In between 1968 and 1973, the Dutch Atlantic was home to four Black Power organizations: the Black Panthers of Curaçao (1968-1970), Antillean Black Power (1969-1970), the Dutch Black Panther... Show moreIn between 1968 and 1973, the Dutch Atlantic was home to four Black Power organizations: the Black Panthers of Curaçao (1968-1970), Antillean Black Power (1969-1970), the Dutch Black Panther Solidarity Committee (1969-1970), and Black Power Suriname / Afro-Sranan (1970-1973). This dissertation asks why and how these organizations aligned with the transnational movement. Based on archival research conducted in Curaçao, Suriname, the United States, and the Netherlands, it argues that they did so because Black Power offered them an alternative path to decolonization. Instead of striving for equal participation in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as colonial reformists did, or promoting self-reliance, as nationalists did, Black Power activists believed the best way to free themselves from the legacies and realities of colonialism was to join the movement's global network of Black solidarity, cooperation, and unity. Show less
This thesis explores North Korea’s influential role in the liberation of Southern Africa. Specifically, it examines the question of how political elites in Southern Africa benefitted from North... Show moreThis thesis explores North Korea’s influential role in the liberation of Southern Africa. Specifically, it examines the question of how political elites in Southern Africa benefitted from North Korean support, from 1960 until 2020. The main argument of this book is that liberation (and not the Cold War) is the leitmotif for African–North Korean relations, as the transition from anticolonial struggles to postcolonial politics is characterised by continuity not change. This approach is based on three assumptions. First, political culture in Southern Africa transcends national boundaries, which is a legacy of the exile dimension of the struggle for liberation. Second, scholarship must shift its lens from states to regimes. Third, the standard periodisation of African history and the Cold War distorts a proper understanding of African–North Korean interactions. Show less
This dissertation analyzes the changing discourses of Turkish nationalism between 1950s-1980 through the reproduction of political myths in nationalist action/adventure films with historical... Show moreThis dissertation analyzes the changing discourses of Turkish nationalism between 1950s-1980 through the reproduction of political myths in nationalist action/adventure films with historical settings. How myths narrate the nation’s spatial, ancestral, temporal roots, present situation, future, and mission is examined in seventy-one films that recreate the past within the frameworks of different historical-political contexts. The central question is: How does the depiction of the past change through time with the increasing polarizations hence nationalist militancy in the country? With a close reading in combination with film analysis, the depictions of the ideal representative of the Turkish nation, the national leader, warrior, enemies, friends, women, children, the national space, religion, and national mission are revealed. Show less
Between 1960 and 1983 the Dutch economist Dr. Albert Winsemius (1910-1996) was the most influential economic adviser to the government of Singapore and one of the leading architects of Singapore’s... Show moreBetween 1960 and 1983 the Dutch economist Dr. Albert Winsemius (1910-1996) was the most influential economic adviser to the government of Singapore and one of the leading architects of Singapore’s highly successful development model. Winsemius' beliefs and recommendations chimed with the views of Singapore’s first-generation postcolonial political leaders and quickly grew in popular appeal once they started yielding impressive economic results. Winsemius’ uncompromising hostility to communism, and at the same time his sympathy toward moderate trade unionism, were of particular importance here.This research identifies strategies and policies that contributed to Singapore's development, and that can be traced to Albert Winsemius as a historical principal. It concludes that in essence, many of these successful strategies and policies were based on Winsemius’ experiences in his earlier life and career: the economic reconstruction in the Netherlands in the years after World War Two, in which he played a key role, his empathy toward the United States and the American way of life, his contacts with other right-wing governments, and his involvement during the Cold War in the production of arms. Show less
In een periode waarin het volgens Mulisch leek of alles was versteend, klonken in de literaire tijdschriften felle proteststemmen tegen de literatuur van 'het klein geluk' en de burgerlijke... Show moreIn een periode waarin het volgens Mulisch leek of alles was versteend, klonken in de literaire tijdschriften felle proteststemmen tegen de literatuur van 'het klein geluk' en de burgerlijke consensuscultuur. De verschrikkingen van het recente verleden en de vrees voor een nieuwe oorlog beheersten het politiek-maatschappelijke klimaat. Tegelijkertijd hield Nederland krampachtig vast aan zijn rol als modelkolonisator. Deze veranderde wereld vroeg om stellingname, ook in de literatuur: 'Lyriek is de moeder der politiek', stelde Lucebert. Marije Groos laat zien hoe auteurs als Lucebert, Harry Mulisch, Jan Wolkers, Gerrit Kouwenaar, Henk Hofland en J.B. Charles in intrigerende teksten vorm gaven aan een kritisch engagement. Zij laten een ander, afwijkend geluid horen uit de 'lange jaren vijftig'. Daarnaast gaat Groos uitvoerig in op het specifiek literaire karakter van het engagement. Haar boek draagt daarmee bij aan het doorlopende debat over literatuur, autonomie en engagement. Show less
Does society need armed forces? If so, what form should they take and what position should they hold in a democratic society? Critical conscripts, conscientious objectors, professional soldiers,... Show moreDoes society need armed forces? If so, what form should they take and what position should they hold in a democratic society? Critical conscripts, conscientious objectors, professional soldiers, civilians and antimilitarists posed these questions during the Cold War. This study investigates their criticism of and protest against the armed forces and national security and defense policy in the Netherlands between 1945 and 1989. It first examines how and why the critics of the armed forces questioned its form and existence. Secondly, this study looks into the Ministry of Defense's reaction to these critics. It explores how the ministry interpreted and responded to criticism and protest. The main question of this study is to what extent did the ministry believe that the criticism undermined the armed forces' legitimacy? Show less
Does society need armed forces? If so, what form should they take and what position should they hold in a democratic society? Critical conscripts, conscientious objectors, professional soldiers,... Show moreDoes society need armed forces? If so, what form should they take and what position should they hold in a democratic society? Critical conscripts, conscientious objectors, professional soldiers, civilians and antimilitarists posed these questions during the Cold War. This study investigates their criticism of and protest against the armed forces and national security and defense policy in the Netherlands between 1945 and 1989. It first examines how and why the critics of the armed forces questioned its form and existence. Secondly, this study looks into the Ministry of Defense's reaction to these critics. It explores how the ministry interpreted and responded to criticism and protest. The main question of this study is to what extent did the ministry believe that the criticism undermined the armed forces' legitimacy? Show less
