biography
pronunciation:
[duh khayr]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1870–1960)
|
| biography:
| Dutch politician, prime minister (1926–9, 1939–40), and lawyer, born in Groningen, N Netherlands, a descendant of the de Geer family painted by Rembrandt. He supported the Christian Historical Union (CHU) in parliament (1907–21, 1933–9). He was finance minister (1921–3, 1929–33), minister of internal affairs (1925–6), and twice prime minister. In 1939 he led the ‘war’ cabinet, and in May 1940 was evacuated to London with Queen Wilhelmina and the government. He resigned in September because, after the fall of France, he was in favour of a compromise with Hitler; and was replaced by Gerbrandy. In 1941, while on way to the Netherlands East Indies for the government in exile in London, he returned to occupied Holland via Berlin. Although he was anti-Nazi and a convinced pacifist, his influence was felt to be hostile to the Allies. After the war he was condemned to a year's imprisonment, but pardoned, though stripped of all his decorations. |
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