Invasion of Java (1811): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 09:57, 25 September 2024

Revision as of 11:21, 28 September 2024

Line 32:

The Dutch had been under French control for several years and were already at war with Britain. The strongly pro-French [[Herman Willem Daendels]] was appointed [[governor-general of the Dutch East Indies]] in 1807. He arrived in Java aboard the French privateer ''Virginie'' in 1808, and began fortifying the island against the British threat. In particular, Daendels established an entrenched camp named Fort Cornelis a few miles south of [[Batavia, Dutch East Indies|Batavia]]. He also improved the island's defences by building new hospitals, barracks, arms factories and a new military college.<ref name=Fregosi320>{{cite book|last=Fregosi|title=Dreams of Empire|page=320}}</ref>

In 1810, the [[Kingdom of Holland]] were formally annexed by France. As part of the resulting changes, [[Jan Willem Janssens]] was appointed personally by [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] to replace Daendels as governor-general. Janssens had previously served as governor of the [[Dutch Cape Colony]], and had been forced to capitulate after being defeated by British forces at the [[Battle of Blaauwberg]] in 1806. Janssens accompanied a French frigate division under Joseph-François Raoul, which consisted of the frigates [[French frigate Méduse (1810)|''Méduse'']] and [[French frigate Nymphe (1811)|''Nymphe'']] and the corvette ''Sappho'', tasked with supporting Java. The division was accompanied by several hundred [[light infantry]]men and several senior French officers. They arrived in Java onin April 1811 without mishap. On 2 September, the frigates arrived at [[Surabaya]], tailed by the 32-gun frigate [[HMS Bucephalus (1808)|HMS ''Bucephalus'']]. Two days later, the British sloop [[HMS Barracouta (1807)|HMS ''Barracouta'']] joined the chase, but lost contact on 8 September. Four days later, ''Méduse'' and ''Nymphe'' chased ''Bucephalus'', which escaped and broke contact the next day. The squadron was back in [[Brest, France]] on 22 December 1811.<ref name=Fregosi320/>

British forces [[Invasion of the Spice Islands|had already occupied]] the Dutch colonies of [[Ambon Island|Ambon]] and the [[Molucca Islands]]; they had also recently captured the French colonies of [[Réunion]] and [[Isle de France (Mauritius)|Isle de France]] in the [[Mauritius campaign of 1809–1811]]. [[Stamford Raffles]], an [[East India Company]] official who had been forced to leave the Dutch colony at [[Malacca]] when Holland was annexed, suggested to [[Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto|Lord Minto]], the [[Governor-General of India]], that Java and the other Dutch possessions should be captured. With the large forces which had been made available to him for the Mauritius campaign, Minto enthusiastically adopted the suggestion, and even proposed to accompany the expedition himself.<ref name=Fregosi320/>