Herman Daendels
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Herman Willem Daendels (21 October 1762 – 2 May 1818) was a Dutch military officer and colonial administrator who served as
governor-general of the Dutch East Indies The governor-general of the Dutch East Indies (, ) represented Dutch rule in the Dutch East Indies between 1610 and Dutch recognition of the independence of Indonesia in 1949. Occupied by Japanese forces between 1942 and 1945, followed by the ...
from 1808 to 1811.


Early life

Herman Willem Daendels was born on 21 October 1762 in
Hattem Hattem () is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands. The municipality had a population of in . The municipality includes the hamlet of 't Zand. Name origin The name “Hattem” is a typical farmyard name. The exact origin of “H ...
,
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
. His father, Burchard Johan Daendels, served as a mayoral secretary; his mother was Josina Christina Tulleken. Daendels pursued a legal education at the
University of Harderwijk The University of Harderwijk (1648–1811), also named the ''Guelders Academy'' (), was located in the city of Harderwijk, in the Republic of the United Provinces (now: the Netherlands). It was founded by the province of Guelders (Gelre). Hist ...
and obtained his doctorate on 10 April 1783.


Political activity

In 1785, Daendels aligned himself with the
Patriots A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot(s) or The Patriot(s) may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American R ...
, a faction gaining control in various Dutch cities. In September 1786, he unsuccessfully defended the town of Hattem against troops loyal to the
stadholder In the Low Countries, a stadtholder ( ) was a steward, first appointed as a medieval official and ultimately functioning as a national leader. The ''stadtholder'' was the replacement of the duke or count of a province during the Burgundian and ...
. The following year, in September 1787, Daendels played a role in the defense of
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
against the invading
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
n army, which aimed to reinstate
William V of Orange William V (Willem Batavus; 8 March 1748 – 9 April 1806) was Prince of Orange and the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic. He went into exile to London in 1795. He was furthermore ruler of the Principality of Orange-Nassau until his death in ...
. Subsequently, when William V regained power, Daendels fled to
French Flanders French Flanders ( ; ; ) is a part of the historical County of Flanders, where Flemish—a Low Franconian dialect cluster of Dutch—was (and to some extent, still is) traditionally spoken. The region lies in the modern-day northern French regi ...
to evade a death sentence resulting from the Patriots' defeat. During this time, he closely observed the French Revolution unfolding. In 1794, Daendels returned to the Netherlands as a
general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
in the French revolutionary army, serving under General
Charles Pichegru Jean-Charles Pichegru (; 16 February 1761 – 5 April 1804) was a French general of the Revolutionary Wars. Under his command, French troops overran Belgium and the Netherlands before fighting on the Rhine front. His royalist positions led to h ...
and commanding the
Batavian Legion The Batavian Legion (''légion batave'' or ''légion franche étrangère batave'') was a unit of Dutch volunteers under French command, created and dissolved in 1793. History The project to regroup the supporters of the Patriot Revolt in exile in ...
. He actively supported the elevation of unitarian politician
Pieter Vreede Pieter Vreede (October 8, 1750– September 21, 1837) was a Dutch politician of the Batavian Republic in the 18th century. Vreede was born in Leiden and died in Heusden. He was a prominent critic of stadholderian misrule and of the urban pat ...
to power through a
coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
on 25 January 1798. This move was motivated by dissatisfaction with the conservative-moderate majority in parliament, which hindered the development of a more democratic and
centralized Centralisation or centralization (American English) is the process by which the activities of an organisation, particularly those regarding planning, decision-making, and framing strategies and policies, become concentrated within a particular ...
constitution. However, Vreede's rule did not yield the anticipated outcomes, leading to another
coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
against him on 14 June 1798, in which Daendels played a role. In the
Batavian Republic The Batavian Republic (; ) was the Succession of states, successor state to the Dutch Republic, Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on 19 January 1795 after the Batavian Revolution and ended on 5 June 1806, with the acce ...
, Daendels held various political positions but was compelled to resign after failing to avert the
Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland The Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland (or Anglo-Russian expedition to Holland, or Helder Expedition) was a military campaign from 27 August to 19 November 1799 during the War of the Second Coalition, in which an expeditionary force of British and ...
in 1799. He later pursued farming in
Heerde Heerde () is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a town in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Gelderland, in the eastern Netherlands. Compared to the rest of the Netherlands, Heerde is fairly religious, as are many of t ...
,
Gelderland Gelderland ( , ), also known as Guelders ( ) in English, is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands, located in the centre-east of the country. With a total area of of which is water, it is the largest province of the Nethe ...
.


