palace built in Paradeplaats. However, his best-known achievement was the construction of the Great Post Road () across northern Java from Anyer to Panarukan. The road now serves as the main road in the island of Java, called Jalur Pantura. The thousand-kilometre road was completed in only one year, during which thousands of Javanese forced laborers died. He displayed a firm attitude towards the Javanese rulers, with the result that the rulers were willing to work with the British against the Dutch. He also subjected the population of Java to forced labour (Rodi). There were some rebellious actions against this, such as those in Cadas Pangeran, West Java. There is considerable debate as to whether he increased the efficiency of the local bureaucracy and reduced corruption, although he certainly enriched himself during this period. Daendels failed to stop the British invasion of the Spice Islands in 1810 despite improving the defences. General in Napoleon's Grande Armée When the Kingdom of Holland was incorporated into France in 1810, Daendels returned to Holland. In November 1811 he lived in Paris. He was appointed a divisional general (major general) and commanded the 26th Division of the Grande Armée, which was formed of troops from Baden, Hesse-Darmstadt, and Berg. Mid March 1812 he seems to have been appointed as commander of the 26th division and served as part of IX Corps under Marshal Victor, which was intended as a reserve. In August Victor was told to assist and to march the East according to the Badeners in the Russian campaign in 1812. On 8 and 15 September Daendels arrived in Vilnius, then in Minsk. On 11 October this division went to Babinovichi. On 20 October he was ordered to go to Vitebsk and on 27 October they occupied nearby Beshankovichy. The temperatures dropped below zero on the next day. The supplies in Vitebsk were lost when the Russian army captured the city. On 29 October it began to snow. On 11 November the rearguard with Daendels arrived in Chashniki, about 90 km SW. On 14 November in the battle of Smoliani the French lost 3,000 men against General Peter Wittgenstein; about 1.5 meter of snow fell on that day. Four days later the supplies in Minsk were lost when Pavel Chichagov captured the city. On 24 November he was jostled by Russians but succeeded to join the rest of the French army near Bobr.