Cornelis Jacobus Snijders | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces | |
| In office 31 July 1914 – 9 November 1918 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Lieutenant general Willem Frederik Pop |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 29, 1852 Nieuwe-Tonge, Netherlands |
| Died | May 26, 1939 (aged 86) Hilversum, Netherlands |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Netherlands |
| Branch/service |  Royal Netherlands Army |
| Rank |  General |
Cornelis Jacobus Snijders (29 September 1852 - 26 May 1939) was a Dutch military leader. He was born in Nieuwe Tonge on 29 September 1852.[1] In 1865, he went to study in Middelburg but did not finish his education there.[1] 1869 he joined the Royal Military Academy in Breda, becoming an engineer.[1] In 1883, he married Johanna Adriana Everdina.[2]
On 1 July 1910, he was made chief of the general staff.[1] He was a proponent of military aviation.[1] In 1913, Snijders created the Aviation Department.[1][3] Later the navy received an airforce as well.[4] Snijders was also First Chairman of the Dutch Association for Aviation.[4]
When tensions grew in anticipation of World War I, he was made Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.[1] Shortly afterward, he was promoted to full general.[1]
In April 1918, one month after the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which freed Germany on its Eastern Front, he opposed war with Germany, making clear that if war was to be fought, he preferred to fight for the Entente.[1]
He died in Hilversum on 26 May 1939.[1]
Military decorations
Knight fourth class of the Military Order of William (1875)
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (Knight 1894, Knight Grand Cross 1919)
Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau (1914)
Expedition Cross (1877)
Officers' Cross (XLV) (1887)
Cross of Merit of the Netherlands Red Cross
Atjeh Medal
Mobilisation Cross 1914-1918 (1925)
Cross of Merit for the national committee "Mobilisation Cross 1914-1918"
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown
Knight first class of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (1919)
Commander of the Order of St. Olav
Knight first class of the Order of the Red Eagle
Commander of the Order of the Sword
Officer of the Order of the Crown
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 owner, No (12 January 2015). "bwn3". resources.huygens.knaw.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ↑ "Cornelis Snijders". www.myheritage.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ↑ owner, No (12 November 2013). "bwn5". resources.huygens.knaw.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- 1 2 De Jong, A. P. (1988). Vlucht door de tijd : 75 jaar Nederlandse luchtmacht (in Dutch). Royal Netherlands Air Force. Unieboek b.v. p. 23.
Further reading
- Van den Berg, D. (1945) Cornelis Jacobus Snijders (1852-1939). Een leven in dienst van zijn land en zijn volk. (In Dutch)