Military and colonial career


Governor-general of the Dutch East Indies

Louis Bonaparte Louis Bonaparte (born Luigi Buonaparte; 2 September 1778 – 25 July 1846) was a younger brother of Napoleon, Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. He was a monarch in his own right from 1806 to 1810, ruling over the Kingdom of Holland (a French c ...
appointed Daendels as
colonel-general Colonel general is a military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a rank above full , but be ...
in 1806 and
governor-general of the Dutch East Indies The governor-general of the Dutch East Indies (, ) represented Dutch rule in the Dutch East Indies between 1610 and Dutch recognition of the independence of Indonesia in 1949. Occupied by Japanese forces between 1942 and 1945, followed by the ...
in 1807. Daendels arrived in Batavia (now
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
) on 5 January 1808 after a lengthy voyage, assuming the role previously held by
Albertus Henricus Wiese Albertus Henricus Wiese (1761 – 7 January 1810) was a Dutch colonial administrator who served as the governor-general of the Dutch East Indies from 1805 to 1808, during which time the Dutch Republic became, during the French Revolutionary and ...
. His primary objective was to defend the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
from British attacks. During his tenure, Daendels undertook various infrastructure projects. He established new hospitals and military barracks, constructed arms factories in
Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
and
Semarang Semarang (Javanese script, Javanese: , ''Kutha Semarang'') is the capital and largest city of Central Java province in Indonesia. It was a major port during the Netherlands, Dutch Dutch East Indies, colonial era, and is still an important regio ...
, and founded a military college in Batavia. The Castle in Batavia was dismantled and replaced by a new fort in Meester Cornelis (
Jatinegara Jatinegara (originally known as Meester Cornelis or Meester/Mester for short) is one of the districts () of the administrative city of East Jakarta, Indonesia. The name also refers to the larger, historic area of the colonial town of Meester Corn ...
). At the same time, ''Fort Lodewijk'' (Fort Ludwig) was built in
Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
. Additionally, he relocated the central government from
Old Batavia Kota Tua Jakarta ( Indonesian for "Jakarta Old Town"), officially known as Kota Tua, is a neighborhood comprising the original downtown area of Jakarta, Indonesia. It is also known as (Dutch for "Old Batavia"), ("Lower City", contrasting it wi ...
to
Weltevreden Weltevreden may refer to: *Sawah Besar, a subdistrict of Central Jakarta, Indonesia, the core of the larger colonial district of Weltevreden in Batavia, Java *Weltevreden, Java Sawah Besar is a Districts of Indonesia, district (''kecamatan'') of ...
and commissioned the construction of a palace in Paradeplaats. His most renowned achievement was the
Great Post Road The Great Post Road (, ) is the name for the historical road that runs across Java and connects Anyer with Panarukan. It was built during the administration of Herman Willem Daendels (1808–1811), Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, ...
() that spanned northern
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
from
Anyer Anyer, also known as Anjer or Angier, is a coastal town in Banten, formerly West Java, Indonesia, west of Jakarta and south of Merak. A significant coastal town late 18th century, Anyer faces the Sunda Strait. History The town was a considerab ...
to
Panarukan Panarukan is a district in Situbondo Regency, East Java, Indonesia. This district is about 8 km from the capital town of Situbondo to the west. It covers an area of 59.97 km2 and had a population of 59,084 as at mid 2023.Badan Pusat Statistik ...
. Today, this road serves as the main thoroughfare on the island, known as Jalur Pantura. Notably, the construction of this thousand-kilometer road in a single year resulted in the deaths of numerous Javanese forced laborers. Daendels adopted a stern stance towards Javanese rulers, causing them to align themselves with the British against the Dutch. He also imposed forced labor (''Rodi'') on the population of Java, which sparked rebellious incidents like the ones in Cadas Pangeran,
West Java West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...
. Opinions differ regarding the extent to which Daendels improved the efficiency of the local
bureaucracy Bureaucracy ( ) is a system of organization where laws or regulatory authority are implemented by civil servants or non-elected officials (most of the time). Historically, a bureaucracy was a government administration managed by departments ...
and curbed corruption, although he accumulated personal wealth during his time in office. Despite his efforts to bolster defenses, Daendels was unsuccessful in halting the British
invasion of the Spice Islands An invasion is a military offensive of combatants of one geopolitical entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory controlled by another similar entity, often involving acts of aggression. Generally, invasions have objectives of c ...
in 1810.


