Farmers' Revolt
The Farmers' Revolt, also known as the Achterhoek Uprising, was a series of protests and violent clashes that occurred in the eastern Netherlands, particularly in the Achterhoek region, from 1977 to 1979. The revolt was a consequence of the Dutch government's Development Plan of 1975, which expanded urban infrastructure and built settlements for refugees of the East Indies Crisis, which led to perceived social and economic disruptions in rural Dutch communities.
Background
The East Indies Crisis and the influx of refugees
The East Indies Crisis, which began in the early 1960s, led to a significant influx of refugees into the Netherlands fleeing from Soenda. These refugees were accommodated primarily in the Randstad region. However, by the 1970s, it became increasingly clear that the area's infrastructure was nearing its maximum capacity, needing a new strategic approach by the Dutch government.
Upon assuming office as Prime Minister in 1974, Koen Haverman proposed the expansion of urban infrastructure into the Eastern Netherlands, which was predominantly agricultural. He saw the strategy not only as a short-term response to the refugee crisis, but also a long-term plan to revitalize regions that had suffered developmental stagnation since the Great War. The plan, he claimed, would "level the economic playing field across the eastern provinces."
Although generally popular, this proposal was met with significant resistance and concern from the local farming communities. The farmers perceived the government's plan as a direct threat to their livelihoods and traditional way of life.
The Development Plan of 1975
The Development Plan of 1975 (Dutch: Het ontwikkelings plan van 1975) was approved and launched in 1975, aiming to alleviate the population pressures in the Randstad, effectively manage the resettlement of over a million refugees, and rebalance socio-economic disparity between the western and eastern regions of the Netherlands.
This extensive plan included a wide range of projects: from housing developments and infrastructure upgrades, to the decentralization of government offices, creation of new job opportunities in the east, land acquisitions, and investment in educational institutions.
Eminent domain and land disputes
A controversial aspect of the development plan was the acquisition of land in the eastern provinces. Throughout 1975-1977, the Dutch government exercised eminent domain to seize land for development, with the provision of compensating the landowners and farmers at a price determined by independent assessments.
However, this process became a source of contention, primarily due to a perceived discrepancy between the actual value of the land and the compensation offered by the government. Farmers felt that the compensation they received did not reflect the true value of their land, nor did it account for potential future earnings, especially after tariff reductions with Zeylan decreased agricultural commodity prices.
Farmers and landowners began to demand fairer compensation, but the government was slow to respond to these calls. This led to the belief that the government was deliberately shortchanging the farmers on compensation, leading to further frustration and anger.
