Overview
Located in northwestern Europe near the North Sea, the Netherlands was once a powerful seafaring nation, but repeated wars weakened the empire by the 20th century. The Netherlands was neutral during the first World War, but was occupied by the Germans during World War II, and the country lost the majority of its Jewish population to the Nazis. After the war, the Netherlands granted independence to many of its colonies and was one of the founding members of NATO. The country grew economically during the Cold War and adopted many liberal social policies, including the legalization of drugs, euthanasia and same sex marriage. In the 21st century, the Netherlands has come into conflict with its Muslim population, as it has strengthened it immigration policies and made arrests in the murder of film director and publicist Theo van Gogh in 2004. The arrests and subsequent convictions of van Gogh’s attackers were reversed on appeal and led to greater debate about the nature of Islam in Dutch society.
Basic Information
Lay of the Land: Low-lying, small, and packed. In northwestern Europe, the Netherlands is a checkerboard country of geometrical fields and towns punctuated by frequent lakes and waterways. Facing England to the west across the North Sea, bordered on the east by Germany and in the south by Belgium, the Netherlands forms part of the North European Plain and is divided into “low” and “high.” The “Low” – about half the country – is that area which is no more than one meter above the mean high-water level of the sea. Thus, although only 27% of the land (containing 60% of the population) is actually below sea level, fully half of it would be regularly flooded without the protection of the Netherlands’ vast network of coastal and inland dikes. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport(“ship harbor”) is 13 feet below sea level and probably the only airport in the world built on the site of a naval battle.
Population: 16.6 million
Religions: Roman Catholic 30%, Dutch Reformed 11%, Calvinist 6%, Muslim 5.8%, other Protestant 3%, other 2.2%, non-religious 42%. Only 30% of Christians declare a belief in God.
Ethnic Groups: Dutch 80.7%, Indonesian 2.4%, Turkish 2.2%, Surinamese 2%, Moroccan 2%, Netherlands Antilles & Aruba 0.8%, other European 5%, other 4.8%.
Languages: Dutch 75.8%, Limburgisch 5.5%, Western Frisian 4.3%, Gronings 3.6%, Zeeuws 1.3%, Vlaams 0.7%, Romani (Vlax, Sinte) 0.01%, Achterhoeks, Drents, Sallands, Stellingwerfs, Twents, Veluws. Dutch is the nation’s official language and Frisian is also recognized as an official language of the province of Friesland.
History
The Netherlands was originally inhabited by Germanic tribes, before Julius Caesar discovered the region and claimed it as part of the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC. Most of the area was inhabited by Batavians, while the eastern part of the country had been settled by the Frisians.
Between the 4th and 8th centuries, the Franks conquered most of the area. Later, some portions of the Netherlands passed into the hands of the House of Burgundy and the Austrian Habsburgs.
During the 16th century, the Spanish ruled the Netherlands. But the Dutch revolted in 1558 under the leadership of Willem of Orange. When the Union of Utrecht was established in 1579, the seven northern Dutch provinces became the Republic of the United Netherlands.
During the 17th century, the Netherlands became a great seafaring power, colonizing many nations and establishing its influence throughout the world. This era saw the emergence of many of the country’s greatest artists, including Rembrandt and Frans Hals.
But wars with Spain, France and England in the 17th and 18th centuries weakened the Netherlands’ power internationally. During the American Revolutionary War, the Dutch United Provinces supported the breakaway colonies. In 1795, French troops ousted Willem V of Orange, the Stadhouder under the Dutch Republic and head of the House of Orange.
When Napoleon was defeated in 1815, the Netherlands and Belgium became the Kingdom of the United Netherlands. Willem I became king. In 1830, the Belgians withdrew from the union to form their own kingdom. King Willem II liberalized the constitution in 1848, which led to many of the gains the country enjoyed during the reign of Willem III.
The Netherlands remained neutral during World War I. Germany invaded the Netherlands on May 10, 1940, and occupied it for almost five years. Queen Wilhelmina established a government-in-exile in London, and declared war on Japan the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Nazis deported most of the Jewish population of the Netherlands to concentration camps and more than 75% of the country’s Jews died at the hands of the Nazis.
