Uitvoerend Bewind

The Uitvoerend Bewind (Dutch for "Executive Authority") was the name of the government of the Batavian Republic between 1798 and 1801. The president of the Uitvoerend Bewind was head of state of the Batavian Republic.

Unitarian Democrats

The political group of unitarian democrats was dissatisfied with the slowness of the progress of the Dutch parliament, the National Assembly of the Batavian Republic. They were in favour of a central authority, opposed federalism, and wanted general elections. Conservatives and moderates stood against such demands, and the country had become un-governable, without prospects of drafting a constitution.

Under the leadership of Pieter Vreede, the unitarian democrats engineered a "coup d'état" on January 25, 1798, with the help of general Herman Willem Daendels, and began to rule as the Uitvoerend Bewind, which soon became highly unpopular among their own supporters in the country.

econd Uitvoerend Bewind

A second coup followed on June 12, 1798, with the goal of removing the impopular rule. An interim government was installed, which would reign until new elections would bring a new Representative Assembly, still under universal suffrage (This was replaced by census suffrage after the coup d'état of 1801).

Between 1798 and 1801, the president of the Uitvoerend Bewind was the head of state of the Batavian Republic, and not as previously, the president of the Assembly.

Dutch heads of state between 1798 and 1801

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