Netherlands History

Perhaps surprisingly given it's fame for liberal attitudes, Women in the Netherlands did not get the vote until 1922. The Great Depression of 1929 caused crippling effects on the Dutch economy which lasted well into the 1930s and had more serious consequences here than in many other European economies due to the economic and social policies being persued by the government of the time. This led to significant social unrest and even rioting in parts of Amsterdam.

The Netherlands stayed neutral during WWI and tried to be the same during WWII but were invaded by Germany. Most of the Netherlands’ Jews were killed and the country was devastated. Anne Frank has since become a symbol of the Jewish oppression through the writings in her diary during her time hiding from the Nazis in Achterhuis. She died shortly before the liberation of her camp in May 1945.

In the 1960s, Amsterdam became famous for the squatters’ movement and then in the 1970s the legalisation of Cannabis. In 2000, the legalization of euthanasia, same sex marriage and brothels took place adding to the country's reputation as a liberal haven.

The Netherlands along with France, West Germany (as was), Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg founded the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1952. This organisation developed over the years to become what is now the European Union. It was also one of the founding members of NATO. This past together with it's position at the heart of Europe has led the country to be one of the main driving forces behind the closer cooperation and integration between European countries.
Members of the then EC assembled in Maastricht in 1992 to sign the paper that created the European Union.

This Dutch influence in Euro-politics further manifested itself in 1999 when it provided much weight behind the introduction of the Euro across most EU countries.

Right-wing politician Pim Fortuyn was shot dead, only a few days before the Dutch general elections in 2002, and the assassination of Theo van Gogh, a filmmaker and columnist known for his controversial statements about Muslims, followed in 2004. He was shot and stabbed repeatedly by an Islamic Morrocan. Arson and bomb attacks targeting Islamic schools as well as Christian churches show that despite apparent liberal attitudes in the country, there are serious ethnic tensions which still remain to be addressed.

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