Het legerstelsel van 1922: De ondergang van de Nederlandse krijgsmacht en de neutraliteitspolitiek?

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate how the preservation of the Dutch armed forces and its ability to guarantee neutrality were hindered in the years 1933-1940 as a result of the new army system introduced in 1922? The Netherlands remained outside the First World War as a result of its neutrality. It relied on the deterrent power of its armed forces as a preventive measure. The four-year preparedness and mobilization put a heavy burden on public finances, which prompted the Dutch government to take action in the form of a new military system in 1922. This army system significantly reduced the armed forces in peacetime and also reduced the number of annual conscripts and halved their initial training time. It seemed a safe option with the rise of the League of Nations and a paralyzed Germany due to the constraints of Treaty of Versailles. By applying path dependency, the long-term effects of the new army system becomes visable. This policy was reinforced by a decade of ongoing budget cuts, crippling the armed forces and hampered their capabilities to protect dutch neutrality. The economic crisis began in 1929, which once again destabilized the international political climate. New threats to national security were emerging in the 1930s, but the Dutch government led by Colijn, gave priority to solving the country's serious economic problems, despite the many warnings from the Dutch parliament and high-ranking military personnel.