It is now 80 years since Nazi Germany was expelled from Dutch territory by both domestic and foreign forces. Never before had the Dutch people shown such a form of national unity. The sense of Dutch patriotism and hatred of the fascist occupiers could only come from one thing, the events of February 1941. Every child growing up in the Netherlands will see in the February Strike a sign of national unity. For us Communists, there will always be a deeper meaning behind it.

In February of the year 1941, something unprecedented happened. Across the country, hundreds of thousands of workers laid off work in solidarity with the Jews who were being persecuted. Workers, especially in Amsterdam, led by the banned and suppressed Communist Party of the Netherlands, revolted en masse against the Nazi German authorities. There had been considerable popular unrest for some time. In May 1940, when the German militarists also made their advance against the Netherlands, it was the Dutch government and the Queen who fled the country, abandoning their people. The remnants of the bourgeois parties, in cooperation with the Nazi German occupation, formed a sham government that would rule the Netherlands. The “Civic Committee,” as it was called, consisted of social democrats, fascists and liberals. Of all the parties in parliament, it was only the Communist Party of the Netherlands that showed heroic resistance to the Nazi German occupation. All civil servants were also imposed a so-called “Aryan Declaration.” Many officials signed it without question. Through the municipalities’ archives and anti-Semitism within the government, the Nazi German occupation soon had a picture of who all were Jewish and where they were located. The NSB (fascist party of the Netherlands), under the supervision of the Nazi German occupation, now had a free hand to send its thugs to target Jewish communities. Jews throughout the country had fallen victim to atrocities committed by the NSB’s thugs. On February 13, twelve days before the February Strike, a number of Amsterdam Jews, at the initiative of the Nazi German occupation, founded the treacherous Jewish Council. This organization demanded that all Jews surrender their weapons and offer no resistance to the Nazi German occupation. When an NSB fanatic died on Feb. 14 during a fight with communist thugs, there was sufficient reason for the fascists to proceed with mass raids. On Feb. 22 and 23, 427 Jewish men were rounded up in Amsterdam and deported to concentration camps. Many Amsterdam residents witnessed this crime against the Jewish population of Amsterdam. The pacifism of the Dutch people and acceptance of the occupation was no longer enough for the Dutch workers. They no longer wanted to stand by defenselessly as the Nazi Germans and their NSB lapdogs persecuted Jews en masse. Of the 427 Jews rounded up, 425 would die in concentration camps. 

The course of the Communist Party of the Netherlands remained unchanged in the early days of the Nazi German occupation. Unlike the national government, which at that time had long since fled the Netherlands, the primary objective of the Communist Party of the Netherlands was the mobilization of the people against the occupation and the anti-Jewish measures undertaken by the occupying forces. At the time, the Communist Party of the Netherlands was led by the triumvirate of Jan Dieters, Lou Jansen and Paul de Groot. They quickly saw in the dissatisfaction of the people an opportunity to establish a more decisive and active resistance. And so, after all that had been going on for the past few months, on the evening of the 24th, in the presence of four hundred resistance members, the choice was made to mobilize the Amsterdam workers in one massive strike that would shake the foundations of our country. 

Strike! Strike! Strike!

With those words, the brave cadres of the Communist Party of the Netherlands managed to persuade the workers of the Netherlands to cease work. On the morning of the 25th and 26th, hundreds of thousands of workers in Amsterdam and other cities in the Netherlands stopped work. Amsterdam had mobilized en masse against the new “government” and fascist legislation. The fascists, terrified of a nationwide uprising at this point, quickly decided to ruthlessly end the strike. Using violence and manslaughter, they managed to drive out the strikers after two days. After killing nine workers and arresting many more, they decided to openly hunt down the organizers of the strike. 22 Communists were arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison for their part in mobilizing the people of Amsterdam. 

The strike served a dual purpose. First, the immediate release of all Amsterdam Jews rounded up and persecuted on February 22 and 23. Second, to improve the consciousness of the Dutch in the struggle against the Nazi German occupation. On the 25th, the Dutch really understood that only with resistance and struggle could the fascists be defeated and driven out. Therefore, the February Strike served as a foundation upon which the later Dutch resistance would build.

After liberation, all parties deeply connected with collaboration with the Nazi German occupation could safely return to their old roles in parliament. Even “Her Majesty” and her cowardly government who had fled the Netherlands returned without being held responsible for their treason. Only the Communist Party of the Netherlands, of all the parties in parliament, stood against the German militarists and decided to fight for the Dutch people. In gratitude for this patriotic struggle against fascism, the Communist Party was targeted. During the postwar anti-Communist propaganda offensive, it had to be quickly forgotten what role the Communist Party played in the Dutch resistance and the role all parties had in the creation of a collaborationist regime. Therefore, we must neither forgive nor forget those who were on the side of collaboration in our darkest hour.

Therefore, let us remember all the fallen heroes of the Dutch resistance on Feb. 25.