When the country was liberated in May 1945, the queen retuned from London. Many of the Netherlands’ colonies became independent or gained their autonomy after the war. Indonesia formally gained its independence in 1949, and Suriname became independent in 1975. The five islands of the Netherlands Antilles (Curacao, Bonaire, Saba, St. Eustatius, and a part of St. Maarten) remained part of the realm, but enjoy a large degree of autonomy.
The Netherlands was among the countries that founded the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949.
Crown Princess Juliana acceded to the throne in 1948, when her mother abdicated. In 1952, the Netherlands joined the European Coal and Steel Community, which eventually became the European Union. In addition to its industrial sector, the Netherlands exported its agricultural products with increasing success.
In 1953, a major flood collapsed several dikes in the southwest portion of the country. This prompted the Dutch government to establish a large-scale program of public works to protect the country from further flooding. The project was completed over the next thirty years.
The 1960s and 1970s brought great social change to the Netherlands, when many of the old ways were abandoned, especially those relating to class and religious lines. Liberal social policies were adopted, including the legalization of drugs, euthanasia and same sex marriage, which has been permitted since 2001.
In April 1980, Queen Juliana abdicated in favor of her daughter, the current Queen Beatrix. In 1999, the Netherlands converted its currency to the euro. In recent years, the country has been instrumental in the integration of business among European countries.
On May 6, 2002, Pim Fortuyn, the country’s right-wing populist, called for a stricter policy on immigration. During national elections, his party won a substantial victory, but internal struggles caused them to lose support in the 2003 elections.
On November 2, 2004, film director and publicist Theo van Gogh was assassinated by a Dutch-Moroccan youth with radical Islamic beliefs. Van Gogh was perceived to have blasphemed Islam with his recent 11-minute film, Submission Part 1, which dealt with the abuse of women in Islam. Within a week, several arrests were made, and those accused were later found guilty of conspiracy with terrorist intentions. However, the verdict was later reversed on appeal. Since that time, debate has raged in the Netherlands, about immigration and the nature of Islam in Dutch society. Protection has been increased for many politicians, including Somali-born Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who wrote the scenario for Submission and has been under permanent guard since she publicly renounced Islam in 2002.
History of Netherlands (History of Holland)
History of the Netherlands (Wikipedia)
History of the Netherlands (History World)
History of the Netherlands: Primary Documents (Euro Docs)
Netherlands History (Google Book Search)
History of Jews in the Netherlands (by David Shyovitz, Jewish Virtual Library)
History of U.S. Relations with Netherlands
In 1621, the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands granted the Dutch West India Company a trade monopoly, as well as jurisdiction over Dutch interests in the Americas and West Africa. The company, which was essentially a conglomeration of merchants, founded the city of New Amsterdam (New York) and established the (Dutch) Reformed Church there in 1624.
One of the early Dutch governors tried to outlaw any house of worship besides the Reformed Church, but his advisory council in Amsterdam vetoed his proposal on the grounds that it would hinder commerce. The initial good fortune of the Dutch turned bad in 1664, when the English captured New Amsterdam and renamed it New York. The Dutch West India Company gave up its colonial interest in North America after the loss of New York and instead concentrated on the African slave trade and on Dutch colonies in the Atlantic, Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean and Suriname in South America.
By 1790 about 100,000 Dutchmen lived in the US, concentrated in communities where they spoke Dutch and worshipped in the Reformed Church. After the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, Dutch communities adopted the use of English and quickly assimilated into the mainstream culture. Only a few hundred Dutch immigrated annually up until the 1840s, when a split in the Dutch Reformed Church combined with a potato famine drove a new wave of Dutchmen to America.
A number of Dutch colonies sprang up on the midwestern frontier, where the Homestead Act granted land to anyone adventurous enough to claim it. Between 1845 and 1930, about 400,000 Dutchmen immigrated to the US. The restrictive, quota-based Immigration Act of 1924 limited any new arrivals until the Displaced Persons Act of 1948 allowed 80,000 citizens of a war-torn Netherlands to immigrate to the US.
The states with the largest Dutch populations are Michigan (480,515), California (417,258), New York (272,892), Florida (216,017), Illinois (195,816), Washington (142,357), Iowa (134,064), and New Jersey (119,306). All of these states are traditional Dutch strongholds, with the exception of Florida.
The United States first established diplomatic relations with the Netherlands during the American Revolution.
The United States and the Netherlands both joined NATO as charter members in 1949. During the Korean War, the Netherlands fought on the side of the US. The Netherlands has also supported American efforts in the Gulf War, the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq.
