469:
405:, and had to return to Europe, reaching Antwerp on 21 March 1904. He left Antwerp again on 6 October 1904 and returned to the Ruzizi-Kivu territory. On 9 December 1905 he was appointed captain-commander, and on 23 March 1906 was placed in command of the Uvira zone. On 12 February 1907 he was promoted to command of the Ruzizi-Kivu territories. He organized the border defenses, pacified the region and created a disciplined body of troops. He went on leave in Europe from 24 November 1907 to 23 July 1908.
510:
31:
650:(Compagnie Industrielle et de Transports au Stanley Pool). He undertook various reforms to stop corruption, ensure schedules were met and improve financial management. He structured the organization into sectors based on Coquilhatville, Bumba, Bandundu and Port-Francqui. He had to struggle with local bureaucracy, and at one pointed offered his resignation to the ministry, which was refused. The C.F.L. (
429:
region, arrested two
British soldiers camped at Kurezi, and created three redoubts that blocked all access by the British. Coote decided to repossess Kurezi but was stopped in a marshy region and ran low of food. Olsen refused to meet Coote until he withdrew, which Coote would not do, and a stalemate
589:
hills. The two brigades joined on 16 September along an arc to the northwest of Tabora. Tombeur was to lead the final attack, but on the night of 18-19 September the
Germans evacuated the city. Olsen continued pursuit of the Germans until ordered to halt. He gained a large part of the credit for the
281:
Olsen found a job at the city police station. On 12 October 1896 he entered the army for his compulsory military service. His ability was noted by his superiors, and the mayor of
Kalundborg paid for him to study at the Military Academy in Copenhagen. On 8 October 1897 Olsen became a 2nd lieutenant.
580:
station on the railway line was taken from the
Germans on 30 August. The Germans made violent efforts from 2 to 6 September to retake it, but did not succeed. By the start of September the two brigades were converging on Tabora From September 10 to 12 Olsen's brigade took and defended
486:, who was being attacked by the Germans. Olsen took action since he considered the move would help protect Katanga, and his cycling battalions soon arrived in Rhodesia, where they remained until relieved by British reinforcements. During this period Olsen had to be hospitalized for
684:
Olsen married
Harriet Meta de Stricker in Copenhagen on 17 September 1906. This marriage was dissolved. He married again on 25 July 1929 in Paris to Yvonne Marguerite Madeleine Atgier (2 February 1888 – 5 February 1962), a Frenchwoman who had been born in Algiers. Olsen died in
445:
trekkers to settle it. Olsen worked from the end of July to the end of
October to transport a force to Katanga consisting of 26 Europeans, 1,000 Congolese, 26 machine guns, 20 cannons, with their food, equipment and ammunition. The only transport was the small steamer
681:(1939–1945) Olsen remained in Belgium as head of Otraco during the German occupation. After the war he launched a major expansion of the fleet. He retired in May 1947. That year the largest and most modern passenger ship on the Congo was named after Olsen.
677:. He visited the Congo between 5 November 1937 and 21 June 1938 to integrate the railway and shipping company into a coherent whole, reconciling the private enterprise culture of the railway with the civil service culture of the shipping line. During
610:). The citation stated that "this brave man among all the brave men, who has spent 30 years in the Congo, has now become a great man of Belgium in heart and soul". On 22 November 1920 Olsen was appointed colonel and became commander in chief of the
430:
ensued for ten months while the
Belgian, German and British governments agreed on their respective borders in the region. At the same time Olsen had to deal with various provocations by the Germans in the volcano region to the north of
651:
408:
During his fourth term Olsen had to deal with a complicated situation due to unauthorized agreements between local
Belgian and German officers, and agreements between the Germans and the British. It had been agreed that the
642:(Union National des Transports Fluviaux). Olsen took a vacation in Europe from 11 June to 8 December 1925. He then took office as general manager of Unatra, which had been formed by combining the shipyrards and boats of
316:
269:
Denmark. His parents were Peter Olsen (1842–1920) and Thora Marie
Thomsen (1840–1923). His father worked as a porter carrying passenger luggage between the Kalundborg railway station and the ferry to the island of
606:. When the armistice ended the war in November 1918 Olsen resumed his command of the troops in Katanga. In 1920 the Chamber and the Senate unanimously voted to make him a fully naturalized Belgian citizen (
709:. There was an Avenue Général Olsen in several cities. In 1953 a monument was erected in Bukavu for the force led by Olsen that had taken possession of the place for the Congo Free State.
