (Protestant/Roman Catholic)

Inequality because God wants it that way

Good Christians help each other

Employers and employees must come out together

SInce 1848, there was freedom of religion in the Netherlands. There were 2 types of education: regular schools and special schools.(Catholic and Protestant). The government only paid for regular schools.

The confessionalists (Catholics and Protestants) wanted the government to pay for special schools as well. The Liberals did not want this. This quarrel is called the battle of the schools.

Emancipation

Emancipation is the pursuit of equal rights for groups that feel disadvantaged. So around 1900, these were mainly labourers, confessionals (=Catholics and Protestants) and women.

How?

Pieter Jelles Troelstra (SDAP)

Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis (SDB)

Herman Schaepman (Algemeene Bond van RK-kiesverenigingen)

Abraham Kuyper (ARP)

Pacification 1917

Pacification literally means peacemaking

Political peace was made between the parties by resolving a number of political problems.

The Socialists and the Confessionalists decided to work together.

Pacification 1917

The Soclialists supported the demand of the Confessionalists (payment for their schools by the government)

The Confessionalists supported the demand of the Socialists (universal suffrage)

Main consequences of the Pacification (1)

• The Battle of the Schools comes to an end

Universal suffrage is introduced for men (from the age of 23)

There is suffrage for women (1917: passive suffrage, 1919: active suffrage)

Proportions in the Second Chamber before and after the Pacification 1917

 St Nicholas party 1917'

Aletta Jacobs

Zij krijgt hier 'niks', omdat vrouwen slechts passief en geen actief kiesrecht kregen.

Pieter Jelles Troelstra

Hij was blij, omdat er algemeen kiesrecht voor mannen kwam.

Abraham Kuyper

Hij was blij, omdat er ook geld kwam voor bijzonder onderwijs.