William II and Wexy at WaterlooNapoleons dress coat at the Dutch Army Museum
Two hundred years ago, Europe shook on its foundations. Revolution had broken out in France. Napoleon Bonaparte, emperor of France since 1804, ruled the continent until 1812, though he lost his dominion of the seas when his fleet was defeated in 1805 by the British admiral Nelson at the famous Battle of Trafalgar.
With the exception of short periods of peace, Europe was at war from 1792 to 1815. For many soldiers this meant a lifetime of battle. Tens of thousands of Dutchmen also fought for Napoleon. The Delft Army Museum is highlighting this particular aspect of Dutch history in an exhibition entitled In the Wake of Napoleon. The Dutch in time of war 1792-1815. One of the showpieces of this exhibition is Napoleons dress coat, which he wore in 1815, the year of the Battle of Waterloo. It belongs to the Palace of Fontainebleau and has never been on display before in the Netherlands. The coat conceals nothing of the wearers figure at the time it was worn: the emperor was clearly a man of small stature with a paunch and a thick neck.
The exhibition will be opened on 13 October by Charles Napoleon, le Prince, a direct descendant of Napoleon Bonaparte. The doors will be open to the public a day later on 14 October.
Tens of thousands of Dutch soldiers fought for Napoleon, not only in the Netherlands but in Belgium, Spain, Germany, Poland and Russia. Many died during the Russian campaign in 1812. Napoleon was forced to stand down in 1814, only to return to France a year later. During the subsequent Battle of Waterloo, Dutch soldiers fought for both the Dutch king William I and Napoleon. Visitors to the exhibition In the Service of Napoleon. The Dutch in time of war 1792-1815 will be meeting some of those Dutchmen, each with a story of their own. Telling the stories of those mens experiences during this French period are uniforms, prints, vanity documents and personal belongings, presented in individual showcases as miniature exhibitions. Did the young cadet Hendrik Jacob t Hart survive the harrowing expedition to Germany in 1804? Who was Valentijn Amende, a man who in 1804 had to resign the post of quartermaster he had held for 27 years, on suspicion of having cooked the regimental books he was in charge of? Did Adriaan Blussé manage to report for duty in 1813 and comply with the dress code: the coat will be dark green, lined with white flannel; the flaps and collar embroidered, collar and cuffs trimmed with black fur? And could the Dutch barber surgeon Verhoef do anything for the wounded during the bitterly cold Russian winter of 1812? These are just a few examples of Dutchmen who played a part in those turbulent war years.
Besides ordinary Dutch soldiers, two representatives of the House of Orange are also highlighted William George Frederick of Orange-Nassau and his cousin William II. Wounded at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, William II is better known as the hero of Waterloo. Also on show at the exhibition is Williams horse Wexy, which did not survive its riders foolhardy behaviour during the battle. Wexy was stuffed as a tribute and has now been brought to Delft from the Royal Stables specially for this occasion.
In addition to Wexy, the Army Museum has been able to secure various other spectacular loans from St Petersburg, Versailles, Brussels, Vienna and London. A prominent place is set aside for Napoleons uniform of colonel of the National Guard from Fontainebleau, as well as his three-corned hat. The Army Museum itself has a large collection of uniforms, weapons, eye-witness accounts, diaries, letters and memorabilia. Together with the international loans, they form a unique ensemble that has never before been seen by so large an audience.
Illustrations and paintings establish the historic context of the exhibition, also focusing on the mythology that grew up around Napoleon and the Orangists during the 19th century.
For instance, some very incisive etchings from Los Desastres de la Guerra by Goya are displayed opposite F.Gerards Emperor Napoleon I in coronation attire and William II at Waterloo by J.B. van der Hulst. These two facets of war reality and grandeur are highlighted in In the Service of Napoleon. The Dutch in time of war 1792-1815.
Publication
A richly illustrated book entitled In the Service (Wake: intro Gill) of Napoleon. The Dutch in time of war 1792-1815 is to be published to accompany the exhibition.
Editor Mark van Hattem et al.
Publisher Uitgeverij Thoth
Pages Approx. 230
Illustrations Richly illustrated, full colour
Date of publication 13 October 2005
