A Brill Calendar: June 23

FEW strategies had more far-reaching consequences than Napoleon’s plan to defeat his main foe, Great-Britain, not military conquest but by economic isolation, and starvation.

This strategy ‘forced’ the Emperor to invade large parts of a subcontinent with an enormously long coast-line: a daunting task, proving to be impossible within seven years.

The European northern Delta, with its easy and time-honoured links to the British isles was crucial in the scheme; and the Emperor appointed his third surviving and most trusted brother, Louis Bonaparte (Ajaccio, Corsica September 2 1778 – Livorno Italy July 25 1846), as ‘King of Holland’. This act made short shrift of the ‘Batavian Republic’, a political arrangement inspired by the French Revolution, and one that had transformed a sea-faring, particularistic and decentralized Stadholder regime into a modern, land-bound National State, featuring a Constitution.

On June 23 1806 the brand-new King made his festive entrance in The Hague, formerly Residence of the last Stadholder, Willem V. But among the faulty assessments of individual characters made by Napoleon, the one of brother Louis stands out. (Tsar Alexander, Talleyrand and Wellington are other cases.) The would-be puppet of French Imperial Might proved to be able – both intellectually and spiritually – to respect & honour the interests of his subjects: not only economically, also with regard to art, science & education. Louis Napoleon’s short reign, lasted only four years before ‘Big Brother’ brushed him aside in 1810, annexing Holland to France, lock, stock & barrel. However in that time the king became a fountain-head for innovation; with Leyden and its university as prime beneficiaries of a new, national, rather than an old, provincial, approach.