Editing Willem Drees (section)

{{short description|Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1948 to 1958}}
{{about||his grandson philosopher (born 1954)|Willem B. Drees}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Primary sources|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix     = [[Excellency|His Excellency]]
|name                 = Willem Drees
|image                = Willem Drees 1958.jpg
|caption              = Drees in 1958
|office               = [[Prime Minister of the Netherlands]]
|term_start           = 7 August 1948
|term_end             = 22 December 1958
|monarch              = [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Wilhelmina]] <br /> [[Juliana of the Netherlands|Juliana]]
|deputy               = {{collapsible list|title=''See list''|1= [[Josef van Schaik]] (1948–1951) <br /> [[Frans Teulings]] (1951–1952) <br /> Louis Beel (1952–1956) <br /> [[Teun Struycken (1906–1977)|Teun Struycken]] (1956–1958)}}
|predecessor          = [[Louis Beel]]
|successor            = Louis Beel
|office1              = [[List of Ministers of Finance of the Netherlands|Minister of Finance]]
|status1              = ''Ad interim''
|term_start1          = 1 July 1952
|term_end1            = 2 September 1952
|primeminister1       = ''Himself''
|predecessor1         = [[Piet Lieftinck]]
|successor1           = [[Jo van de Kieft]]
|office2              = [[List of Ministers of Kingdom Relations of the Netherlands|Minister of Colonial Affairs]]
|status2              = ''Ad interim''
|term_start2          = 15 March 1951
|term_end2            = 30 March 1951
|primeminister2       = ''Himself''
|predecessor2         = [[Johan van Maarseveen]]
|successor2           = Leonard Peters
|office3              = [[Leader of the Labour Party (Netherlands)|Leader of the Labour Party]]
|term_start3          = 9 February 1946
|term_end3            = 22 December 1958
|predecessor3         = ''Office established''
|successor3           = [[Jaap Burger]]
|office4              = [[Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands]]
|term_start4          = 25 June 1945
|term_end4            = 7 August 1948
|primeminister4       = [[Willem Schermerhorn]] <br /> (1945–1946) <br /> [[Louis Beel]] (1948)
|predecessor4         = [[Hendrik van Boeijen]] (1942)
|successor4           = [[Josef van Schaik]]
|office5              = [[List of Ministers of Social Affairs of the Netherlands|Minister of Social Affairs]]
|term_start5          = 25 June 1945
|term_end5            = 7 August 1948
|primeminister5       = [[Willem Schermerhorn]] <br /> (1945–1946) <br /> [[Louis Beel]] (1948)
|predecessor5         = [[Dolf Joekes]]
|successor5           = [[Frans Wijffels]]
|office6              = Leader of the [[Social Democratic Workers' Party (Netherlands)|Social Democratic Workers' Party]]
|term_start6          = 14 May 1940
|term_end6            = 9 February 1946
|predecessor6         = [[Willem Albarda]]
|successor6           = ''Office discontinued''
{{Collapsed infobox section begin|Additional positions}}
|office7              = Member of the [[House of Representatives (Netherlands)|House of Representatives]]
|term_start7          = 3 July 1956
|term_end7            = 3 October 1956
|term_start8          = 15 July 1952
|term_end8            = 2 September 1952
|term_start9          = 27 July 1948
|term_end9            = 10 August 1948
|term_start10         = 4 June 1946
|term_end10           = 4 July 1946
|term_start11         = 9 May 1933
|term_end11           = 25 June 1945
|office12             = [[Parliamentary leader]] in the <br /> [[House of Representatives (Netherlands)|House of Representatives]]
|term_start12         = 10 August 1939
|term_end12           = 25 September 1945
|predecessor12        = [[Willem Albarda]]
|successor12          = [[Marinus van der Goes van Naters]]
|parliamentarygroup12 = [[Social Democratic Workers' Party (Netherlands)|Social Democratic Workers' Party]]
{{Collapsed infobox section end}}
|birth_date           = {{birth date|df=y|1886|07|05}}
|birth_place          = [[Amsterdam]], Netherlands
|death_date           = {{death date and age|df=y|1988|05|14|1886|07|05}}
|death_place          = [[The Hague]], Netherlands
|party                = [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]] (1946–1971)
|otherparty           = [[Social Democratic Workers' Party (Netherlands)|Social Democratic Workers' Party]] (1904–1946)
|relatives            = [[Willem Drees Jr.]] (son) <br /> [[Willem B. Drees]] (grandson) <br /> [[Jacques Wallage]] (grandson-in-law)
|residence            = 
|alma_mater           = [[Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences|Amsterdam Public Trade School]] ([[Bachelor of Accountancy|B.Acc]])
|occupation           = Politician · civil servant · Accountant · [[Shorthand|Stenographer]] · Historian · Author
|signature            = Signature Willem Drees.png
}}

