Battle of Kermt (1831): Belgian Victory in the Ten Days’ Campaign

A Young Army at Kermt The Battle of Kermt took place during the Ten Days’ Campaign of August 1831, when the Netherlands attempted to reverse Belgian independence by force. Belgium had declared independence the year before, but King William I refused to accept the loss of the southern provinces. On 2 August 1831, Dutch forces crossed into Belgium, hoping to defeat the new Belgian army quickly before foreign intervention could save the country. The Dutch army was more experienced and better organized. Belgium had more men on paper, but many Belgian formations were still new, poorly trained, and difficult to coordinate. The country had only recently become independent, and its army had been created in the middle of a political crisis. Near Hasselt, the Belgian Army of the Meuse was commanded by General Nicolas Joseph Daine. His larger army in the region is usually estimated at around 13,000–14,500 men, although not every soldier was necessarily present or engaged in the fighting at Kermt. On 7 August, Daine moved with the main body of this force toward Kermt, a village west of Hasselt. The Belgian troops who actually fought there are often described as roughly nine infantry battalions, ten or eleven cavalry squadrons, and supporting artillery batteries — a force that likely falls within the estimate of about 8,000–10,000 men engaged. This distinction matters. The estimate of 8,000–10,000 refers to the Belgian force involved in the battle, not necessarily to every soldier belonging to Daine’s wider Army of the Meuse. Who Was on the Dutch Side? The Dutch formations that clashed with the Belgians near Kermt were elements of the Dutch Third Division, under the command of Adriaan Frans Meijer together with troops connected to the Dutch reserve likely commanded by Gijsbertus Martinus Cort Heyligers. Dutch cavalry played a visible role, including the 6th Hussar Regiment, while horse artillery also supported the defenders. This means that the exact Dutch strength at Kermt is difficult to state with confidence. Some accounts describe the Dutch as having a numerical advantage; other accounts say the Belgians had the advantage in manpower — perhaps the only clash of the Ten Days’ Campaign in which they did. The sources genuinely disagree, so it is more accurate to say that the size of the Dutch force remains uncertain. What can be said with confidence is that the Dutch force was much smaller than the entire Dutch field army. It was a forward force trying to delay and check Daine’s advancing troops near Kermt, not the full Dutch army concentrated for a decisive battle. A Battle Shaped by Ground Kermt was not a grand battlefield of wide plains and long artillery lines. The fighting took place around wooded ground, narrow approaches, fields, and the roads leading toward Hasselt. That terrain mattered immediately. The Dutch had cavalry available, including hussars, but woods and narrow lanes made it difficult for horsemen to charge effectively. Cavalry needs room to gather speed, maintain formation, and strike an exposed enemy. At Kermt, the trees and broken ground restricted those movements. Belgian infantry could use cover, press forward through the woodland, and avoid the kind of open-ground attack that Dutch cavalry preferred. Daine’s men moved forward expecting a difficult fight. The Dutch defenders were positioned to delay them, supported by cavalry and horse artillery. Yet the Belgian army had brought enough infantry to keep pushing, and the ground gave it a chance to use that advantage. The coming battle would not decide the Ten Days’ Campaign. But for a young Belgian army that had spent much of the campaign under pressure, Kermt offered something rare: a chance to force the Dutch back. Wikipedia — Slag bij Kermt. VRT NWS — Bloedige plekken: hoe de Belgen de Nederlanders in 1831 triomfantelijk versloegen en toch nog het hazenpad kozen. Wikipedia — Tiendaagse Veldtocht. Hasselt–Kuringen 1830–1831 — local history and campaign orders. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSMV2gmGkT0 (Battle of Kermt Reenactment)