478:
With the outbreak of World War I, Olsen had to mobilize
Katanga in August 1914. On 11 September 1914 he received a call for help from George Graham Percy Lyons, district commissioner of
346:
There were constant incidents in the region with Germans who had occupied some of the Belgian territory during the revolt and were reluctant to return it to the Belgians. Commander
339:
on 11 October 1899. On 7 December 1899 he joined the troops that were repressing the revolt that had begun in 1896 in the northeast of the Congo during the Congo-Nile expedition of
225:. He rose quickly through the ranks, and in 1909–1910 played an important role in a stand-off with German and British forces disputing the eastern border of what was now the
989:
746:
Frederik-Valdemar Olsen (September 1950), "Histoire des troupes du Katanga pendant la période 1910 jusqu'à l'offensive en A. O. A, pendant la première guerre mondiale",
892:
1014:
42:
494:
ordered that the remaining troops in Rhodesia prepare to leave for Kivu. On 1 August 1915 the troops had started their movement when the Germans attacked
382:. Olsen completed his first 3-year term and returned to Antwerp on 11 December 1901. His health had been damaged, and he took a 9-month leave of absence.
994:
324:
557:
on 28 July 1916 with little opposition, since its defenses were facing the lake, which Moulaert now dominated. On 2 August 1916 Olsen took
631:
502:
to defend Saisi. The troops did not resume their move to the north until 3 November 1915. Olsen again fell sick and had to remain in
999:
61:
670:
468:
702:
249:
before retiring as a general in 1925. Olsen was then made general manager of the state-owned Congo River shipping line
215:(24 May 1877 – 19 November 1962) was a Danish soldier who became a general and commander in chief of the Belgian Congo
479:
386:
654:) was impressed by Olsen's achievements and made him their general manager in Africa, in charge of transport on the
572:, which Olsen used to repair the railway as he advanced. Olsen's brigade, advancing from Kigoma, was halted at the
103:
564:
In August the northern brigade occupied Maria-Hilf, then Ugaga, then Saint-Michael. The Germans retreated towards
1009:
690:
437:
After the Kivu border question had been settled in May 1910, Olsen was charged with creating a military force in
332:
1004:
517:
Olsen was made lieutenant colonel of 23 January 1916 and was placed in command of the southern brigade for the
291:
698:
635:
541:
due to heavy rains. The southern brigade under Olsen attacked between Lake Kivu and Lake Tanganyika, where
401:
he temporarily handed over common of the column, but reached Uvira on 7 March 1903. He next came down with
706:
418:
503:
638:, had asked Olsen to retire so he could take over management of the state-owned transportation company
984:
979:
720:
Frederik-Valdemar Olsen (1932), "Les avatars et les desiderata de la navigation sur le Haut-Fleuve",
426:
359:
509:
425:
notified the Belgians on 26 June 1909 that he was taking possession. Olsen travelled there from the
694:
499:
410:
283:
221:. He was born into a poor family, joined the Danish army, then in 1898 volunteered to serve in the
569:
422:
367:
336:
287:
370:, died on 19 August 1900. Olsen replaced Delwart as leader of the elite Belgian company in the
953:
659:
483:
234:
643:
585:, to the west of Tabora, while the northern brigade found Germans strongly entrenched in the
586:
573:
542:
526:
518:
472:
438:
295:
222:
84:
495:
958:(in French), vol. VI, Académie Royale des Sciences d'Outre-Mer, pp. col. 783–790
674:
665:
Olsen remained a director of Unatra and C.F.L., and in 1936 was made managing director of
614:, which he reorganized for peacetime duties. In September 1924 Olsen was made governor of
491:
451:
385:
Olsen was promoted to captain, and left Antwerp on 2 October 1902 for Boma. He went on to
347:
138:
126:
619:
454:. He organized a well trained force in Katanga, and pioneered the use of bicycles by the
282:
He was assigned to the 1st Artillery Regiment, where he served in a battery commanded by
30:
936:
615:
456:
390:
340:
217:
973:
655:
603:
538:
226:
622:. He was promoted to general on 17 April 1925 and took retirement on 25 April 1925.
