History
In 1862, "A Memory of Solferino" appeared, in which Swiss businessman Jean Henri Dunant recounted what he had found after the Battle of Solferino: a battlefield with 40,000 wounded soldiers, left unkempt by the armies that had fought there. The Dutch army doctor Johan Basting translated the book in early 1863 and was received by Queen Mother Anna Pavlovna and Prince Frederik. In October of that year, Basting was delegated to the international conference in Geneva, but without a mandate. The Dutch government was very reticent in matters pertaining to international politics. In November 1864 it did sign the First Geneva Convention on the treatment of wounded and prisoners of war and the status of neutral aid workers. Basting, meanwhile, continued to strive for a national organization, such as had already been created in a number of countries. On July 19, 1867, King Willem III signed the Royal Decree no. 60 at Het Loo Palace, the first article of which reads: “There shall be a Nederlandsche Vereeniging to provide aid to sick and wounded soldiers in time of war, whether the Netherlands whether it is involved.” The first Main Committee and the first honorary members were appointed by Royal Decree of July 31, 1867, no 71. These honorary members were: Henri Dunant, Lieutenant Colonel W.J. Button, Dr. J.H.Ch. Basting and the former naval officer C.W.M. van de Velde. The first chairman was Prof. Dr. J. Bosscha (1867-1872).References
External links
* 1867 establishments in the Netherlands Medical and health organisations based in the Netherlands Organizations established in 1867 Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies {{Netherlands-org-stub