Henri Winkelman
| Henri Winkelman | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | Henri Gerard Winkelman |
| Born |
17 August 1876 Maastricht, Netherlands |
| Died | 27 December 1952 (aged 76) Soesterberg, Netherlands |
| Allegiance |
 Netherlands
|
| Service/branch |
Royal Netherlands Army Royal Netherlands East Indies Army |
| Years of service | 1892–1934 1939–1945 |
| Rank |
 General
|
| Commands held | Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces of the Netherlands |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Military William Order (Knight 4th Class) Order of the Netherlands Lion (Knight Grand Cross) |
| Spouse(s) | Arendina Jacomina Coert (m. 1902–1952; his death) |
Henri Gerard Winkelman (17 August 1876 – 27 December 1952) was a Dutch military officer who served as Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces of the Netherlands during the German invasion of the Netherlands.
Winkelman was born in Maastricht as the son of Julius Hendrik Winkelman and Charlotte Henriëtte Braams. After he completed his secondary education he attended the Royal Military Academy (KMA) in Breda. His goal was to become an officer in the KNIL, the Dutch colonial army for the Dutch East Indies. During his training he adjusted his goal and became an infantry officer. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1896. He married Arendin Jacomina Coert in 1902 who would give birth to two sons and two daughters. Having completed his military education, he began to climb up the ranks of the Dutch army. In 1913 he was promoted to Captain, in 1923 he became a Major and in 1931 he was given the rank of General and became the commander of the Dutch 4th division. In 1934 he became a Lieutenant General, but left the military shortly thereafter. Winkelman had been running for the position of Chief of Staff of the Dutch Army, but had lost out to General Reijnders. Winkelman then decided to retire and was granted an honorary discharge. As a retired officer, he remained active in a number of ways, mostly by giving advice.
The Dutch mobilised their armed forces on 28 August 1939, four days before Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland. Chief of Staff, General Reijnders, was appointed as Supreme Commander of the Dutch forces, but it was clear from the outset that his personal and professional relationship with Defence secretary, Adriaan Dijxhoorn, left a lot to be desired, ultimately leading to Reijnders' (honorary) discharge on 5 February 1940. After a brief meeting of the Dutch cabinet General Winkelman was summoned to The Hague (the seat of the Dutch government) and was offered to become the new Dutch commander. He accepted the job the following day.
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