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Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck
Beerenbrouck.jpg
Ruijs de Beerenbrouck in 1918
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In office
10 August 1929 – 26 May 1933
Monarch Wilhelmina
Preceded by Dirk Jan de Geer
Succeeded by Hendrikus Colijn
In office
9 September 1918 – 4 August 1925
Monarch Wilhelmina
Preceded by Pieter Cort van der Linden
Succeeded by Hendrikus Colijn
Leader of the Roman Catholic State Party
In office
27 August 1931 – 17 April 1936
Preceded by Willem Hubert Nolens
Succeeded by Piet Aalberse
Speaker of the House of Representatives
In office
31 May 1933 – 17 April 1936
Preceded by Josef van Schaik
Succeeded by Piet Aalberse
In office
17 September 1925 – 10 August 1929
Preceded by Dionysius Koolen
Succeeded by Josef van Schaik
Chairman of the Roman Catholic State Party
In office
4 August 1925 – 10 August 1929
Leader Willem Hubert Nolens
Preceded by Antonius van Wijnbergen
Succeeded by Carel Goseling
Queen's Commissioner of Limburg
In office
7 May 1918 – 9 September 1918
Monarch Wilhelmina
Preceded by Gustave Ruijs de Beerenbrouck
Succeeded by Eduard van Hövell tot Westerflier
Personal details
Born
Charles Joseph Marie Ruijs de Beerenbrouck

(1873-12-01)1 December 1873
Roermond, Netherlands
Died 17 April 1936(1936-04-17) (aged 62)
Utrecht, Netherlands
Cause of death Addison's disease
Political party Roman Catholic State Party (from 1926)
Other political
affiliations
General League (until 1926)
Spouse
Maria van der Heyden
(m. 1902)
Children 3
Parent
  • Gustave Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (1842–1926) (father)
Relatives Godfried van Voorst tot Voorst (son in law)
Alma mater Utrecht University (LLB)
Leiden University (LLM)
Occupation Politician · Civil servant · Jurist · Lawyer · Prosecutor
Signature

Jonkheer Charles Joseph Marie Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (1 December 1873 – 17 April 1936) was a Dutch politician of the Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP). He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 9 September 1918 until 4 August 1925 and from 10 August 1929 until 26 May 1933.

Early life

Charles Joseph Maria Ruijs de Beerenbrouck was born on 1 December 1873 in Roermond, a town with a Bishop's see in the province of Limburg, in the very south of the Netherlands. Born into an aristocratic family, he grew up in a predominantly Catholic community and went to school in Maastricht and in The Hague. He attended the Utrecht University and in 1895, he obtained his master's degree in law at the Leiden University.

He was the son of Gustave Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (1842–1926), Minister of Justice in the Mackay cabinet (founder of the labour and social laws first) and later governor of Limburg (1918).

Career

He started his career in 1896 as a lawyer in Maastricht. In 1899 Ruijs de Beerenbrouck became a member of the Maastricht municipal council and in 1905 he was elected to the House of Representatives. Ruijs de Beerenbrouck remained a councillor and a member of parliament until 16 May 1918, when he became Queen's Commissioner of the province of Limburg (in the province of Limburg usually called Gouverneur, or Governor).

Ruijs de Beerenbrouck did not stay in office as Queen's Commissioner for long, as on 9 September 1918 he was appointed as Prime Minister of the Netherlands.

As Prime Minister he had to deal with the aftermath of World War I. Although the Netherlands had remained neutral during the conflict, Ruijs de Beerenbrouck nevertheless faced several problems, particularly the return of German troops through the province of Limburg and the exile of the German emperor Wilhelm II.

In November 1918 the leader of the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP), Pieter Jelles Troelstra, inspired by the Russian Revolution and the German Revolution of 1918–1919, called for a socialist revolution among the working class. However, the revolution attempt of Troelstra met with little enthusiasm. Despite this, Ruijs de Beerenbrouck enacted several social reforms in order to satisfy the working class.

From 1925 to 1929 Ruijs de Beerenbrouck was Speaker of the House of Representatives.

During his third cabinet Ruijs de Beerenbrouck had to deal with the worldwide Great Depression of 1929 and the early 1930s, which had crippling effects on the Dutch economy, effects which lasted longer than they did in most European countries. The depression led to high unemployment and poverty, as well as increasing social unrest. Ruijs de Beerenbrouck was forced to cut government expenses and to devalue the national currency, the Guilder, but these measures only worsened the effects of the economic crisis.

In February 1933 the third Ruijs de Beerenbrouck cabinet ordered the bombing of the navy cruiser De Zeven Provinciën, when sailors aboard the cruiser, cruising near Sumatra, mutinied because of the cutting of their wages. Twenty three mutineers were killed, resulting in a prolonged controversy and recriminations.

In 1933 Ruijs de Beerenbrouck became Speaker of the House of Representatives again. He remained in office until his death.

Personal life

On 15 April 1902, Ruijs de Beerenbrouck married Maria van der Heyden (19 August 1877 – 17 January 1948). Ruijs de Beerenbrouck died on 17 April 1936 at the age of 62 in Utrecht.

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon bar Honour Country Date Comment
NED Huisorde van Oranje A2 BAR.png Grand Officer of the Order of the House of Orange Netherlands 1 December 1918
BEL Kroonorde Grootkruis BAR.svg Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown Belgium 5 July 1922
Order of Orange-Nassau ribbon - Knight Grand Cross.svg Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau Netherlands 4 August 1925 Elevated from Grand Officer (31 August 1923)
Grand Crest Ordre de Leopold.png Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold Belgium 25 August 1925
NLD Order of the Dutch Lion - Grand Cross BAR.png Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Netherlands 25 July 1927 Elevated from Commander (1 August 1924)
OESSG Cavaliere BAR.jpg Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre Holy See 10 December 1929
Honorific Titles
Ribbon bar Honour Country Date Comment
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Minister of State Netherlands 25 July 1927 Style of Excellency

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck para niños

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