Jean Antoine de Collaert

Jean Marie Antoine Philippe de Collaert (13 June 1761–17 June 1816) led the Dutch-Belgian cavalry division at the Battle of Waterloo. While a teenager, he participated in the War of the Bavarian Succession as an Austrian cavalryman. After the armies of the First French Republic overran the Dutch Republic in 1795, Collaert became a lieutenant colonel of hussars in the new army of the Batavian Republic, a French satellite state. He fought with distinction at Bergen and Castricum in 1799. He was promoted colonel in 1803 and major general in 1806. Because of ill health and accidents, he missed most active service under the Kingdom of Holland from 1806 to 1810. After Holland was annexed to the First French Empire, he entered French service as a general of brigade and was assigned to garrison duty for two years. In 1813 Collaert was appointed to command a French cavalry brigade in Germany. That year he led his horsemen at Dresden and Leipzig. In February 1814 he fought at Mormans. Returning to the newly created Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815, he was soon appointed lieutenant general of its cavalry. He was badly wounded at Waterloo and died of his injuries a year later.