Battle of Jutphaas

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Battle of Jutphaas
Part of the Patriot era

Battle of Jutphaas: the Utrecht Patriots on the right, the stadtholderian forces on the left.
Date9 May 1787
Location
Vaartsche Rijn near Jutphaas, Utrecht, Dutch Republic
Result Patriot victory
Belligerents
Patriots
 Dutch Republic Orangists
Commanders and leaders
Jean Antoine d'Averhoult
Cornelis Visscher †
Johan van der Vlerk †		 Count of Efferen
Strength
unknown 300[1]

The Battle of Jutphaas, also known as the Battle of the Vaart or the Battle of Vreeswijk, occurred on 9 May 1787 on the banks of the Vaartsche Rijn canal near Jutphaas and Vreeswijk between Orangists and Patriots.

Background

The battle was part of an ever-escalating conflict, dubbed a "civil war" by some,

cooptation or appointment by the stadtholder.[4]

The city of

States of Utrecht to Amersfoort, while stadtholderian troops set up camp near Zeist.[5] William V had to flee from The Hague to Nijmegen in September 1785, when Patriots seized power and deprived him of the command of the Hague garrison.[6] In September 1786, however, stadtholderian forces acted swiftly to retake the small Guelderian cities Hattem and Elburg, occupied by Patriots under Herman Willem Daendels, requiring minimal armed violence. Although these clashes were militarily insignificant, their political impact was great: they sharpened the existing divisions and led to a further militarisation of the conflict.[7]

Battle

Meanwhile, international diplomacy with

States of Holland then ordered troops to camp in the border region with Utrecht, under general Albert van Rijssel's command at Woerden.[7]

For contemporaries it wasn't clear where exactly the battle had taken place. Contemporaneous sources both mention Iutphaas onder d' Vaart and het dorp de Vaart, the latter referring to Vreeswijk. Nowadays it has been established the fighting happened on the location of the modern residential area of Fokkesteeg[1] between Jutphaas and Vreeswijk (in 1971 merged to Nieuwegein) and commenced around 10:30 pm.[8] The armies coincidentally ran into each other. Initially, the Patriots intended to negotiate, but the Orangists were startled by the sudden appearance of the enemy, and immediately opened fire.[1] Relatively few casualties were sustained, including the Patriot leaders Cornelis Govert Visscher and Johan van der Vlerk. The Patriots managed to gain the upper hand and emerged victorious.[8][7][1] The Orangist soldiers fled, leaving some spoils of war on the battlefield.[1] Both sides retreated.[7]

Impact

Although of minor military importance, the Patriot press exploited the victory in all sorts of propagandist pamphlets and songs.[8] The Patriots portrayed themselves as heroic, and compared the clash with the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE).[7] A folk hero cult evolved around especially Cornelis Visscher, who was given a solemn state funeral.[1]

No matter how small his defeat, it confirmed that the prince was no longer able to control the country's internal affairs through force. Moreover, a few days later

Revolutionary France's invading armies
with many exiled Patriots amongst their ranks.

Gallery

  • Firefight next to the Vaartsche Rijn, De Post van den Neder-Rhijn.
    Firefight next to the Vaartsche Rijn, De Post van den Neder-Rhijn.
  • Cornelis Govert Visscher, Patriot leader fallen near Jutphaas.
    Cornelis Govert Visscher, Patriot leader fallen near Jutphaas.
  • Johan van der Vlerk, Patriot leader fallen near Jutphaas.
    Johan van der Vlerk, Patriot leader fallen near Jutphaas.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Annechien Steenhuizen (6 July 2013). "Verleden van Utrecht: De Slag bij Vreeswijk (1787)". Verleden van Utrecht. RTV Utrecht. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  2. ^
    ISBN 9789035144309
    . Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  3. ^ Encarta-encyclopedie Winkler Prins (1993–2002) s.v. "patriotten". Microsoft Corporation/Het Spectrum.
  4. ^ Encarta-encyclopedie Winkler Prins (1993–2002) s.v. "vroedschap".
  5. ISBN 9027468443
  6. ^ Encarta-encyclopedie Winkler Prins (1993–2002) s.v. "Willem [Nederlanden]. § Willem V".
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Visscher, L.G. (1850). Leiddraad tot de algemeene geschiedenis van het vaderland: van den vroegsten tijd tot op onze dagen. Eerste Deel. Utrecht: Kemink en zoon. p. 112–116. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  8. ^ a b c "Slag bij de Vaart. Veldslag tussen Patriotten en Orangisten". Entoen.nu. Canon van Nederland. Retrieved 14 February 2018.

External links

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