The country that ate its own Prime Minister: Europe’s darkest political horror

An angry mob doesn't just kill their leader, they also eat them. And if you think that is not a possibility, a piece of the past from the Dutch history is right there on the internet to prove otherwise. They not only ate their Prime Minister, but also sold his body parts as souvenirs and it is a tale worth recounting.

The country that ate its own Prime Minister

It was 1588, and the Dutch Golden Age. This was the time of the art of Rembrandt, the invention of the microscope and the spice trade of the Dutch East India Company. What began as a journey towards a shining future ended in the blazing flames of mob justice.

In 1672, this age came to an end in a year that came to be known as the 'Rampjaar' or disaster year. The republic had been invaded by France, England, Münster, and Cologne simultaneously, nearly ending its existence.

Angry rioters in today-Netherlands killed the recently ousted head of state Johan de Witt and his brother Cornelis, enraged by decades of torture and a fake news campaign. The mob hung the two upside down, removed their organs and ate parts of the corpses. Moreover, they sold their fingers and tongues as souvenirs.

In a time of torture and assassination, the history of the country stands out due to the extremely grisly act. However, it also serves as a reminder of just how powerful and inciting misinformation can be.

What really happened?

The attack on the leader brothers was fuelled by a relentless propaganda and a series of forgeries claiming they were corrupt, immoral elitists who had conspired with the enemies of the Dutch Republic.

Those behind the smear campaigns blamed Johan for war with England and “all the bloodshed, killing and injuring, the crippled and mutilated people, including widows and orphans” that allegedly kept him in power. Satirists, pamphleteers and activists seized the moment to ramp up the uproar, leading to Johan being assaulted and stabbed in an attempted assassination in June 1962, resigning from his role as the head of the state, two months later.

Then, Cornelis was arrested for treason. When his brother came to visit him in prison, the guards and soldiers disappeared, letting the mob make its way and drag the brothers onto the street.

King William III was suspected of having orchestrated the whole murder but the assumptions were never confirmed. What this means for society is that at times, revelations aren't the truth, they are carefully manipulated segments of information, placed strategically to ensure the achievement of one party's motives.