Herman Willem Daendels facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Herman Willem Daendels
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Posthumous portrait by Raden Saleh
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| Governor-General of the Dutch Gold Coast | |
| In office 11 March 1816 – 30 January 1818 |
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| Monarch | William I of the Netherlands |
| Preceded by | Abraham de Veer |
| Succeeded by | Frans Christiaan Eberhard Oldenburg |
| Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies | |
| In office 14 January 1808 – 15 May 1811 |
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| Monarch | Louis Bonaparte |
| Preceded by | Albertus Henricus Wiese |
| Succeeded by | Jan Willem Janssens |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 October 1762 Hattem, Gelderland, Dutch Republic |
| Died | 2 May 1818 (aged 55) St. George d'Elmina, Dutch Gold Coast (now part of Ghana) |
| Other political affiliations |
Patriots |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  First French Republic First French Empire
 Batavian Republic Kingdom of Holland |
| Branch/service | Grande Armée |
| Years of service | 1785–1813 |
| Rank | Major general |
| Commands | Batavian Legion |
| Battles/wars |
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Herman Willem Daendels (born October 21, 1762 – died May 2, 1818) was an important Dutch figure. He was a soldier, a politician, and a leader during a time of big changes in the Netherlands. He is best known for being the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) from 1808 to 1811.
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Early Life and Education
Herman Willem Daendels was born on October 21, 1762, in Hattem, a town in the Netherlands. His father, Burchard Johan Daendels, worked as a secretary for the mayor. Herman studied law at the university of Harderwijk. He earned his law degree on April 10, 1783.
Political Activities and Patriot Movement
In 1785, Daendels joined a group called the Patriots. This group wanted more power for the people and less for the traditional rulers. In September 1786, he tried to defend his hometown of Hattem against troops loyal to the Stadtholder, the traditional leader. His efforts were not successful.
The next year, in September 1787, Daendels helped defend Amsterdam. This was against an army from Prussia that wanted to bring back William V of Orange as ruler. After William V regained power, Daendels had to leave the Netherlands. He went to French Flanders to avoid being arrested because of his Patriot activities. While there, he watched the French Revolution unfold.
In 1794, Daendels returned to the Netherlands as a general in the French revolutionary army. He led a group called the Batavian Legion. He helped a politician named Pieter Vreede come to power in 1798. This was done to create a more democratic and centralized government. However, Vreede's rule did not go as planned. Daendels then helped remove Vreede from power in June 1798.
Daendels held several political jobs in the Batavian Republic. But he had to resign after he could not stop the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland in 1799. After this, he became a farmer in Heerde, Gelderland.
Military and Colonial Career
Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
In 1806, Louis Bonaparte, who was the King of Holland, made Daendels a general. In 1807, he appointed Daendels as the Governor-general of the Dutch East Indies. Daendels arrived in Batavia (now Jakarta) on January 5, 1808. His main goal was to push the British Army out of Java.
During his time as governor, Daendels started many building projects. He built new hospitals and military barracks. He also set up factories to make weapons in Surabaya and Semarang. He even started a military college in Batavia. The old castle in Batavia was taken down. A new fort was built in its place in Meester Cornelis (Jatinegara). Another fort, Fort Lodewijk, was built in Surabaya.
Daendels also moved the main government offices from Old Batavia to Weltevreden. He ordered the building of a palace in Paradeplaats. His most famous project was the Great Post Road (Indonesian: Jalan Raya Pos). This road stretched across northern Java from Anyer to Panarukan. Today, this road is still a main route on the island, known as Jalur Pantura. Sadly, building this thousand-kilometer road in just one year caused many Javanese forced laborers to die.
Daendels was very strict with the Javanese rulers. This caused some of them to side with the British against the Dutch. He also made the people of Java do forced labor, called Rodi. This led to some rebellions, like the one in Cadas Pangeran, West Java.
General in Napoleon's Grande Armée
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In 1810, the Kingdom of Holland became part of France. Daendels returned to Holland and later lived in Paris. He was made a divisional general (like a major general). He took command of the 26th Division of the Grande Armée, which was Napoleon's main army. This division included soldiers from different German states.
In March 1812, Daendels was put in charge of the 26th Division. This division was part of the IX Corps, which was a reserve force. In August, his corps was ordered to march east to join the Russian campaign. Daendels and his division faced very cold weather and difficult conditions. They were part of the French army's retreat from Russia.
Daendels' division, with about 4,000 men, played an important role in the Battle of Berezina. This was a tough battle where the French army had to cross a river while being attacked.
From February to December 1813, General Daendels commanded Polish forces. They defended the Modlin Fortress, which was northwest of Warsaw. This was the last French stronghold along the Vistula River to surrender.
Governor-General of the Dutch Gold Coast
After Napoleon was defeated, the Dutch government had concerns about Daendels. To keep him from causing political trouble in the Netherlands, King William I appointed him as the Governor-General of the Dutch Gold Coast (now part of Ghana). This effectively kept him from returning home.
The Atlantic slave trade had been abolished. Daendels wanted to make the Dutch territories in Africa profitable again. He planned to turn them into plantation colonies focused on legal trade. He used his experience from the East Indies to plan big building projects. These included a road network connecting Elmina and Kumasi in Ashanti. The Dutch government gave him a lot of freedom and money for his plans.
However, none of Daendels' big building plans came true. He became sick with malaria and died on May 2, 1818. He passed away in the castle of St. George d'Elmina, which was the Dutch government's base. He had been in the country for less than two years. His body was buried in the central tomb at the Dutch cemetery in Elmina.
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