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

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poor morale in both the civilian and military populations must be seen within the light of
this public health disaster. Everybody knew of someone who had succumbed to the wiles of
the Spanish Lady and most blamed the effects of four long years of war for its highly
infectious and lethal nature. Whether there was truth in this claim or not,S! there is little
doubt that under-nourishment caused by the lack of foodstuffs aggravated the effects of the
virus. Poignantly, while the Dutch were utterly sick of the war, it seemed that the war in
tum had made them sick.
No MORE WART
War weariness had set in the Netherlands as it had in most belligerent nations by
the start of 1918. After years of conflict, shortages and difficulties, the Dutch were tired of
war. A universal desire for peace enveloped the population. Of course, it was only natural
for a neutral country to promote peace, and many Dutch had been ardent supporters of the
concept of international peace well before the outbreak of war. 52 In fact, most saw it as their
duty as neutral citizens to foster international concord. After all, their country had hosted
the two Peace Conferences (in 1899 and 1907) and was home to the Peace Palace. During
the war and unlike many belligerent societies, there were no social restrictions inhibiting the
Dutch from calling for an end to hostilities. In fact, one of the few topics on which all
Dutch newspapers were relatively consistent was their belief in the need to encourage the
cause of peace. 53
It is not surprising, therefore, to find the government trying to initiate peace
negotiations between the waning states on several occasions, albeit each time entirely
unsuccessfully. 54 Such efforts had two very practical neutrality aims. Most immediately, an
end to the conflict would end threats to neutrality and return stability to the economy. More
subtly, if a neutral could facilitate some fonn of negotiation between the warring parties,
51 Crosby, Epidemic and Peace p. 217, is highly skeptical about the role the war played in the outbreak and spread of
the pandemic.
52 Remco van Diepen, Voor Volkenbond en vrede. Nederland en het streven naar een niellwe wereldorde, 1919-
1946. [For the League of Nations and peace. The Netherlands and the quest for a peaceful world order, 1919 - 1946]
Amsterdam: Bert Bakker, 1999, p. 30. For pre-war peace movements, see: B. de Jong van Beek en Donk, The History
of the Peace Movement in the Netherlands. (A General View of the Netherlands. Number XXV) The Hague: P. P. I.
E., 1915, pp. 1 - 33.
53 Stoelinga, Rllssische revolutie en vl'edesverwachtingen pp. 20 - 21.
54 Porter, "Dutch Neutrality" pp. 232 - 236; Watson, "Britain's Dutch Policy" pp. 51 - 52; Fasseur, Wilhelmina p.
510.