View source for Radical League

{{Short description|Defunct political party in the Netherlands}}
{{Politics of the Netherlands}}
The '''Radical League''' ({{langx|nl|Radicale Bond}}) was a [[Social liberalism|progressive liberal]] [[political party]] in the [[Netherlands]] from its founding in 1892 until it merged with the left wing of the [[Liberal Union (Netherlands)|Liberal Union]] to form the [[Free-thinking Democratic League]] in 1901.

==History==
The Radical League originated out of the local progressive liberal caucus "Amsterdam". Leaders of this caucus initiated the formation of a national political party in July 1892, and this resulted in the founding of the Radical League on 9 November 1892. The foremost leader of the new party was the Amsterdam [[Municipal executive#Alderman|alderman]] [[Willem Treub]]. The party focused on the extension of universal suffrage as well as combating social deprivation.<ref name=par>{{Cite web |url=https://www.parlement.com/id/vh8lnhrq0xzr/radicale_bond |title=Radicale Bond |website=Parlement.com |language=Dutch |accessdate=1 May 2021}}</ref><ref name=dnpp>{{Cite web |url=https://dnpp.nl/pp/radicalebond |title=Radicale Bond |website=Documentatiecentrum Nederlandse Politieke Partijen |language=Dutch |accessdate=1 May 2021}}</ref>

In 1893, the party won the [[Leeuwarden]] seat in a by-election. The newly elected MP was former Amsterdam alderman [[Carel Victor Gerritsen]], who was also the husband of feminist [[Aletta Jacobs]]. In 1894 the party won two additional seats. They played a minor role in parliament. In 1897 they won an additional seat. The Radicals supported the progressive liberal [[Pierson cabinet]], although they were not necessary for its majority. On 17 March 1901, the League merged with another group of progressive former Liberal Union members to form the [[Free-thinking Democratic League]].<ref name=par/><ref name=dnpp/>

==Ideology & issues==
The League was a [[Progressivism|progressive]] [[Liberalism|liberal]] and [[Radicalism (historical)|radical]] [[Democracy|democratic]] party, committed to implementation of [[universal suffrage]] and social laws. The party was inspired by ''kathedersocialisme'', the progressive politics professed by [[latitudinarian]] preachers. It championed democratisation of the political system by abolishing the [[Senate (Netherlands)|Senate]] and the implementation of a [[referendum]]. It favoured the nationalisation of crucial industries like the railways.<ref name=par/>

==Election results==
This table shows the League's results in elections to the House of Representatives.<ref name=NS>[[Dieter Nohlen]] & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p1395 {{ISBN|978-3-8329-5609-7}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Election
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! ±
! Government
|-
! [[1894 Dutch general election|1894]]
| align=right|5,151
| align=right|3.12
| {{Composition bar|3|100|hex=yellow}}
| {{increase}} 2
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1897 Dutch general election|1897]]
| align=right|14,863
| align=right|3.59
| {{Composition bar|4|100|hex=yellow}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{partial|Supporting the [[Pierson cabinet]]}}
|}

===Local government===
The party was particularly strong in Amsterdam. Treub was [[politics of the Netherlands (terminology)#Wethouder|alderman]] there.

==Electorate==
The League's electorate centered on Amsterdam, where intellectuals, journalists, teachers and educated workers supported the party.

==Pillarisation==
The small and localised Radical League lacked a system of [[pillarisation|pillarised]] organisations around it. The weekly magazine ''De Amsterdammer'' ("The Amsterdammer") sympathised with the party however.

==See also==
*[[Radicalism (historical)]]
*[[Liberalism in the Netherlands]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Defunct political parties in the Netherlands}}

[[Category:Defunct liberal political parties|Netherlands 1892]]
[[Category:Defunct political parties in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Liberal parties in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1892]]
[[Category:Radical parties]]
[[Category:Political parties disestablished in 1901]]
[[Category:1892 establishments in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:1901 disestablishments in the Netherlands]]