The Netherlands: Faithful Ally with ‘Hollanditis’. Traces of military and civil defence, and their social impact, during the Cold War (1945-1991) in the Netherlands

This publication is also available in Dutch

Background

The Cold War (1945-1991) affected at least three generations in the Netherlands. After the liberation of the country in May 1945, the wartime generation hoped for an era of prosperity and well-being, free of war. They were disappointed: within just a few years the clouds were gathering again over Europe. The post-war generation, the baby boomers, grew up under the nuclear umbrella – both a shield and a threat. For them there was always the haunting realization that ‘the bomb’ might fall. The threat of nuclear war, the presence of nuclear weapons in the Netherlands and the proposed deployment of cruise missiles led to peace-demonstrations in the 1980s on an unprecedented scale.

The permanent threat inherent in the Cold War was accepted without question by generations with memories of the Second World War – especially once the true menace of communism became apparent, notably during the Hungarian Uprising of 1956. That changed with the arrival of the baby boomers. Young people who had not known war made their rebellious voices heard in many areas, and the nation’s militarization did not escape that criticism. Moreover, hundreds of thousands conscripts were forced to sacrifice a lengthy period of personal freedom in the national interest. At the same time women’s position in society gradually began to change, and eventually the armed forces followed suit. At first assigned only to auxiliary duties, in the end women were admitted to all military tasks.  For sure the Cold War also had a social-cultural impact and served for as a backdrop in numerous films, books and songs.

The next generation, still young when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, marking the end of the chilly Cold War, knew this decades between East and West only from stories. Therefore it is necessary to pass those stories on to the next generations.  

Knowledge about the heritage of the Cold War in the Netherlands is still limited and fragmented. Moreover, due to the advanced age of experienced experts, this knowledge and skills are in danger of being quickly lost. Events and heritage from this time deserve further (archival) research and require more explanation and context. For example: what position did the Netherlands take as a NATO ally? How did the parallel infrastructure built to withstand the 'Red Danger' take shape? And how can we properly value those objects and structures - which are often forbidden, hidden and forgotten?

Colophon

Authors: Ben de Vries, Kees Neisingh, Hans Balfoort, Gustaaf Boissevain, and Kees van Leeuwen

With special thanks to Peter Poortvliet, Rob Rijntalder, Wouter van Straten, Anne Tjepkema, the RCE Cold War heritage working Group (Gustaaf Boissevain, Iris Contant, Menne Kosian (also for his thematic maps), Kees Neisingh, Raphael Smid, Marc Stappers, Ben de Vries (program manager Military Heritage), and Eric Wie), and the Menno van Coehoorn Foundation

All photos: Ben de Vries except p. 9 upper left (Robert Hoetink), p. 14 upper left and upper right (Kees van Leeuwen), p. 31 upper (Menne Kosian), p. 38 (collection Henk de Vries), p. 62 (Raphaël Smid), p. 83 (Kees Neisingh).

Photo cover: Heavy guarded entrance of former NATO headquarters Cannerberg 1954-1992 (Raphaël Smid)

© Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, 2024