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

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about the war. He explained that there was no reason whatsoever to be anxious; rumours of
war and invasion were not to be trusted, and if a serious threat arose, he would personally
inform them. He urged everybody to stay calm and retum to work. He also implored
civilian men to work twice as hard to ensure the harvest was collected and business did not
fail, as so many of their colleagues were serving the country as soldiers. 77
On finding out about the mobilisation, the men affected by the call-up - nine
intakes of regular conscripts and seven intakes of landweer _78 left work early on Friday
aftemoon, retumed home, dug out their uniforms, and set off to their pre-arranged military
destinations. Some left immediately, others waited until moming, taking full advantage of a
last night at home with family. That the uncertainty evident on Friday had not subsided by
Saturday moming was reflected in the sombre mood of soldier farewells. Unlike elsewhere
in Europe, there was no elation or euphoria at the thought of war; there were no cheering
crowds waving to marching troopS.79 Rather, the atmosphere was subdued and strained. The
thought of war scared most Dutch as they watched loved ones disappear to military depots,
fortified positions, guard posts and naval ships.
In expectation of the worst, in the days leading up to mobilisation many people had
started stock-piling food, hoarding silver coinage and withdrawing life savings from banks.
Once mobilisation was declared this panic led to a fury with potentially disastrous
economic consequences. People waited in lengthy queues outside banks and shops. Vital
goods disappeared quickly from store shelves. In places, the police were called to stop
scuffles among customers trying to grab dwindling supplies. 80 To capitalise on high
demand, many shopkeepers increased their prices. The government hoped to counter
profiteering and stockpiling by extending the powers of the Onteigeningswet (requisitioning
77 Poster, "Aan de Burgerij van Hoek" [To the citizens of Hoek] signed by the mayor, A. Wolftert, 6 August 1914, in
Commander of Coastal Battery at Neuzen, D. Putman Cramer, "Dagboek van 5 Augustus 1914 tim 31 December
1914 omtrent de uitoefening van het Militair Gezag te N euzen Hoek en Zaamslag" [Diary of 5 August 1914 up to and
including 31 December 1914 regarding the exercise of military authority in N euzen, Hoek and Zaamslag] in ARA,
"Archieven van de Generale Staf" entry no. 2.13.70, inventory no. 98.
78 Chart ofthe different yearly intakes mobilised between 1914 and 1917 in Bosboom, In Moeilijke Omstandigheden
Appendix A.
79 Ritter, De Donkere Poort Volume 1, p. 31; A. F. van Goelst Meijer, "Nederlandse Huzaren op 7 oktober 1914
onder vuur (I)" [Dutch Hussars under fire on 7 October 1914] Mars et Historia. 23, no. 1,1989, p. 23; Klinkert, "De
Nederlandse mobilisatie van 1914" p. 26. Historians have shown that the euphoria in warring nations was far from
universal (Heinz HagenlUcke, "The home front in Germany" in Liddle et. al. (eds), The Great World War 1914 - 45.
Vollime 2 pp. 58 - 59).
80 Streefkerk, "Aantekeningen uit de oorlogsjaren 1914 - 1918" p. 86.