During the Kosovo air campaign of 1999, the Netherlands played a leading role. The country is also helping to support European Union peacekeeping forces in Bosnia.
Netherlands–United States Relations (Wikipedia)
Current U.S. Relations with Netherlands
The Netherlands has deployed Patriot missiles in Iraq to protect NATO ally Turkey, and the Dutch also support and participate in NATO and EU training efforts in Iraq. The Dutch are active participants in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
The Dutch have worked with the United States at the World Trade Organization, the Organization of Economic Development, and within the EU to advance the shared goal of a more open, market-led global economy. The Dutch, like the United States, supported the accession of 10 new members to the EU in 2004, and accession negotiations for Turkey in 2005.
In the 2000 US census, 4,541,770 people identified themselves as being of Dutch ancestry.
In 2006, 446,785 Dutchmen visited the US. The number of tourists has increased sporadically, but is up overall since 2002, when 384,367 Dutchmen came to America.
Where Does the Money Flow
From 2003 to 2007, US imports from the Netherlands were dominated by petroleum products, which have averaged approximately half a billion dollars annually. Other imports on the rise included nonmonetary gold, moving up from $235,000 to $15.3 million; electrical equipment, rising from $1.7 million to $4.2 million; and engines for civilian aircraft, increasing from $0 to $2.5 million.
During the same period, US imports from the Netherlands on the decline included photo and service industry machinery and trade tools, decreasing from $16.4 million to $71,000; jewelry, moving down from $8.9 million to $3.8 million; and gem diamonds (uncut or unset), decreasing from $1.4 million to $68,000.
American exports to the Netherlands were dominated by fuel oil, which increased from $85.9 million to $588.7 million, and jewelry, which rose from $238 million to $429.9 million. Other exports on the rise included petroleum products (other), moving up from $58.2 million to $247.6 million; excavating machinery, rising from $7.5 million to $20.5 million; and gem diamonds, increasing from $36.4 million to $73.1 million.
US exports on the decline included chemicals (organic), decreasing from $95.2 million to $55.5 million; electric apparatus, moving down from $13 million to $9.5 million; computer accessories, decreasing from $32.3 million to $10.8 million; and medicinal equipment, falling from $7.7 million to $6.6 million.
The Netherlands is the fourth-largest direct foreign investor in the United States, and the United States is the third-largest direct foreign investor in the Netherlands.
In 2007, the US sold $1.2 million of defense articles and services to the Netherlands. The US does not give foreign aid to the Netherlands.
Trade in Goods (Imports, Exports and Trade Balance) with Netherlands (US Census Bureau)
Controversies
Gates Insults Dutch with Afghanistan Comments
In January 2008, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that NATO troops in Afghanistan did not have the skills required to battle insurgents, causing controversy among leaders in Canada and the Netherlands. The Dutch minister asked the US ambassador for an explanation. British officials called the remarks “bloody outrageous,” prompting an apology from Sean McCormack, a spokesman for the US State Department.
Gates says NATO force unable to fight guerrillas (by Peter Spiegel, Los Angeles Times)
Senate Authorizes Military Force Against Netherlands
On August 3, 2001, President Bush signed into law the American Servicepersons Protection Act that authorized the use of military force to liberate any American citizen being held by the International Criminal Court. This came as a shock to the Dutch since the Court is located in The Hague. In June 2002, the US Senate passed a resolution supporting the Bush position and authorizing the president to use “all means necessary” on behalf of US detainees in The Hague. Dutch politicians reacted to the controversial ruling by saying they could not imagine a situation in which the US would have to use military action against the Netherlands or any of their other allies. Instead, they urged diplomatic and cooperative resolutions.
US Seeks to Ease Dutch Fears Over Court (Reuters)
Human Rights
The State Department report for 2007 stated that the Netherlands’ government generally respected the human rights of its citizens. There were reports of societal discrimination and violence against some religious and ethnic minorities, violence against women and children, and trafficking in women and girls for sexual exploitation.
Muslims faced continuing societal resentment. Minor incidents of violence against Muslims included intimidation, brawls, vandalism, and graffiti with abusive language.
A number of outspoken politicians, mainly from the right, openly argued that Islam was incompatible with Dutch traditions and social values. Geert Wilders, whose Party of Freedom won nine seats in the November 2006 general elections on an anti-immigrant and anti-Islam ticket, was the most prominent of several politicians seen as encouraging public opinion against Muslims by claiming that Islam preached violence and hatred.
