N. Bosboom was the Dutch Minister of War who, in August 1914, appointed Generaal-Majoor C. J. Snijders to the rank of General and to the office of Opperbevelhebber van Land- en Zeemacht for the duration of the First World War mobilisation. Bosboom had earlier considered Snijders’ older brother Luitenant-Generaal b.d. W. G. F. Snijders for the supreme command, but judged that the latter’s known deafness was too great an obstacle. Bosboom later recorded his argumentation and his relationship with Snijders in his book In moeilijke omstandigheden, which the 1944 biography of Snijders cites as a principal source for the first two mobilisation years.
The Appointment of August 1914
Bosboom’s In moeilijke omstandigheden describes, with reference to Clausewitz and Von der Goltz, his ideal image of the veldheer — “strategische kennis, vrucht van de studie der krijgsgeschiedenis, en strategische bekwaamheid, die gezond verstand, algemeene ontwikkeling, fantasie, intuitie, spontaneïteit in zich sluit, en een krachtig lichaamsgestel” — and his deliberations over which senior officer should be entrusted with the supreme command if war broke out. He had thought of W. G. F. Snijders (Inspecteur der Infanterie b.d. since 1905), an officer of great strategic ability and of character “dat hij alleszins voor het opperbevel over onze strijdkrachten berekend mocht worden geacht.” His “bekende hardhoofdigheid” was the obstacle. Bosboom ultimately decided on the younger brother, the Chef van den Generalen Staf, who was appointed by Koninklijk Besluit of 9 August 1914 No. 7.
See Also
- Cornelis Jacobus Snijders
- W. G. F. Snijders
- Opperbevelhebber van Land- en Zeemacht
- Chef van de Generale Staf
- First World War
- 1914
Source
D. van den Berg, Cornelis Jacobus Snijders (1852–1939): Een leven in dienst van zijn Land en zijn Volk (Voorburg: September 1944), pp. 76–78, 81. Bosboom’s own book is N. Bosboom, In moeilijke omstandigheden.
N. Bosboom was the Dutch Minister of War who, in August 1914, appointed Generaal-Majoor C. J. Snijders to the rank of General and to the office of Opperbevelhebber van Land- en Zeemacht for the duration of the First World War mobilisation. Bosboom had earlier considered Snijders’ older brother Luitenant-Generaal b.d. W. G. F. Snijders for the supreme command, but judged that the latter’s known deafness was too great an obstacle. Bosboom later recorded his argumentation and his relationship with Snijders in his book In moeilijke omstandigheden, which the 1944 biography of Snijders cites as a principal source for the first two mobilisation years.
The Appointment of August 1914
Bosboom’s In moeilijke omstandigheden describes, with reference to Clausewitz and Von der Goltz, his ideal image of the veldheer — “strategische kennis, vrucht van de studie der krijgsgeschiedenis, en strategische bekwaamheid, die gezond verstand, algemeene ontwikkeling, fantasie, intuitie, spontaneïteit in zich sluit, en een krachtig lichaamsgestel” — and his deliberations over which senior officer should be entrusted with the supreme command if war broke out. He had thought of W. G. F. Snijders (Inspecteur der Infanterie b.d. since 1905), an officer of great strategic ability and of character “dat hij alleszins voor het opperbevel over onze strijdkrachten berekend mocht worden geacht.” His “bekende hardhoofdigheid” was the obstacle. Bosboom ultimately decided on the younger brother, the Chef van den Generalen Staf, who was appointed by Koninklijk Besluit of 9 August 1914 No. 7.
See Also
- Cornelis Jacobus Snijders
- W. G. F. Snijders
- Opperbevelhebber van Land- en Zeemacht
- Chef van de Generale Staf
- First World War
- 1914
Source
D. van den Berg, Cornelis Jacobus Snijders (1852–1939): Een leven in dienst van zijn Land en zijn Volk (Voorburg: September 1944), pp. 76–78, 81. Bosboom’s own book is N. Bosboom, In moeilijke omstandigheden.