The Benelux Countries (ca 1950)

[Music] for centuries the dream of unifying Europe under one flag has tempted European rulers Napoleon Kaiser Wilhelm Otto Hitler all trying to dominate Europe by conquest and fail now unification of a great part of Europe by peaceful cooperation is well on the way towards success motivating factor behind Union among the nations of Western Europe today is the determination to prevent Soviet expansion which is already engulfed most of the Eastern European continent we've helped from the United States under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the mutual defense assistance program the free countries of Western Europe are attempting to resolve traditional differences and present a unified front against any future Soviet communists of Russia [Music] geographically these nations occupy the central West European Plain in a continuous sweep from the Mediterranean to the north and Baltic seas they are the commercial and industrial core of the continent three of the smaller Western nations Belgium the Netherlands and Luxembourg have formed a customs union under the name Benelux aimed at abolishing economic barriers between them thereby setting a pattern of cooperation for the rest of Europe together the three countries are little more than half the size of the state of Wisconsin because their lands among Europe's most productive are located in the historic corridors of war between Germany and France the importance of the Benelux nations to the west is as vital as their position is vulnerable all three countries have similar historic backgrounds throughout past centuries their lands came under the influence of powerful Spanish French and Austrian rulers but they managed to preserve some degree of autonomy emerging ultimately as free and sovereign states [Music] though the Benelux populations are mixtures of Germanic and Latin elements with different cultural backgrounds the close proximity of the three small nations and their community of interests tends toward unification French is the major language of Luxembourg in Belgium the people speak French and Flemish a language of Germanic origin both have official status in the nation the Dutch speak a language also derived from German religious followings in the three countries are divided largely among the Protestant and Roman Catholic faiths but all faiths are allowed equal rights of worship both the three countries have much in common each has developed a unique national life and economy look some board smallest to the Benelux Union Nations is despite its size an important member the country we suffered heavily in the Battle of the Bulge in World War two has made one of the most remarkable recoveries of any of the lands overrun by the Nazis today look some Borg is in a position to make a substantial contribution to the prosperity of Europe [Music] a third of her population is engaged in agriculture principal crops arroz and potatoes [Music] there are over 100,000 head of cattle in the small country and dairy farming is extensive along the Moselle River Ridge vineyards provide an important yield to the national economy [Music] Luxembourg has the largest wine bottling plant in Europe manufactured products for domestic and foreign markets includes cigarettes furniture and leather goods little Luxembourg is the seventh greatest iron ore producing country in the world the prosperous metallurgical industry in the south employs over 5,000 workers and is largely dependent on coal from outside the nation luxembourg mills burn coal from the netherlands to produce steel for use in Belgium's factories [Music] in 1948 under the United States European aid program the Belgium Luxemburg economic union a forerunner of Benelux received 270 million dollars with her share Luxembourg has considerably strengthened her economy enabling her to make greater resources available to the community of Western nations Belgium a vital contributor to the Benelux Union has come a long way from its provincial past a progress reflected today in the gaiety and Verve of its capital of Brussels [Music] the country was liberated from the Nazis with very little destruction a factor which has allowed Belgium a quicker revival than some of her less fortunate neighbors symbol of recovery is the renewal with the United States aid of work on the long postponed tunnel between Brussels north and south stations which will facilitate movement of rail traffic linking Belgium with the rest of Europe throughout the country very new projects are underway widening and repair of highways to speed up the flow of goods [Music] improved postal service [Music] research in cattle diseases with free advice from American experts under our technical assistance program to aid European recovery the liberation of Antwerp from the Nazis in September 1944 secured strategic harbour facilities for the iliza greatly aiding the campaign into Germany possession of this key port was considered a major factor in allied plans to end World War two today her Harper is being enlarged to accommodate greater shipping capacity an extensive transit trade passes through Antwerp to greater Germany and Switzerland Belgium and the other Benelux countries are among the most heavily industrialised nations in Europe limiting and domestic resources Belgium is largely a country of conversion importing raw materials and turning them into products for world markets Belgium refines copper and minds and smelts zinc and led from her African colonies in the Congo she imports uranium ore and other strategic minerals the entire industrial life of Belgium has undergone a fundamental change in recent times due to the increase of industrial workers Belgium's quaint medieval towns still offer choice sightseeing for the tourists [Music] [Music] but the grim memory of war still hovers over the