Anti-Semitic incidents continued to occur during the year, including verbal threats, cursing, and desecration of monuments and cemeteries. Anti-Semitism among right-wing extremists appeared to increase during the year. The independent Registration Center for Discrimination on the Internet described several hundred right-wing websites as extremist, including those of Stormfront.org, Polinico, National Alliance, and Holland Hardcore. The sites targeted not only Jews but also Muslims, blacks, and homosexuals.
Domestic violence was the most prevalent form of violence in society.
The law prohibits female genital mutilation (FGM). While the government’s National Public Health Council estimated that at least 50 girls a year underwent FGM, the FGM Committee established by the Ministry of Health claimed that the number was much higher.
Trafficking in persons was a problem. The Netherlands was a destination and transit country for trafficked persons. Trafficking within the country was also a problem.
Incidents of physical assault against minorities were rare, but members of minority groups experienced verbal abuse and intimidation and were at times denied access to public venues such as discotheques.
Members of immigrant groups also faced discrimination in housing and employment. The minority unemployment rate remained roughly three times that of the ethnic Dutch workforce.
There was increasing harassment of homosexuals in larger cities, primarily from some groups of Muslim youth.
The law prohibits forced or compulsory labor, including by children. But there were reports that adults and children were trafficked for sexual exploitation and adults for labor exploitation. There were reports that Chinese workers were exploited in Chinese restaurants.
Past Ambassadors
John Adams
Appointment: Jan 1, 1781
Presentation of Credentials: [Apr 19, 1782]
Termination of Mission: Transmitted recall by note from London, Mar 30, 1788
Note: Commissioned also to Great Britain (see under United Kingdom); resident at London after 1785. Adams also received a second set of instructions dated Aug 16, 1781. Formally recognized on Apr 19, 1782. Adams, before leaving The Hague at the end of his longest period of residence there, presented Charles W.F. Dumas as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim on Oct 15, 1782. Dumas, although holding no commission from the United States, continued to act in this capacity, except during Adams’ later visits to the Netherlands, until 1790.
William Livingston
Note: Elected Jun 23, 1785, to be Minister Plenipotentiary to the United Netherlands; declined appointment.
John Rutledge
Note: Elected Jul 5, 1785 to be Minister Plenipotentiary to the United Netherlands; declined appointment.
William Short
Appointment: Jan 16, 1792
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 18, 1792
Termination of Mission: Left post Dec 19, 1792
John Quincy Adams
Appointment: May 30, 1794
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 6, 1794
Termination of Mission: Presented recall Jun 20, 1797
Note: Continued to serve, without reaccreditation, after the proclamation of the Batavian Republic.
William Vans Murray
Appointment: Mar 2, 1797
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 20, 1797
Termination of Mission: Presented recall Sep 2, 1801
Note: Commissioned to the Batavian Republic.
William Eustis
Appointment: Dec 19, 1814
Presentation of Credentials: [Jul 20, 1815]
Termination of Mission: Had farewell audience, May 5, 1818
Note: Formally received on Jul 20, 1815.
Alexander H. Everett
Appointment: Jun 27, 1818
Presentation of Credentials: Jan 4, 1819
Termination of Mission: Had farewell audience, Apr 7, 1824
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Nov 30, 1818.
Christopher Hughes
Appointment: Mar 9, 1825
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 10, 1826
Termination of Mission: Superseded, Jan 28, 1830
Note: Nominated Dec 11, 1828, to be Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary; nomination tabled by the Senate.
William Pitt Preble
Appointment: Jun 1, 1829
Presentation of Credentials: Jan 28, 1830
Termination of Mission: Left post on or shortly before May 2, 1831
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Feb 10, 1830.
Auguste Davezac
Appointment: Oct 15, 1831
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 30, 1831
Termination of Mission: Superseded, Jul 13, 1839
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 3, 1832.
Harmanus Bleecker
Appointment: May 15, 1839
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 13, 1839
Termination of Mission: Superseded, Aug 22, 1842
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation. That commission is not of record, but is enclosed with an instruction of Mar 19, 1840.
Christopher Hughes
Appointment: May 12, 1842
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 22, 1842
Termination of Mission: Presented recall Jun 28, 1845
Auguste Davezac
Appointment: Apr 19, 1845
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 28, 1845
Termination of Mission: Superseded, Sep 16, 1850
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Feb 3, 1846.