568:, destroying the railway behind them. Moulaert sent railway equipment by barge from
498:, 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Abercorn. Olsen decided to send a battalion under
678:
371:
230:
96:
917:
599:
266:
166:
686:
582:
487:
431:
402:
351:
290:. Stöckel's stories made him keen to serve in Africa, and he was engaged by
238:
183:
413:
were British, but instead the Germans had ceded the plain of Ufumbiro near
733:
Frederik-Valdemar Olsen (1947), "Emmanuel Hanssens, Notice biographique",
550:
522:
414:
652:
Compagnie du chemin de fer du Congo supérieur aux Grands Lacs africains
398:
271:
666:
639:
565:
554:
546:
534:
530:
355:
254:
250:
242:
545:
was in command of the naval forces. Olsen quickly took Shangugu and
669:(Office des transports coloniaux), formed by combining Unatra, the
417:
to the British despite its clearly being in Belgian territory. The
647:
577:
558:
508:
467:
394:
379:
328:
314:
274:, while his mother did odd jobs and ran a bakery. He attended the
245:
in what is now Tanzania. After the war he became commander of the
598:
Olsen took leave in France, then returned to East Africa via the
441:
to protect the rich mining region from attempts by South African
442:
375:
315:
941:, vol. II, Inst. roy. colon. belge, pp. col. 271–272
689:, Belgium on 17 November 1962. He held the Grand Cross of the
576:. Around 15 August it gained a foothold on the opposite bank.
513:
Troops under Belgian command enter Tabora on 19 September 1916
393:
gave him command of the mobile column that was to travel to
755:
Frederik-Valdemar Olsen (1951), "Décès de Pierre Leemans",
870:
868:
237:
against a German attack, then advanced from the south of
796:
794:
792:
790:
788:
786:
784:
782:
780:
778:
646:(Sociéte National des Transports Fluviaux au Congo) and
843:
841:
839:
837:
835:
833:
831:
829:
827:
825:
823:
821:
819:
817:
815:
813:
811:
809:
529:
attacked the Germans to the north of Lake Kivu, took
265:Frederik-Valdemar Olsen was born on 24 May 1877 in
198:
190:
173:
153:
148:
132:
120:
102:
90:
78:
60:
41:
21:
549:, then returned towards Lake Tanganyika and took
460:. He was promoted to major on 20 November 1911.
893:"Tabora 1916: de la symbolique d'une victoire"
525:on 23 April 1916. The northern brigade under
421:began when the British district commissioner
8:
253:, later combined with railway lines to form
916:Kamp, A.; Alsted, Niels (1 November 2011),
350:sent Olsen to found a post in July 1900 on
800:
327:in December 1898, and was assigned to the
74:22 November 1920 – September 1924
29:
18:
990:Belgian military personnel of World War I
874:
533:, but lost momentum in the march towards
257:. He retired from this position in 1947.
286:, who had worked on construction of the
859:
847:
774:
233:Olsen commanded a force that defended
278:in Kalundborg. He graduated in 1893.
7:
521:. He joined the southern brigade in
116:September 1924 – April 1925
1015:Colonial governors of Ruanda-Urundi
362:, head of the elite company of the
14:
43:Commander of the Southern Brigade
298:. He was a second lieutenant in
62:Commander of the Force Publique
995:Officers of the Force Publique
1:
323:Olsen sailed from Antwerp to
955:Biographie Belge d'Outre-Mer
397:. Due to a severe attack of
45:(Southern Ruanda and Urundi)
671:Matadi-LĂ©opoldville Railway
658:. In 1930 Olsen contracted
608:grande naturalisation belge
553:. Continuing south he took
1031:
938:Biographie Coloniale Belge
922:Dansk Biografisk Leksikons
757:Bull, des S. De l'L.R.C.B.
735:Bull, des S. De l'L.R.C.B.
722:Bull, des S. De l'L.R.C.B.
490:. On 23 June 1915 General
333:Luc-Arthur-Joseph Jeuniaux
748:Revue congolaise illustré
691:Order of the African Star
662:and had to leave Africa.
