The Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, but its origins date back to 1572, when the so-called Staatse Leger was raised. Therefore, The Netherlands is regarded to be one of the countries that has maintained the oldest standing army, dating back to the 16th century. This army of the Dutch Republic was one of the less organized, and not very-well trained armies of the seventeenth and early eighteenth century, and saw actions in the Eighty Year's War, the Dano-Swedish War 1658-1660, the Franco-Dutch War, the Nine Years War, the War of Spanish Succession, the War of Austrian Succession, and the French Revolutionary Wars until the French conquered the Netherlands in early 1795. The Staatse Leger was replaced by the army of the Batavian Republic in 1795 which in its turn was replaced by the army of the Kingdom of Holland in 1806. It fought alongside the French in the Anglo-Russian Invasion of Holland in 1799 and several campaigns in Germany, Austria and Spain between 1800 and 1810. Most notable were the engagements of the Horse Artillery Korps Rijdende Artillerie at the battle of Friedland in 1807, the capture of the city of Stralsund in 1807 and 1809 and the participation of the Dutch Brigade in the Peninsular War between 1808 and 1810. The independent army was disbanded in 1810 when Napoleon decided to 'reunite' Holland into France. The army units became part of the Grande Armée. The present day 126e Régiment d'infanterie has Dutch origins. Dutch army elements participated in the French invasion of Russia in 1812. Most notable were the actions of the pontonniers company under captain Benthien at the Battle of Berezina. Since 1814 the army has been involved in several military conflicts (Waterloo campaign 1815, several colonial wars 1825-1925, the Belgian Revolution 1830-1832, the Second World War 1940-1945, the Indonesian War of Independence 1945-1949, and the Nieuw-Guinea insurgency 1960-1962). Nowadays the army concentrates on peace-keeping and peace-enforcing operations and has been involved in several operations in Lebanon between 1979-1985, and the former Yougoslavia (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, and Kosovo) 1991-present, but also in Cambodja 1992-1994, Haiti 1995-1996, Cyprus 1998-1999, Eritrea and Ethiopia 2001, and most recent in Iraq 2003-2005, Afghanistan 2002-present, and Chad 2008-2009).

Ranks of the Royal Netherlands Army

Generaal:

Luitenant-Generaal:

Generaal-Majoor:

Brigade-Generaal:

Kolonel:

Luitenant-Kolonel:

Majoor:

Kapitein:

Eerste-Luitenant:

Tweede-Luitenant: