The most prominent call for revolution came from Pieter Jelles Troelstra, leader of the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP).

On 13 November, revolutionary socialists led by David Wijnkoop and Henriette Roland Holst organised a demonstration in Amsterdam, which turned violent and resulted in the deaths of four protesters.

Despite this neutrality, conscripts were mobilised, and food was rationed due to shortages, occasionally resulting in unrest, such as the 1917 Potato riots in Amsterdam.

[6] Unlike the SDP and SDB, the SDAP sought to achieve its objectives through parliamentary methods, but did not rule out a revolution.

In contrast, the General League of Roman Catholic Electoral Associations (ABRK) won 30 seats and formed the right-wing first Ruijs de Beerenbrouck cabinet together with the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and the Christian Historical Union (CHU).

[9] On 25 October 1918, soldiers at the Harskamp military camp [nl] rioted due to their conditions,[10] particularly the withdrawal of leave.

[9] The riot was quickly suppressed, although some unrest spread to other military camps, raising concerns about the reliability of the army.

Party chair Willem Vliegen called revolution in a democracy foolish and noted "I did not fight for 25 years for universal suffrage, only to abolish it a few months after its introduction.

[14] The trade union supported preparations for a revolutionary situation, but primarily to prevent a destabilising general strike.

Consequently, they decided to have a small group — including Troelstra, Amsterdam alderman Floor Wibaut [nl] and NVV leader Jan Oudegeest — rewrite the manifesto without the controversial passages.

A demonstration in Amsterdam on 7 November led by SDP member Henriette Roland Holst was attended by only a few hundred people and was stopped by the police.

The liberal leadership, who met with prime minister Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck on that day, thought that the revolution was unstoppable and that a few socialists should be included in the cabinet.

[19] The next day, Troelstra met with Heijkoop and Brautigam, as well as MPs Goswijn Sannes and Willem Albarda, and local SDAP chair Arie de Zeeuw [nl].

In the afternoon, local SDAP and trade union leaders convened to discuss the plan, which included a list of demands and the proposal for a soldiers' council to assume control of the police, army, and postal services.

However, several attendees, including Jan ter Laan and Suze Groeneweg, opposed the plan, arguing that there were no indications of a revolution and that Nijgh and Zimmerman's stance did not suggest they would willingly transfer power.

[21] On 11 November, the commission led by Oudegeest published a list of 15 demands, which included immediate demobilisation, women's suffrage, abolishment of the Senate, eight-hour work days and state pensions at age of 60.

[22] The liberal Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant (NRC) called the demands "not unreasonable" the same day and even supported some reforms.

These demands partially overlapped with the social-democrats, such as legal regulation of collective labor agreements, insurance against unemployment, illness, and incapacity for work, and state pensions.

[27] In his reply, Troelstra argued that it was too late for small reforms or the increase of bread rations, and that the time had come for political power.

[28] In his hours long speech he said: I give you my word of honor – I speak on behalf of our entire party and the modern labor movement –: we must have nothing to do with violence.

The Catholic Minister of Labour Piet Aalberse, who had been supportive of social reforms, feared that concessions would make the government look weak and strengthen the revolution.

[32] A day later Ruijs de Beerenbrouck nevertheless announced the introduction of women's suffrage,[33] which was celebrated by Het Volk as a concession.

[32] Already on 7 November, Carel Gerretson and Horace van Gybland Oosterhoff [nl], two private secretaries of Bataafse Petroleum Maatschappij CEO and prominent ARP member Hendrikus Colijn, sent a note to CHU leader Alexander de Savornin Lohman urging the government to take precautions against a possible revolution.

[39] The Revolutionary Socialist Committee, a collaboration of extreme left organisations dominated by the SDP, convened on the afternoon of 13 November at Nieuwe Achtergracht 140 in Amsterdam.

Speakers included Roland Holst and the anarchist preacher Nicolaas Jacob Cornelis Schermerhorn [nl].

[42] After this event, they held a demonstration led by Roland Holst, Wijnkoop and leader of the League of Christian Socialists Willy Kruyt.

[46] A part of the demonstration then moved to the nearby Oranje-Nassau Kazerne, where soldiers were ordered to fire if protesters wanted to enter.

In front of the gate, Roland Holst held a speech, while according to stories, Wijnkoop fainted from shock and asked bystanders for a glass of water.

During the party conference in Rotterdam on 16 and 17 November, most speakers made it clear that they did not want a revolution, but they maintained their demands for reform.

Preparatory actions for a revolutionary act were forbidden, including maintaining contacts with foreign countries if it involved preparing for a 'revolution within the empire in Europe.