Great Depression in the Netherlands

The Great Depression in the Netherlands (Dutch: De Grote Depressie, also called the crisis years: de Crisisjaren, de Crisistijd) occurred between 1933 and 1936,^[1] significantly later than in most other countries. It was a period of severe economic crisis in the 1930s which affected countries around the world, including the Netherlands.

In the United States, the Wall Street Crash of 1929 is understood as the start of the Great Depression. But in the Netherlands the depression started more gradually, in 1929–1931, while the economy had been in a gradual decline for a longer period. In the Netherlands the depression lasted significantly longer than in most countries, partly because of structural characteristics of the Dutch economy and partly because of the policy of the government. The refusal to drop the gold standard plays a central role. The Great Depression led to political instability and riots, and can be linked to the rise of the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands. The depression in the Netherlands lessened at the end of 1936, but real economic stability did not return until after World War II.