George Folsom
Appointment: May 4, 1850
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 16, 1850
Termination of Mission: Presented recall Oct 11, 1853
Note: The record copy is dated May 4, but the date is probably erroneous, as the Senate confirmed Folsom’s nomination on May 14, 1850.
August Belmont
Appointment: May 24, 1853
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 11, 1853
Termination of Mission: Promoted to Minister Resident
Note: Nominated Feb 25, 1856, to be Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary; nomination withdrawn before the Senate acted upon it. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Feb 8, 1854.
August Belmont
Appointment: Jun 29, 1854
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 26, 1854
Termination of Mission: Presented recall Sep 22, 1857
Henry C. Murphy
Appointment: Jun 1, 1857
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 24, 1857
Termination of Mission: Presented recall Jun 8, 1861
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 14, 1858.
James S. Pike
Appointment: Mar 28, 1861
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 8, 1861
Termination of Mission: Left post on or soon after May 29, 1866
Daniel E. Sickles
Appointment: May 11, 1866
Note: Declined appointment.
John A. Dix
Appointment: Jul 27, 1866
Note: Declined appointment.
Albert Rhodes
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 19, 1866
Termination of Mission: Superseded, Dec 1, 1866
Note: Not commissioned; letter of credence dated Sep 29, 1866.
Hugh Ewing
Appointment: Sep 24, 1866
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 1, 1866
Termination of Mission: Left post on or soon after Oct 31, 1870
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Mar 2, 1867.
Joseph P. Root
Note: Not commissioned; nomination withdrawn before the Senate acted upon it.
Charles T. Gorham
Appointment: Jul 12, 1870
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 15, 1870
Termination of Mission: Presented recall Jul 9, 1875
Francis B. Stockbridge
Appointment: Jul 12, 1875
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate. Took oath of office, but did not proceed to post.
James Birney
Appointment: Jan 10, 1876
Presentation of Credentials: Mar 29, 1876
Termination of Mission: Left post on or soon after Apr 20, 1882
William L. Dayton
Appointment: Apr 26, 1882
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 26, 1882
Termination of Mission: Presented recall Jun 8, 1885
Isaac Bell, Jr.
Appointment: Apr 2, 1885
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 8, 1885
Termination of Mission: Presented recall Apr 29, 1888
Robert D. Roosevelt
Appointment: May 16, 1888
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 10, 1888
Termination of Mission: Promoted to Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Robert D. Roosevelt
Appointment: Aug 10, 1888
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 26, 1888
Termination of Mission: Presented recall May 17, 1889
Samuel R. Thayer
Appointment: Mar 19, 1889
Presentation of Credentials: May 24, 1889
Termination of Mission: Presented recall Aug 7, 1893
William E. Quinby
Appointment: May 24, 1893
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 11, 1893
Termination of Mission: Presented recall Jul 26, 1897
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Aug 25, 1893.
Stanford Newel
Appointment: May 11, 1897
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 19, 1897
Termination of Mission: Recommissioned to a combination of countries
Note: Newel’s second and third commissions were to the Netherlands and Luxembourg; resident at The Hague.
Stanford Newel
Appointment: Jun 5, 1903
Termination of Mission: Presented recall Jun 30, 1905
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Nov 16, 1903.
David J. Hill
Appointment: Mar 15, 1905
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 15, 1905
Termination of Mission: Presented recall Jun 1, 1908
Note: Commissioned to the Netherlands and Luxembourg; resident at The Hague.
Arthur M. Beaupre
Appointment: Apr 2, 1908
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 15, 1908
Termination of Mission: Transmitted recall by note, Sep 25, 1911
Note: Commissioned to the Netherlands and Luxembourg; resident at The Hague.
Lloyd Bryce
Appointment: Aug 12, 1911
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 16, 1911
Termination of Mission: Presented recall Sep 10, 1913
Note: Commissioned to the Netherlands and Luxembourg; resident at The Hague.
Henry van Dyke
Appointment: Jun 27, 1913
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 15, 1913
Termination of Mission: Presented recall Jan 11, 1917
Note: Commissioned to the Netherlands and Luxembourg; resident at The Hague.