General in Napoleon's

During the incorporation of the
Kingdom of Holland The Kingdom of Holland ( (contemporary), (modern); ) was the successor state of the Batavian Republic. It was created by Napoleon Bonaparte in March 1806 in order to strengthen control over the Netherlands by replacing the republican governmen ...
into
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
in 1810, Daendels returned to Holland and resided in Paris by November 1811. He was appointed as a
divisional general Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...
( major general) and assumed command of the 26th Division of the . This division consisted of troops from Baden, Hesse-Darmstadt, and Berg. In mid-March 1812, Daendels was appointed as the commander of the 26th Division, serving under
Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...
Victor as part of
IX Corps 9 Corps, 9th Corps, Ninth Corps, or IX Corps may refer to: France * 9th Army Corps (France) * IX Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * IX Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German ...
, which acted as a reserve. In August, Victor received orders to march eastward, joining the Badeners in the Russian campaign 1812. Daendels arrived in Vilnius on 8 and 15 September, subsequently reaching Minsk. On 11 October, his division moved to
Babinovichi Babinavichy (; ) is an Agrotown (Belarus), agrotown in Lyozna District, Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Babinavichy selsoviet. History The town traditionally supplied timber for the Imperial Russian Navy, as i ...
, and on 20 October, they received orders to proceed to
Vitebsk Vitebsk or Vitsyebsk (, ; , ; ) is a city in northern Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Vitebsk Region and Vitebsk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it has 358,927 inhabitants, m ...
. By 27 October, they had occupied the nearby town of
Beshankovichy Beshankovichy (; ; ) is an urban-type settlement in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Beshankovichy District and is a port on the Western Dvina. It is located west-southwest of Vitebsk on the railway line betwe ...
. The following day, temperatures dropped below zero. The supplies in Vitebsk were lost when the Russian army captured the city, and it began to snow on 29 October. On 11 November, Daendels and the rearguard arrived in
Chashniki Chashniki is a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Chashniki District. It is famous for the Battle of Ula during the Livonian War and the Battle of Chashniki that took place during the French invasion of ...
, approximately 90 km southwest of their previous location. On 14 November, during the
battle of Smoliani At the Battle of Smoliani (November 13–14, 1812), the Russians under General Peter Wittgenstein defeated the French forces of Marshal Claude Victor and Marshal Nicholas Oudinot. This battle was the last effort of the French to reestablish th ...
, the French suffered the loss of 3,000 men against General
Peter Wittgenstein Louis Adolf Peter, 1st Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Ludwigsburg-Berleburg (; ; ''Pyotr Christianovitch Wittgenstein''; – 11 June 1843), better known as Peter Wittgenstein in English, was a prince of the German dynasty of Sayn-Wittgenstein ...
, and heavy snowfall of about 1.5 meters occurred that day. Four days later, the supplies in Minsk were also lost when
Pavel Chichagov Pavel Vasilyevich Chichagov or Tchichagov (; ) was a Russian army and naval commander of the Napoleonic Wars. Biography He was born in 1767 in Saint Petersburg, the son of Admiral Vasily Chichagov and his English wife. At the age of 12 he was ...
captured the city. On 24 November, Daendels skirmished with some Russians but reunited with the rest of the French army near Bobr. Subsequently, all the French soldiers proceeded to Borisov, where the Russian army destroyed a crucial bridge crossing the Berezina River. Daendels' division, consisting of 4,000 men, played a decisive role in the
Battle of Berezina The Battle of (the) Berezina (or Beresina) took place from 26 to 29 November 1812, between Napoleon's and the Imperial Russian Army under Field Marshal Peter Wittgenstein, Wittgenstein and Admiral Pavel Chichagov, Chichagov. Napoleon was retre ...
. From February 1813 until December 1813, General Daendels commanded Polish forces defending the
Modlin Fortress Modlin Fortress () is one of the largest 19th-century fortresses in Poland. It is located in the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki in district Modlin (village), Modlin on the Narew river, approximately 50 kilometers north of Warsaw. It was original ...
, located northwest of Warsaw. It was the final French stronghold along the Vistula to surrender.


