Dirk Jan de Geer

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Jhr. Dirk Jan de Geer was born 14 December, 1870 in Groningen, Netherlands. He died 28 November, 1960 in Soest.

De Geer was a conservative statesman and prime minister of The Netherlands (1926–1929, 1939–1940) who was disgraced for attempting to negotiate a peace settlement between the Kingdom and Nazi Germany in 1940. He was a member of the protestant christian CHU.

After receiving his doctorate in law in 1895, De Geer worked as a journalist and acted as town councillor of Rotterdam (1901–1907). He served as a Christian Historical member of Parliament.

De Geer was a stable and respected politician before the war. However he was not suited for the role of a prime-minister of a nation at war. When the Germans attacked the Netherlands on 10 May 1940, he fled the country three days later.

When in London, he continually tried to negotiate a serperate peace between the Netherlands and the Third Reich of Adolf Hitler. He also damaged the Dutch government and the Dutch morale by openly stating that the war could never be won. Finally he was removed from office on the instigation of the iron-willed Queen Wilhelmina, and replaced by Gerbrandy.

Later on, he was sent with a diplomatic package tho the Dutch East Indies, present day Indonesia. On a stop in Portugal he left, and returned to his family in the Netherlands with the permission of the Germans. This greatly angered Queen Wilhelmina, who called him a traitor and deserter to the Dutch cause. He later wrote a controversial leaflet with "instructions" for the people on how to work together with the Germans. Wilhelmina warned him that after the liberation, he would be put on trial when it would be published.

Eventually he was accused and brought to trial. He was found guilty and stripped of all of his honorary titles. He died some 15 years later, bitter and still believing in his own innocence.

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