Marshal of Holland (Dutch:Maarschalk van Holland;French:Maréchal de Hollande) was an honorary title bestowed on military leaders of theKingdom of Holland, a client state ofNapoleon'sFrench Empire which encompassed most of the modern-day state of theNetherlands. The title was based onMarshal of the Empire, installed by Napoleon in 1804 to replace the previous titleMarshal of France.
After Napoleon's brotherLouis Bonaparte was crowned King of Holland in 1806, Louis created the title Marshal of Holland by decree on 21 December of that year. On Napoleon's orders, Louis rescinded the title four years later, on 4 February 1810, some months before Napoleon removed Louis from the throne andincorporated Holland into his French empire.[1] The marshals were compensated with newimperial titles, such asComte de l'Empire.
The title Marshal of Holland was not equal to the rank offield marshal (veldmaarschalk). This rank had been dropped when theBatavian Republic was installed in 1795, and was not restored until the end of theNapoleonic era. The first to be given the rank, on 7 May 1815 (about a month before theBattle of Waterloo), wasArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.[1] In 1914, the rank of field marshal was again rescinded, and is no longer in use in theDutch military today.
The title Marshal of Holland was bestowed on the following military leaders of the Kingdom of Holland:[1]