British withdrawal from North Holland, 1799, by Dutch artist Jan Anthonie Langendijk

British withdrawal from North Holland, 1799, by Dutch artist Jan Anthonie Langendijk.

Evacuation of the British and Russian troops at the end of the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland in 1799 from Den Helder. This military campaign was conducted from 27 August to 19 November 1799 during the War of the Second Coalition, in which an expeditionary force of British and Russian troops invaded the North Holland peninsula in the Batavian Republic.

At the end of the summer of 1799 a radical military expedition took place in North Holland. On August 27, English troops landed on the beaches of North Holland between Groote Keeten and Huisduinen. Heavy battles followed, involving 80,000 soldiers. The British army, which was later reinforced with Russian units, was ordered to end French rule in the Batavian (Dutch) Republic. That turned out differently. The war machine soon came to a standstill, after which the Allied troops had to leave North Holland on 20 November. The departure from the beach at Den Helder is depicted on the colored engraving by the Dutch artist Hendrik Roosing (1763-1826) after the watercolor drawing by the Dutch artist Jan Anthonie Langendijk (1780-1818). The English and Russian soldiers wait until they can embark, after which they are allowed to return home.

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