Schermerhorn–Drees cabinet
The Schermerhorn–Drees cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 25 June 1945 until 3 July 1946. The cabinet was formed by the christian-democratic Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP), the social-democratic Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) and the social-liberal Free-thinking Democratic League (VDB) by royal decree following the end of World War II. The cabinet was a provisional centrist grand coalition and had a substantial majority in the House of Representatives with prominent civil engineer Willem Schermerhorn of the Free-thinking Democratic League serving as Prime Minister. Social Democratic Leader  Willem Drees served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs. The cabinet served during early days of the post-war 1940s. Domestically the beginning of the recovery and rebuilding following World War II started with the Marshall Plan, it was also to implement several major social reforms to social security. Internationally the formation of the United Nations was started and the beginning of the decolonization of the Dutch East Indies. Introduction. The Schermerhorn–Drees cabinet, the first Dutch cabinet after World War II, was appointed by Queen Wilhelmina just a month after the Netherlands were liberated by the  Allied forces. It was a royal cabinet (which means that the cabinet is appointed by the Queen, and is not the result of an election). The States-General of the Netherlands did not function yet and would not become functional until November 1945. The Schermerhorn–Drees cabinet consisted of ministers from the SDAP (which in 1946 merged with the VDB and the CDU to become the post-War Labour Party), the CHU minister Dr. Piet Lieftinck (who would become a member of the PvdA on 9 February 1946), the ARP and the RKSP (named the KVP on 22 December 1945 ). Prime Minister Willem Schermerhorn was a member of the VDB, but would later become a member of the PvdA. Deputy Prime Minister Willem Drees was a member of the SDAP. Cabinet actions. One of the main tasks of the cabinet was to revive the Dutch economy after the war and to rebuild the devastated infrastructure (ports, railroads, roads). Furthermore the Dutch administration had to be restored. Furthermore the cabinet had to deal with the arrest and prosecution of Dutch war criminals and Dutch collaborators. Until August 1945 the war against Japan in the Dutch East Indies was also a main  objective of the cabinet. After the Japanese surrender the cabinet was faced with the Indonesian nationalists Sukarno and Hatta, who proclaimed the independence of their country. Another objective of the cabinet was the purification of the black money circuit. During the period the bank accounts in the Netherlands were under investigation by the Ministry of Finance, every Dutch citizen was given 10 guilders by the cabinet, in the Netherlands known as 'Het tientje van Lieftinck' (Lieftinck's tenner), named after the minister of Finance, Dr. Lieftinck.