Willem Drees facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids His Excellency Willem Drees GCMG
Willem Drees in 1958

Prime Minister of the Netherlands
In office 7 August 1948 – 22 December 1958
Monarch	Wilhelmina Juliana
Deputy	See list Josef van Schaik (1948–1951) Frans Teulings (1951–1952) Louis Beel (1952–1956) Teun Struycken (1956–1958)
Preceded by	Louis Beel
Succeeded by	Louis Beel
Minister of Finance
In office 1 July 1952 – 2 September 1952 Ad interim
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Piet Lieftinck
Succeeded by	Jo van de Kieft
Minister of Colonial Affairs
In office 15 March 1951 – 30 March 1951 Ad interim
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Johan van Maarseveen
Succeeded by	Leonard Peters
Leader of the Labour Party
In office 9 February 1946 – 22 December 1958
Deputy	See list Dolf Joekes (1946–1952) Marinus van der Goes van Naters (1946–1951) Jaap Burger (1946–1958)
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Jaap Burger
Deputy Prime Minister
In office 25 June 1945 – 7 August 1948
Prime Minister	Willem Schermerhorn (1945–1946) Louis Beel (1948)
Preceded by	Hendrik van Boeijen (1942)
Succeeded by	Josef van Schaik
Minister of Social Affairs
In office 25 June 1945 – 7 August 1948
Prime Minister	Willem Schermerhorn (1945–1946) Louis Beel (1948)
Preceded by	Dolf Joekes
Succeeded by	Frans Wijffels
Leader of the Social Democratic Workers' Party
In office 14 May 1940 – 9 February 1946
Deputy	See list Willem Albarda (1940–1945) Jan van den Tempel (1940–1945) Marinus van der Goes van Naters (1945–1946)
Preceded by	Willem Albarda
Succeeded by	Office discontinued
Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives
In office 10 August 1939 – 25 September 1945
Preceded by	Willem Albarda
Succeeded by	Marinus van der Goes van Naters
Parliamentary group	Social Democratic Workers' Party
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 3 July 1956 – 3 October 1956
In office 15 July 1952 – 2 September 1952
In office 27 July 1948 – 10 August 1948
In office 4 June 1946 – 4 July 1946
In office 9 May 1933 – 25 June 1945
Parliamentary group	Labour Party (1946–1956) Social Democratic Workers' Party (1933–1946)

Personal details
Born	(1886-07-05)5 July 1886 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Died	14 May 1988(1988-05-14) (aged 101) The Hague, Netherlands
Political party	Labour Party (1946–1971)
Other political affiliations	Independent Social Democrat (from 1971) Social Democratic Workers' Party (1904–1946)
Relatives	Willem B. Drees (grandson) Jacques Wallage (grandson-in-law)
Alma mater	Amsterdam Public Trade School (B.Acc)
Occupation	Politician · civil servant · Accountant · Stenographer · Historian · Author
Signature

Willem Drees Sr. (born July 5, 1886 – died May 14, 1988) was an important Dutch politician. He was a member of the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP). Later, he helped start the Labour Party (PvdA). Drees served as the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from August 7, 1948, to December 22, 1958. He was also a historian.

Drees studied Accounting at the Amsterdam Public Trade School. He worked at a bank and then as a stenographer for the Dutch Parliament. He became a Member of the House of Representatives in 1933. He focused on Social Affairs. During World War II, he became the leader of his party. After the war, he became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs.

In 1946, Drees helped create the Labour Party and became its first leader. He led his party in several elections. After the 1948 election, he became Prime Minister. He led the country for over ten years.

Drees retired from politics at age 72. He continued to write and serve on government committees. He was known for being a good leader and manager. During his time as Prime Minister, his governments made many important changes. These included new laws for social security, welfare, Child benefits, and education. He also oversaw the independence of the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). His government also dealt with big events like the North Sea flood of 1953.

Drees was given the special title of Minister of State when he left office. He continued to share his thoughts on politics until he passed away in May 1988. He was 101 years old. He is remembered as one of the best Prime Ministers in Dutch history.

Early Life and Career
Political Journey
Personal Life
Honors and Awards
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Career

Willem Drees was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on July 5, 1886. After finishing school in 1903, he worked at the Twentsche Bank in Amsterdam until 1906. After that, he worked as a stenographer for the city of Amsterdam. From 1907 to 1919, he worked for the Dutch Parliament.

Prime Minister of Belgium Paul-Henri Spaak and Prime Minister Willem Drees at a Benelux conference in The Hague on March 10, 1949.

Newly appointed Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Prime Minister Willem Drees at the Ministry of Defence on January 11, 1951.

Prime Minister of Greece Alexandros Papagos, Prime Minister Willem Drees and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece Stefanos Stefanopoulos at the Ministry of General Affairs on February 2, 1954.