John W. Garrett
Appointment: Aug 23, 1917
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 11, 1917
Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 18, 1919
Note: Commissioned to the Netherlands and Luxembourg; resident at The Hague.
William Phillips
Appointment: Mar 3, 1920
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 23, 1920
Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 11, 1922
Note: Commissioned to the Netherlands and Luxembourg; resident at The Hague.
Richard M. Tobin
Appointment: Feb 27, 1923
Presentation of Credentials:
Termination of Mission:
Note: Commissioned to the Netherlands and Luxembourg; did not serve under this appointment. His later commissions were to the Netherlands only.
Richard M. Tobin
Appointment: Mar 5, 1923
Presentation of Credentials: May 1, 1923
Termination of Mission: Left post Aug 29, 1929
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate to the Netherlands only; recommissioned after confirmation on Dec 12, 1923.
Gerrit John Diekema
Appointment: Sep 11, 1929
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 20, 1929
Termination of Mission: Died at post, Dec 20, 1930
Laurits S. Swenson
Appointment: Feb 28, 1931
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 29, 1931
Termination of Mission: Left post Mar 5, 1934
Grenville T. Emmet
Appointment: Dec 27, 1933
Note: Did not serve under this appointment. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate.
Grenville T. Emmet
Appointment: Jan 15, 1934
Presentation of Credentials: Mar 21, 1934
Termination of Mission: Left post Aug 21, 1937
George A. Gordon
Appointment: Jul 30, 1937
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 10, 1937
Termination of Mission: Government left the Netherlands, May 13, 1940, in anticipation of German occupation
Note: Gordon closed the Legation, Jul 15, 1940, and Left post Jul 16, 1940. Rudolf E. Schoenfeld established the Legation near the Government of the Netherlands established in the United Kingdom, making his initial call as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim on Aug 15, 1940.
Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr.
Appointment: Feb 11, 1941
Presentation of Credentials: Mar 27, 1941
Termination of Mission: Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Note: Served near the Government of the Netherlands established in England; commissioned also to Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, and Yugoslavia;
Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr.
Appointment: May 12, 1942
Presentation of Credentials: [May 8, 1942]
Termination of Mission: Left London, Dec 1, 1943
Note: Served near the Government of the Netherlands established in England; commissioned also to Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, and Yugoslavia. Formally received, and the Legation raised to Embassy status, on May 8.
Stanley K. Hornbeck
Appointment: Sep 21, 1944
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 8, 1944
Termination of Mission: Left post Mar 7, 1947
Note: Served near the Government of the Netherlands established in England; resident first at London; transferred the Embassy to The Hague, Aug 17, 1945. The office of the Embassy in London was closed Sep 19, 1945.
Herman B. Baruch
Appointment: Mar 13, 1947
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 12, 1947
Termination of Mission: Left post Aug 26, 1949
Selden Chapin
Appointment: Oct 7, 1949
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 27, 1949
Termination of Mission: Left post Oct 30, 1953
H. Freeman Matthews
Appointment: Oct 1, 1953
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 25, 1957
Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 11, 1957
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 26, 1954.
Philip Young
Appointment: Mar 28, 1957
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 27, 1957
Termination of Mission: Left post Dec 20, 1960
John S. Rice
Appointment: Mar 29, 1961
Presentation of Credentials: May 6, 1961
Termination of Mission: Left the Netherlands, May 27, 1964
William R. Tyler
Appointment: May 6, 1965
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 23, 1965
Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 20, 1969
J. William Middendorf II
Appointment: Jun 13, 1969
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 9, 1969
Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 10, 1973
Kingdon Gould, Jr.
Appointment: Sep 28, 1973
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 18, 1973
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 30, 1976
Robert J. McCloskey
Appointment: Sep 3, 1976
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 22, 1976
Termination of Mission: Left post Mar 10, 1978
Geri M. Joseph
Appointment: Jul 18, 1978
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 6, 1978
Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 17, 1981
William Jennings Dyess
Appointment: Jul 30, 1981
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 2, 1982
Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 19, 1983
L. Paul Bremer III
Appointment: Jul 6, 1983
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 31, 1983
Termination of Mission: Left post Aug 25, 1986
John Shad
Appointment: Jun 15, 1987
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 24, 1987
Termination of Mission: Left post Feb 23, 1989
C. Howard Wilkins, Jr.
Appointment: Jun 21, 1989
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 13, 1989
Termination of Mission: Jul 11, 1992
Note: The following officers served as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim: Thomas H. Gewecke (Jul 1992–Jul 1993) and Michael Klosson (Jul 1993–Mar 1994) .
