Dutch general and governor-general of the Dutch East Indies (1904–09) who conquered the Sumatran kingdom of Acheh (Aceh) (Atjeh) and brought all of Indonesia directly under Dutch rule.

Sent to Acheh as a subaltern in 1873, van Heutsz won fast promotions. By 1887 he was chief of staff, and in 1899 he was appointed military and civil governor of Acheh; he managed to subdue the kingdom in a year. As governor-general, van Heutsz brought the rest of the Outer Islands under direct control and thereafter was able to attract international investors. He introduced primary schools in the villages and made instruction in the Indonesian language compulsory.