Historic dune landscape by Rob Donders Beeldende kunst

About "Historic dune landscape"

by Rob Donders Beeldende kunst

About the artwork

Just sit for a moment and enjoy the beautiful view this dune landscape gives you. A landscape with character and history, because you can say that.

On 27 August 1799, a British-Russian force of 32,000 landed in North Holland, which at the time was part of the Batavian Republic, a vassal state of revolutionary France. Initially, the battle went well for the Allies. On 30 August, the Dutch fleet at Den Helder was captured without a struggle and on 3 October Alkmaar was occupied. The combined British-Russian forces soon had a numerical superiority of 40,000 men against the 23,000 troops of the weakened Franco-Bataafic army. The Duke of York, who arrived on 15 September and assumed supreme command of the allied forces, came up with a daring plan of attack to encircle the Franco-Bataafic army from several sides. He divided his troops into four columns that would advance south along different roads and enclose the Franco-Bataafic forces.On 19 September, the four columns began advancing south. One of the four columns, consisting of 9,000 Russians and 2,500 British, would march towards Bergen under the command of Russian general Hermann from Petten and Krabbendam. The Batavian troops were some 12,000 strong, mainly entrenched around Langedijk. The French under General Brune had placed all their units in the Batavian Republic, some 10,000 men, around Alkmaar, Bergen, Schoorl and Egmond aan Zee. Want to know more? Then come to Bergen and visit Het Sterkenhuis.