Between the devil and the deep blue sea - University of Canterbury

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disappear, expectations for the future collapsed ... the majority of the population
was plunged into dismay.7o
Attendance at church and special prayer services, such as one attended by 5,000 Limburgers
in Maastricht, increased. 71 Several people who lived outside the fortified positions fled to
railway stations demanding that trains take them to the safety of the New Holland
Waterline. 72 In areas close to inundations, people realised that if war broke out water levels
would rise around them, flooding their houses, fanns and businesses. They readied
themselves for this contingency by packing away valuables, stacking furniture, taking down
curtains, and storing food, hay and fodder in attics. 73
Holiday makers around the country cut short their vacations. 74 Popular tourist
spots were soon deserted. Train stations and feny tenninals were crowded with impatient
sightseers wishing to get home. All train travel, however, was limited as militmy transports
had priority. On 1 August, no trains for civilians ran at al1. 75 At the same time,
entertainment events were cancelled. The fair held in Zwolle shut its tents and packed up its
acts possibly to protect public safety (to prevent uncouth behaviour and public
drunkenness), national security (avoid bringing crowds of people together), and to set the
tone of sobriety.76 For these same reasons all fairs and carnivals would be outlawed in most
parts of the country for the coming war years.
The agitation of the early mobilisation days increased with each declaration of war.
Many Netherlanders did not believe Gennany or Britain would respect their neutrality, and
reassurances for public safety had to be given. The mayor of Hoek, a village in the south of
the countlY, printed and distributed posters on 6 August urging citizens to stop wonying
70 "Toch was het eerste oogenblik onheilspellend en bang. Een paniek, als nimmer was voorgekomen, beving de
menigte ... Voor elke winkelruit, waar bulletins waren aangeplakt, ontstonden angstige, zwijgende samescholingen,
en zelfs in dit uiterste, wanhopige moment trachtte men nog elkander moed in te spreken ... Ieder was weggetild uit
zijn gewonen levenspoor, en zag de vrucht van jaren arbeids vergaan, de toekomstverwachting ineengeslagen ... de
groote meerderheid van de bevolking was neergedompeld in verslagenheid." (Ritter, De Donkere Poort Volume 1,
pp. 32 - 33).
71 Ibid. p. 63; Telegram to the Niellwe Koerier, 6 August 1914, in NIOD, "WOI Diversen o.a. 'Telegram aan de
Nieuwe Koerier" archive 618, box 3.
72 Zegers, "Een levendige geschiedenis van Zwolle en de Grote OOl'log" p. 8.
73 J. J. Streetkerk, "Aantekeningen uit de oorlogsjaren 1914 - 1918" [Notes from the war years 1914 - 1918]
Historisch Kring Loosdrecht. 8, 1981, p. 84.
74 Voogt, "In ons land" p. 17.
75 Ritter, De Donkere Poort Volume 1, p. 45.
76 Thom. J. de Vries, Geschiedenis van Zwolle. Deel II. Van de invoering del' Reformatie tot het jaar 1940. [History
of Zwolle. Volume II. From the start of the Reformation to the year 1940] Zwolle: Koninklijke Uitgeverij van de
Erven J. J. Tijl, 1961, p. 327; Zegers, "Een levendige geschiedenis van Zwolle en de Grote Oorlog" p. 7.