206:
144:
109:
67:
56:June 1916 – 1917
49:
37:
28:
924:(in Danish) (3 ed.)
632:Minister of the Colonies
626:Later career (1925–1962)
319:Olsen as a young officer
292:Hans-Hugold von Schwerin
1000:Belgian Congo officials
699:Royal Order of the Lion
636:Henri Carton de Tournai
590:successful operations.
464:World War I (1914–1918)
261:Early years (1877–1898)
213:Frederik-Valdemar Olsen
104:Governor of Congo-KasaĂŻ
23:Frederik-Valdemar Olsen
891:Delpierre, G. (2002),
801:Kamp & Alsted 2011
707:Order of the Dannebrog
514:
475:
419:Kivu frontier incident
320:
512:
471:
354:, which later became
331:camp under commander
318:
952:Lederer, A. (1968),
935:Lacroix, A. (1951),
594:Post-war (1918–1925)
506:until 3 March 1916.
202:Officer, businessman
693:, Commander of the
411:Mufumbiro Mountains
311:Pre-War (1898–1914)
294:for service in the
703:Order of the Crown
515:
476:
423:John Methuen Coote
368:Orientale Province
337:Orientale Province
321:
288:Fort de Shinkakasa
660:sleeping sickness
527:Philippe Molitor
484:Northern Rhodesia
378:region, based in
360:Paul LĂ©on Delwart
335:. He was sent to
235:Northern Rhodesia
210:
209:
1022:
1010:Belgian generals
965:
964:
963:
948:
947:
946:
931:
930:
929:
912:
911:
910:
897:
878:
872:
863:
857:
851:
845:
804:
798:
764:
751:
742:
729:
695:Order of Leopold
574:Malagarasi River
543:Georges Moulaert
519:Tabora Offensive
473:Tabora Offensive
296:Congo Free State
223:Congo Free State
180:
177:19 November 1962
163:
161:
149:Personal details
135:
123:
114:
93:
85:Philippe Molitor
81:
72:
54:
33:
19:
1030:
1029:
1025:
1024:
1023:
1021:
1020:
1019:
1005:Danish generals
970:
969:
968:
961:
959:
951:
944:
942:
934:
927:
925:
915:
908:
906:
895:
890:
886:
881:
873:
866:
858:
854:
846:
807:
799:
776:
772:
767:
754:
750:(in French) (9)
745:
732:
719:
715:
675:Mayumbe Railway
628:
596:
492:Charles Tombeur
466:
452:Lake Tanganyika
348:Paul Costermans
313:
308:
263:
194:Danish, Belgian
182:
178:
165:
159:
157:
139:Alphonse Engels
133:
127:Alphonse Engels
121:
115:
110:
91:
79:
73:
68:
55:
50:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1028:
1026:
1018:
1017:
1012:
1007:
1002:
997:
992:
987:
982:
972:
971:
967:
966:
949:
932:
913:
887:
885:
882:
880:
879:
877:, p. 358.
875:Delpierre 2002
864:
852:
805:
773:
771:
768:
766:
765:
752:
743:
730:
716:
714:
711:
627:
624:
612:Force Publique
595:
592:
504:Elizabethville
465:
462:
457:Force Publique
391:Justin Malfeyt
364:Force Publique
341:Francis Dhanis
312:
309:
307:
306:Force Publique
304:
300:Force Publique
262:
259:
247:Force Publique
218:Force Publique
208:
207:
204:
203:
200:
196:
195:
192:
188:
187:
181:(aged 85)
175:
171:
170:
155:
151:
150:
146:
145:
142:
141:
136:
130:
129:
124:
118:
117:
107:
106:
100:
99:
94:
88:
87:
82:
76:
75:
65:
64:
58:
57:
47:
46:
39:
38:
35:
34:
26:
25:
22:
16:Danish general
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1027:
1016:
1013:
1011:
1008:
1006:
1003:
1001:
998:
996:
993:
991:
988:
986:
983:
981:
978:
977:
975:
957:
956:
950:
940:
939:
933:
923:
919:
914:
905:
902:(in French),