Donald Herman Alexander
Note: Nomination of May 14, 1992, withdrawn Jul 22, 1992.
K. Terry Dornbush
Appointment: Feb 9, 1994
Presentation of Credentials: Mar 16, 1994
Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 28, 1998
Cynthia Perin Schneider
Appointment: Jun 29, 1998
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 2, 1998
Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 17, 2001
Clifford M. Sobel
Appointment: Nov 5, 2001
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 6, 2001
Termination of Mission: Left post, Aug 24, 2005
Ronald Arnall
Appointment: Feb 9, 2006
Presentation of Credentials: Mar 8, 2006
Termination of Mission:
Netherlands's Ambassador to the U.S.
Jones-Bos, Renée
Renée Jones-Bos has served as the Netherlands’ Ambassador to the United States since Aug. 21, 2008. Jones-Bos attended the Gymnasium, Katwijk de Breul, Zeist (Netherlands) in 1971, the Università Italiana per Stranieri, Perugia (Italy) in 1972, and a licentiate in Russian and English studies and politics and economics from the University of Antwerp (Belgium), in 1976. In 1977, she received a Master of Arts degree in Russian Studies from the University of Sussex (UK), and in 1981, she completed diplomatic training in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Jones-Bos worked as a freelance interpreter/translator at Interlingua, and then served as assistant to the agricultural counselor for the Netherlands Embassy in Moscow from 1979-1980. She joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1981 and was posted at Dutch embassies in Dhaka and Paramaribo from 1982-1987.
From 1987-1990, Jones-Bos was first secretary at the Netherlands Embassy in Washington, DC, before serving as head of recruitment and training at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1990-1994. From 1994-1998, Jones-Bos was deputy chief of mission for the Netherlands Embassy in Prague, Czech Republic, and from 1998-2000, she was security council coordinator at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Jones-Bos was ambassador-at-large for human rights in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2000-2003, before becoming Deputy Director-General for Regional Policy and Consular Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2005.
She was Director-General for Regional Policy and Consular Affairs from 2005-2008, immediately previous to her appointment to his present position.
Jones-Bos speaks Dutch, English, German, French, Russian and some Italian.
- Table of Contents
- News
- Overview
- Basic Information
- History
- Newspapers
- History of U.S. Relations with Netherlands
- Current U.S. Relations with Netherlands
- Where Does the Money Flow
- Controversies
- Human Rights
- Debate
- Past Ambassadors
- Ambassador to the U.S.
- Embassy Web Site in the U.S.
- Comments
- Leave a comment
U.S. Ambassador to Netherlands
Broas, Timothy
Obama fundraiser Timothy Broas is getting a do-over. Despite an embarrassing late night arrest for drunk driving and resisting arrest in June 2012 that killed his nomination to be the next ambassador to the Netherlands, Broas was re-nominated by Obama on July 18 of this year to be his man in The Hague.
Broas, then 58, was pulled over by Montgomery County, Maryland, police at 1:18 a.m. on June 19, 2012, in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and charged with “attempting to drive [a] vehicle while under the influence of alcohol,” driving 47 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone, and resisting arrest, the latter charge being criminal in nature. The White House announced the withdrawal of his nomination on June 28.
Broas—ironically a white collar criminal defense attorney—got the kind of plea deal men of wealth and position often get: Broas pled guilty to a lesser offense of driving while impaired; prosecutors dropped the more serious charges; and Broas was sentenced to probation before judgment—meaning he was not formally convicted of the offense and has no criminal record.
A partner in the Washington, DC, office of the Chicago-based law firm of Winston & Strawn, Broas has raised more than $500,000 for Obama’s re-election efforts as a bundler…in other words, he raised the money from friends, family, or business associates. For Obama’s 2008 campaign, Broas bundled between $200,000 and $500,000. Obama, like every modern President before him, has nominated about two dozen bundlers to ambassadorships. In addition to the bundling, Broas has personally donated more than $230,000 to federal candidates, parties, and political committees since 1989, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, but only two Republicans have benefited: Bob Dole in 1996, to whom Broas donated $500; and George W. Bush in 2004, who received $2,000, even as Broas donated $3,500 to Democratic nominee John Kerry and $25,000 to the Democratic National Committee.
