Five Brothers and a War

Arthur Seyß-Inquart

What is interesting in the German establishment of a government in Holland, and what was rather unprecedented, was that through the complete evacuation of the legitimate governmental structure in Holland, including the royal family, the Germans were left with a “legal” basis for establishing a government. Under the terms of “The Hague Conventions”, when an invading army finds no working government, they have the responsibility to set one up. The Dutch constitution did not anticipate a scenario where the entire government simply left the country and there certainly were no provisions for setting up a government in exile. It could be argued that the Dutch government simply abandoned their nation, and by moving out, they forfeited any legitimate right to govern. Certainly though, the circumstances were extraordinary, and there is no doubt that had they all stayed, the Germans would have done whatever they wanted to in any event. Ultimately, the argument is academic. With the wholesale abandonment of the government and the royal family, what Seyß Inquart did next was equally extraordinary, though certainly not unprecedented in history. He set himself up as the person in charge by using the trappings of established Dutch governance, which not only caught the attention of the Dutch, but also cemented their will to rid the country of the Germans. He decided to hold an inauguration for himself, and did it in Den Haag’s Ridderzaal (“Knights’ Hall”)—a place reserved in the hearts and minds of the Dutch as something supremely Dutch.

nazi germany

The Binnenhof (“Inner Court”), with the Ridderzaal in the middle. This photo captures the entire essence of Dutch democracy. The Dutch Parliament building is on the water side, and to the left is the Prime Minister’s office (with the turret roof). To the left of that is the Mauritshuis museum.

Five Brothers and a War

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