901:
894:
889:
888:
883:
876:
871:
869:
865:
861:
856:
853:
849:
844:
842:
840:
838:
836:
834:
832:
830:
828:
826:
824:
822:
820:
818:
816:
814:
812:
810:
806:
802:
797:
795:
793:
791:
789:
787:
785:
783:
781:
779:
775:
769:
762:
759:(in French),
758:
753:
749:
744:
740:
737:(in French),
736:
731:
727:
724:(in French),
723:
718:
717:
712:
710:
708:
704:
700:
696:
692:
688:
682:
680:
676:
672:
668:
663:
661:
657:
656:Lualaba River
653:
649:
645:
641:
637:
633:
625:
623:
621:
617:
613:
609:
605:
604:Dar es Salaam
601:
593:
591:
588:
584:
579:
575:
571:
567:
562:
560:
556:
552:
548:
544:
540:
539:Lake Victoria
536:
532:
528:
524:
520:
511:
507:
505:
501:
500:Gaston Heenen
497:
493:
489:
485:
481:
474:
470:
463:
461:
459:
458:
453:
449:
444:
440:
435:
433:
428:
424:
420:
416:
412:
406:
404:
400:
396:
392:
388:
383:
381:
377:
373:
369:
365:
361:
358:. Lieutenant
357:
353:
349:
344:
342:
338:
334:
330:
326:
317:
310:
305:
303:
301:
297:
293:
289:
285:
284:Johan Stöckel
279:
277:
273:
268:
260:
258:
256:
252:
248:
244:
240:
236:
232:
228:
227:Belgian Congo
224:
220:
219:
214:
205:
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
176:
172:
168:
156:
152:
147:
143:
140:
137:
131:
128:
125:
119:
113:
108:
105:
101:
98:
95:
89:
86:
83:
77:
71:
66:
63:
59:
53:
48:
44:
40:
36:
32:
27:
20:
960:, retrieved
954:
943:, retrieved
937:
926:, retrieved
921:
918:"F.V. Olsen"
907:, retrieved
903:
899:
860:Lacroix 1951
855:
848:Lederer 1968
760:
756:
747:
738:
734:
725:
721:
713:Publications
683:
679:World War II
664:
629:
620:LĂ©opoldville
611:
607:
597:
563:
516:
477:
455:
447:
436:
407:
387:Stanleyville
384:
363:
345:
322:
299:
280:
275:
264:
246:
216:
212:
211:
179:(1962-11-19)
134:Succeeded by
111:
92:Succeeded by
69:
51:
985:1962 deaths
980:1877 births
618:, based in
616:Congo-KasaĂŻ
570:Albertville
427:Lake Albert
231:World War I
191:Nationality
164:24 May 1877
122:Preceded by
97:Paul Ermens
80:Preceded by
974:Categories
962:2021-01-28
945:2021-03-11
928:2021-02-06
909:2021-02-06
600:Suez Canal
448:Delcommune
276:Realskölle
267:Kalundborg
199:Occupation
167:Kalundborg
160:1877-05-24
900:BTNG/RBHC
763:: 211–212
741:: 163–167
728:: 228–248
687:Etterbeek
583:Lulanguru
488:dysentery
432:Lake Kivu
403:hematuria
352:Lake Kivu
239:Lake Kivu
229:. During
186:, Belgium
184:Etterbeek
169:, Denmark
112:In office
70:In office
52:In office
705:and the
673:and the
551:Usumbura
523:Shangugu
480:Abercorn
415:Rutshuru
389:, where
241:to take
884:Sources
644:Sonatra
439:Katanga
399:malaria
272:Zealand
701:, the
697:, the
667:Otraco
640:Unatra
566:Tabora
555:Kigoma
547:Kitega
535:Mwanza
531:Kigali
372:Ruzizi
356:Bukavu
255:Otraco
251:Unatra
243:Tabora
904:XXXII
896:(PDF)
770:Notes
739:XVIII
648:Citas
587:Itaga
578:Usoke
559:Ujiji
496:Saisi
395:Uvira
380:Uvira
329:Irebu
761:XXII
630:The
602:and
443:Boer
376:Kivu
325:Boma
174:Died
154:Born
726:III
537:on
482:in
450:on
366:in
976::
920:,
898:,
867:^
808:^
777:^
634:,
561:.
434:.
343:.
302:.
862:.
850:.
803:.
374:-
162:)
158:(
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