Willem Drees in his house in The Hague on July 2, 1981.

Political Journey

Joining Politics

In 1904, Drees joined the Social Democratic Workers' Party. This party later became part of the Labour Party in 1946. From 1910 to 1931, he led the party's branch in The Hague. He was also a member of The Hague's city council from 1913 to 1941. During this time, he worked as an alderman for social affairs and later for finance.

For many years, Drees was also a member of the Provincial Council of South Holland. He served in the House of Representatives from 1933 to 1940. From 1939, he was the leader of his party in the House.

World War II and After

During the German occupation of the Netherlands, Drees was taken as a hostage. He was held in the Buchenwald concentration camp and later at another camp. He was released in 1942 due to poor health. After his release, he played a key role in the secret resistance movement. He helped prepare the country for liberation.

After World War II ended, Drees became the Minister of Social Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister. This was in the Cabinet Schermerhorn–Drees, a government of national unity.

Leading the Country

From August 7, 1948, to December 22, 1958, Willem Drees was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. He led four different governments during this time.

His time as Prime Minister saw many big changes in the Netherlands.

Decolonization: The Dutch East Indies became independent as Indonesia.
Economic Recovery: The country worked to rebuild after the war.
Welfare State: New laws were made to help people. This included universal old-age pensions for everyone over 65. Health insurance was also expanded. Laws were passed to help families and disabled children.
International Cooperation: The Netherlands joined new groups like Benelux, NATO, and the EEC. These groups helped countries work together for peace and trade.

Drees's government also dealt with challenges like the major North Sea flood of 1953. This flood caused a lot of damage and loss of life.

Many social improvements happened under Drees. For example, in 1950, works councils were created in companies. In 1957, it became illegal to fire female civil servants just because they got married. Housing laws were also updated to help with rebuilding and planning. Education also saw more funding and new laws, like the Nursery Education Act of 1955 for kindergartens.

Personal Life

On July 28, 1910, Willem Drees married Catharina Hent. They had two sons and two daughters. Both of his sons, Jan Drees and Willem Drees Jr., were also involved in the Labour Party. However, they left the party around 1970 because they disagreed with some younger members. Willem Drees himself also left the Labour Party in 1971, after being a member for almost 67 years.

Drees was a teetotaler, meaning he did not drink alcohol. He passed away on May 14, 1988, in The Hague, just two months before his 102nd birthday. For a period before his death, he was the oldest living former head of government in the world.

In 2004, he was voted third in the election for The Greatest Dutchman.

Honors and Awards

Willem Drees received many honors from the Netherlands and other countries. These awards recognized his important work and leadership.

Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
Honours
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion	Netherlands	22 December 1958
	Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold	Belgium	10 March 1949
	Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog	Denmark
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Trinity	Ethiopia	3 November 1954
	Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honour	France	10 July 1954
	Grand Cross of the Royal Order of George I	Greece	2 February 1954
	Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Africa	Liberia	10 December 1956
	Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau	Luxembourg
	Grand Cross of the Order of the Oak Crown	Luxembourg	12 July 1951
	Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav	Norway
	Grand Cross of the Order of Vasa	Sweden
	Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Order of the White Elephant	Thailand	26 September 1955
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George	United Kingdom	24 July 1958
	Medal of Freedom with Gold Palm	United States	7 April 1953
Honorific Titles
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Minister of State	Netherlands	22 December 1958	Style of Excellency

Images for kids

The Grand Cross of the Belgian Order of Leopold awarded to Drees on during his visit to Brussels, on March 10, 1949 by Belgian Regent; Prince Charles, Count of Flanders.
The Imperial Ethiopian Order of the Holy Trinity, awarded to Drees by Emperor Haile Selassie during his state visit to the Netherlands on November 3, 1954.
Drees' insignia of the Grand Cross of the Legion d’Honneur given to him by President René Coty on July 10, 1954.
The Grand Cross of the Order of George I, awarded to Drees by Paul, King of the Greeks, in June 1954 on the occasion of the visit of the Prime Minister of Greece, Field Marshal Alexander Papagos, to the Netherlands on February 2, 1954.
The Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Africa, awarded to Drees by William V.S. Tubman, President of Liberia, on December 10, 1956 on the occasion of his state visit to the Netherlands on October 15, 1956.
The Grand Cross of the Order of the Oak Crown, awarded to Drees by Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg on July 12, 1951 on the occasion of the state visit of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard to Luxembourg from June 19-21, 1951.
The Grand Cross of the Order of the White Elephant, conferred on Drees by King Bhumipol Adulyadej of Thailand on September 26, 1955.
Drees' GCMG insignia awarded by Queen Elizabeth II during her state visit to the Netherlands, on July 24, 1958.
Miniature medal bar of Drees, showing all of his foreign and domestic decorations, as well as the grade.