WWII-Battles
AFTER THE WAR
A wave of emigration:
From 1945 until 1955, the years that saw the largest emigration wave in Dutch history.When in 1955 the final count was taken, 245,000 Dutchmen turned out to have left the country, most of them never to return.In the peak year 1952 no less than 48,690 men, women and children departed.
Emigration directly related to the war:
Among the first to leave the Netherlands were the so-called 'war brides': women who had started a relationship with liberation army soldiers.Because the Canadian army played a major role in the Dutch liberation, most of the c.
Housing shortage:
After the war an important part of the housing stock appeared to be seriously damag-ed.During the occupation no new houses were built.Because of these combined factors, it was almost impossible for people who returned to the Netherlands or who wanted to get married, to find housing.
The social situation of the average citizen:
The Dutch economy was severely damaged by the war.A large part of the infrastructure that had to support the renewed production of goods and services had been destroy-ed.The government was forced to introduce a socio-economic policy of frugality.Domes-tic consumption was of secondary importance.The combination of this 'planned incomes policy' and the rationing of various consumer goods that was continued for a conside-rable period of time after the war, would deny the Dutch population any kind of luxury for some time to come.
Overpopulated:
In 1946 and 1947, just after the war, the Netherlands faced two extensive baby booms.In the same period, large groups of Dutch people from the Dutch East Indies returned to the mother country.Many people held the view that the fast increase in population growth could in the longer term lead to a new period of mass unemployment.