Governor-general of the Dutch Gold Coast

Following the downfall of
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
, concerns arose within the Dutch government, including
King William I William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...
, regarding the potential influence and oppositional leadership of Daendels. To prevent this, he was appointed as the governor-general of the
Dutch Gold Coast The Dutch Gold Coast or Dutch Guinea, officially Dutch possessions on the Coast of Guinea (Dutch language, Dutch: ''Nederlandse Bezittingen ter Kuste van Guinea'') was a portion of contemporary Ghana that was gradually colonized by the Dutch (et ...
(now part of
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
) and effectively prohibited from returning to the Netherlands. After the abolition of the
Atlantic slave trade The Atlantic slave trade or transatlantic slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of Slavery in Africa, enslaved African people to the Americas. European slave ships regularly used the triangular trade route and its Middle Pass ...
, Daendels aimed to revitalize the neglected Dutch territories into an African
plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...
colony A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their ''metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often orga ...
focused on legitimate business. Leveraging his experience from the East Indies, he devised ambitious infrastructure projects, such as a comprehensive road network with a primary route connecting Elmina and
Kumasi Kumasi is a city and the capital of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It is the second largest city in the country, with a population of 443,981 as of the 2021 census. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region ...
in Ashanti. The Dutch government granted him considerable autonomy and a substantial budget to execute his plans. Simultaneously, Daendels viewed his governorship as an opportunity to establish a personal monopoly on business in the
Dutch Gold Coast The Dutch Gold Coast or Dutch Guinea, officially Dutch possessions on the Coast of Guinea (Dutch language, Dutch: ''Nederlandse Bezittingen ter Kuste van Guinea'') was a portion of contemporary Ghana that was gradually colonized by the Dutch (et ...
. In 1817, the British accused Daendels of supporting and facilitating the
Atlantic slave trade The Atlantic slave trade or transatlantic slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of Slavery in Africa, enslaved African people to the Americas. European slave ships regularly used the triangular trade route and its Middle Pass ...
, despite its prohibition by both the British and Dutch authorities, from his position at the Elmina fort, which was then under Dutch control. On 5 March 1817, the British governor of Cape Coast, John Smith, wrote to the African Committee in Parliament in London, stating, "We deem it our duty to inform you of the conduct of General Daendels, who is acting independent of his Government. Portuguese vessels were furnished with canoes, and Spaniards were supplied with water. At the beginning of last month, a large Spanish ship was four days at anchor in Elmina roads, receiving water and bartering dollars for goods suited for the purchase of slaves."Metcalfe, ''The Last Years of the Company of Merchants, 1807–1821'', p. 38 None of Daendels' infrastructure plans came to fruition, as he succumbed to
malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...
on 2 May 1818 while in the castle of St. George d'Elmina, which served as the Dutch seat of government. His body was interred in the central tomb at the Dutch cemetery in Elmina. He had been in the country less than two years.


References


External links


Encyclopædia Britannica, Herman Willem Daendels
University of Harderwijk alumni {{DEFAULTSORT:Daendels, Herman Willem 1762 births 1818 deaths Colonial governors of the Dutch Gold Coast Deaths from malaria Dutch Gold Coast 18th-century Dutch lawyers Dutch military commanders of the Napoleonic Wars Dutch military personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars Governors-general of the Dutch East Indies Infectious disease deaths in Ghana Members of the Dutch Patriots faction People from Hattem 18th-century Dutch politicians 19th-century Dutch East Indies people 18th-century Dutch military personnel People of the War of the First Coalition