'''Willem Drees Sr.''' ({{Audio|Nl-Willem Drees.ogg|Dutch pronunciation}}; 5 July 1886 – 14 May 1988) was a Dutch politician of the [[Social Democratic Workers' Party (Netherlands)|Social Democratic Workers' Party]] (SDAP) and later co-founder of the [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]] (PvdA) and historian who served as [[Prime Minister of the Netherlands]] from 7 August 1948 to 22 December 1958.<ref name="parlement.com"/>

Drees was elected to the [[House of Representatives (Netherlands)|House of Representatives]] for the SDAP in the [[1933 Dutch general election|1933 general election]]. He succeeded [[Willem Albarda]] as party leader in 1940 and, following the end of [[World War II]], was appointed [[Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands|Deputy Prime Minister]] and [[List of Ministers of Social Affairs of the Netherlands|Minister of Social Affairs]] in the [[National unity government|national unity]] [[Schermerhorn–Drees cabinet]]. In February 1946, Drees was one of the co-founders of the Labour Party and became its first [[Leader of the Labour Party (Netherlands)|leader]]. After the [[1948 Dutch general election|1948 general election]], Drees became [[Prime Minister of the Netherlands|Prime Minister]] of the [[Drees–Van Schaik cabinet]].<ref name="Biography Willem Drees"/>

The Drees-Van Schaik cabinet fell on 24 January 1951 and after a short cabinet formation was replaced by the [[first Drees cabinet]], with Drees continuing as Prime Minister. For the [[1952 Dutch general election|1952 general election]], Drees served again as lead candidate and following a successful cabinet formation formed the [[second Drees cabinet]] and continued as Prime Minister for a second term. For the [[1956 Dutch general election|1956 general election]] Drees once again served as lead candidate and following another cabinet formation formed the [[third Drees cabinet]] and continued as Prime Minister for a third term. The third Drees cabinet fell on 11 December 1958 and shortly thereafter Drees announced his retirement and would step down as leader and would not serve another term as prime minister. Drees left office upon the installation of the [[Caretaker government|caretaker]] [[second Beel cabinet]] on 22 December 1958.

Drees was known for his abilities as a skilful team leader and effective manager. From 1948 to 1958, his four cabinets were mostly praised and supported by the largest parties in the Netherlands.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Rietbergen |first=P. J. A. N. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/52849131 |title=A Short History of the Netherlands: From Prehistory to the Present Day |publisher=Bekking |year=2000 |isbn=90-6109-440-2 |edition=4th |location=Amersfoort |pages=151 |oclc=52849131}}</ref> During his premiership, his cabinets were responsible for several major social reforms to [[Algemene Ouderdomswet|social security]], [[Welfare state|welfare]], [[child benefit]]s and [[Education in the Netherlands|education]], overseeing the [[Decolonization of Asia|decolonization]] of the [[Dutch East Indies]] following the [[Indonesian National Revolution]], the fallout of the [[Dutch annexation of German territory after the Second World War|annexation of former German territory]] and dealing with several major crises such as the [[North Sea flood of 1953]] and [[Greet Hofmans|Hofmans scandal]].

Drees retired from active politics at 72 but continued to be active as a valued historian and prolific author and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government. Drees was granted the honorary title of [[Minister of State (Netherlands)|Minister of State]] on 22 December 1958 and continued to comment on political affairs as a statesman until his death in May 1988. He holds the record as the [[List of prime ministers of the Netherlands|fourth longest-serving]] and longest-lived Prime Minister at {{Age in years|1886|07|05|1988|05|14|df=y}} and his premiership is consistently [[Historical rankings of prime ministers of the Netherlands|regarded]] both by scholars and the public to have been one of the best in Dutch history.<ref>{{Cite web|language=nl|url=http://www.geschiedenis24.nl/nieuws/2006/januari/Willem-Drees-gekozen-tot-D-premier-na-WO-II.html|title=Willem Drees gekozen tot ‘Dé premier na WO II’|website=Geschiedenis24.nl|date=15 January 2006}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2013/09/28/nrc-enquete-drees-en-lubbers-beste-premiers-sinds-1900/|title=NRC-enquête: Drees en Lubbers beste premiers sinds 1900|work=NRC Handelsblad|date=28 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ioresearch.nl/actueel/mark-rutte-gezien-als-beste-premier-sinds-woii|work=I&O Research|title= Mark Rutte gezien als beste premier sinds WOII |first=Peter|last=Kanne|date=13 March 2020}}</ref>