Diplomaten, consuls en tolken: De 'buitenlandse dienst' van Nederland 1814-1946

This study retraces the history of the ‘foreign service’ of the Netherlands between 1814 and 1946 in the light of bureaucratic, professional and democratic developments. The trio recruiting, selection and training on the one hand and the diptych ability and suitability on the other serve as guidelines. The year 1946 constitutes a logical conclusion of this period owing to the formation of the new Foreign Service, which replaced the former separate services for diplomats, consuls and interpreters. By contrast, the year 1814 is of a more symbolic mature, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ‘foreign service’ had been re-established following the regained independence of the nation. After all, the bureaucratic and professional processes that pertained to the handling of the Netherlands’ external relations had already been put in motion during the Batavian-French period.
During the first fifteen years of the reign of King Willem I, various circumstances encouraged the process of making the ‘foreign service’ more bureaucratic and professional. The energetic manager Willem I had high expectations of his kingdom as a (semi-)great power while his competent and long-serving minister for Foreign Affairs, Verstolk van Soelen, did his utmost to improve the recruiting, selection and training of future diplomats. That the eventual results were meagre resulted largely from the separation of Belgium in 1830 and the following general political, social and financial depression. However, the successors of minister Verstolk van Soelen could fall back upon the work he had already done. For example, minister De la Sarraz was succesful in establishing an entrance examination for the diplomatic service in 1846. But as a consequence of the accesion to the throne of Willem III in 1849, who was less interested in affairs of state than his father and grandfather, and the dominant position of the liberal movement following the constitutional amendment in 1848, the ‘foreign service’ was stagnated for years on end. Only by the middle of the 1870s, did things start to move ahead for the ‘foreign service’. A real consular service was brought about in 1874, while an integral regulation for the diplomats was established in 1881. Finally, the interpretation services were regulated in 1909 and 1910. Consequently, since 1910, the minister for Foreign Affairs could dispose of a real ‘foreign service’.
However, the field of professionalism left much to be desired, if only regarding the rather inefficiënt differentiation between diplomats, consuls and interpreters. Furthermore, democratic developments lagged behind. But until the Second World War, hardly any improvement could be noted in the afore-mentioned fields. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was not very open to change and obviously needed a shock-therapy before it was willing to pursue any kind of innovation. That shock came when the Netherlands was dragged into the war despite its strict policy of neutrality. The regulation pertaining to the new Foreign Service of 1946 complied with broadly supported wishes – at least in writing – for a more professional and democratic service.