land a reminder of the determination of freemen to unite for the preservation of their freedom [Music] the Netherlands popularly known as Holland is the largest of the Benelux nations one-fifth of its land lies below sea level a fact which has shaped its peoples historic and economic destiny more than half the country would be underwater were it not for an elaborate system of dikes and sea walls despite these precautions floods have from time to time MacKinnon dated the land recently a disastrous flood laid waste to over 400,000 acres over 1,700 people lost their lives and damages were estimated at about a quarter of a billion dollars land restored from the sea now makes up about 40 percent of the country's total area [Music] over the centuries the Dutch have grown expert at draining and reclaiming their soil research laboratories under government aid carry on continuous experiments aimed at improving Reclamation and soil protection methods [Music] hard work courage and faith have enabled the Dutch to bring about a modern miracle in making their submerged soil fertile [Music] the Netherlands agricultural lands will have been increased by 10 percent when current reclamation projects are completed [Music] though some fruits and vegetables are exported much of the nation's food must be brought into the country modern sources of power have largely replaced wind power however many of Holland's traditional windmills are still in use to pump water for the low-lying lands up to the higher sea horticulture is one of the country's cheap activities Holland is famous for its cultivation of tulips export of flower bulbs to all parts of the world totals about 35 million dollars annually a substantial part of the national income [Music] many of the Dutch earn their living from fishing important to Holland's food supply Dutch herring mussels oysters and freshwater fish are among the principal catch [Music] large quantities of the fishing yield are exported while the Netherlands like Belgium must import most of her raw materials she has rich coal deposits in the southeast which supply much of the industrial power needed coal production for a man our here is the highest in Western Europe [Music] become tree supplies one-third of its domestic oil needs greater industrialization of the Netherlands followed World War two when the Dutch realising their country's vulnerability abandoned their traditional policy of neutrality and settled down to the business of producing for national security cooperation were the Western democracies brought United States aid and employment to 40% of the nation's workers [Music] shipbuilding is one of the major industries the Netherlands ranks third among the world's shipbuilding countries the manufacture of textiles accounts for 15% of the Netherlands total industrial labour Holland is one of the largest exporters of rayon Dutch industries also include the cutting and polishing of diamonds [Music] manufacture of construction materials [Music] and the making of machinery and electrical equipment [Music] this modern x-ray machine is an international affair assembled in the Netherlands the motorist from Belgium and the high-tension apparatus from the United States the Dutch to a thriving export business and dairy products [Music] the traditional market at Alomar is the center of Holland's cheese tray [Music] Holland ranks first among Europe's beer producers annual exports amount to about six and a half million gallons [Music] Dutch liqueurs our world-famous [Music] Rotterdam at the gateway to Western Europe's great industrial centers is the largest port on the European continent and third-largest in the world making the Netherlands one of the leaders in world shipping [Music] capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam for centuries one of Europe's great financial and trade centres here the old and the new go hand in hand as the city recovering from the carnage of World War two builds for tomorrow [Music] the Netherlands has a population density higher than that of any European country [Music] it is becoming more and more difficult for Holland and the other two Benelux nations to absorb their rapidly growing populations now totaling about 19 million [Music] at The Hague ceded the Dutch government and meeting place of historic international conferences the Netherlands Prime Minister and cabinet deliberate problems typical of those common to all three of the Benelux constitutional monarchies vital to their welfare is the need for the closest economic Association as they are utterly dependent of uninterrupted trade [Music] under the Benelux customs union which was adopted in 1948 Belgium the Netherlands and Luxembourg agreed not to levy duties on each other's imports eventual achievement of their goal of complete economic union will increase production and prosperity in all three countries and give them greater security sovereignty and the sense of national allegiance remains strong among them but the past has taught them that their salvation as individual nations depends not only on cooperation among themselves but with the larger units of the West European Union all three are committed to the support of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and participate in joint maneuvers [Music] as members of the United Nations they have contributed units to the UN campaign in Korea they are currently attempting to make more forces available to the European defense community the Benelux union is a beginning it has charted away for other European nations in today's world our united Europe cooperating with other free peoples is no longer a visionary goal it is a practical necessity the survival of the free world may well depend on the voluntary agreement among free nations to join all of their resources and stand together firmly against aggression [Music]