According to records released by the Obama administration, Broas has visited the White House 39 times since 2009, including eight visits with the president and five West Wing meetings with Pete Rouse, a top adviser who served as Obama’s chief of staff and is now the president’s counselor.
Tim Broas was one of the nine children born to Anita and William Broas, who was a marketing executive for the Warner Lambert pharmaceutical company. Born circa 1954, Broas graduated from Delbarton prep school in Morristown, New Jersey, in 1972, earned an A.B. in Economics and History at Boston College in 1976 and a J.D. from the College of William and Mary in 1979. From 1979 to 1980, Broas served as a law clerk for Justice Mark Sullivan of the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
He started his private practice career as an associate at two New York City law firms: Conboy, Hewitt, O’Brien & Boardman from 1980 to 1983 and Whitman & Ransom from 1983 to 1985. Relocating to Washington, DC, Broas was a partner at Anderson, Hibey & Blair from 1986 to 1995, when he joined the DC office of the Chicago-based law firm of Winston & Strawn, where he has specialized in white-collar criminal defense ever since.
Clients Broas has represented include UBS Securities, LLC; Legg Mason; Otsuka America Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Alstom Holdings; Ingersoll-Rand, Ltd.; and Papa John’s International, Inc. He also represented the left-leaning group Citizen Action until it was shut down because of its involvement in funding a Teamsters election campaign, and Neil Volz, chief of staff to Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), during the unfolding of the Jack Abramoff scandal in 2005-2006.
In 2005, Broas was appointed to the Board of Visitors of Mount Vernon by Virginia Gov. Mark Warner and was reappointed in 2009 by Governor Tim Kaine; both are Democrats. He was appointed by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (also a Democrat) to the Board of Trustees of St. Mary’s College of Maryland in 2011. In 2010, President Obama appointed Broas to the Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a nonpartisan think tank created by Congress in 1968.
Timothy Broas is married to fellow attorney Julie Broas, who practiced labor law for two decades at the Washington, DC, office of the Jones, Day law firm and now works at the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless as the Jones Day Senior Fellow. He has three daughters: Emily, Allison, and Madeline.
-Matt Bewig
To Learn More:
Statement Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (pdf)
Obama Nominee Gets Second Chance after DUI Arrest (by Aamer Madhani and Fredreka Schouten, USA Today)
morePrevious U.S. Ambassador to Netherlands
Culbertson, James
A native of Goldsboro, North Carolina, James B. Culbertson has served as the US Ambassador to the Netherlands since July 10, 2008. Culbertson graduated from The Citadel in 1960 with a BA in political science and served as an officer in the US Army Military Intelligence from 1960 to 1962.
Subsequently, Culbertson worked as a salesman in a software company before founding Financial Computing, Inc. in Winston-Salem in 1974. The company provides financial applications software and hardware to automobile dealers and banks. He also served on the North Carolina Banking Commission (1973-1979), the North Carolina Board of Economic Development (1985-1993), the National Federation of Independent Businessmen (1988-1993), the Fund for American Studies Board of Trustees (1988-present) and the American Battle Monuments Commission (2005-present). He sold Financial Computing in 2000.
Culbertson first visited the Netherlands in 1970 as a representative of the American Council of Young Political Leaders. He served on the council’s board from 1973-1979.
Culbertson is well connected in the Republican Party. He began as a volunteer for Barry Goldwater in 1964 and was active in the Young Republicans. In 1972 he managed the Congressional campaign of Vinegar Bend Mizell and worked with the North Carolina gubernatorial campaign of Jim Holshouser. Culbertson. After 25 years as an entrpeneur, Culbertson renewed his involvement in Republican Party politics and causght the attention of the George W. Bush’s team when he raised more than &100,000 for Bush at a single event in Winston-Salem in March 1999. Culbertson was a North Carolina co-chairman for the Bush campaign in 2000, chairman in 2004 and one of eight co-chairs for the Bush inauguration in 2005. He was also finance chairman of Elizabeth Dole’s successful Senatorial campaign in North Carolina in 2003. Culbertson qualified as a Bush Ranger by raising more than $200,000 for the Bush-Cheney campaign in 2004, and he served as North Carolina campaign chairman for Rudy Giuliani’s presidential bid in 2008.
High-stakes fundraiser dons diplomat’s hat (by Rob Christensen, Raleigh News & Observer)
more
Comments