The Battle of The Netherlands was a 5-day military engagement between May 10 to May 15, 1940, resulting in the ultimate Dutch defeat, the establishment of a government in exile, and the German occupation of the Netherlands.
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A Dutch soldier lies dead at a barrack in the Netherlands.
Prelude[]
State of the Dutch Military[]
Ever since the First World War, the Dutch military had not expanded. From the end of WW1 to 1933 saw this period of decline. The 3 main reasons were due to reliance on the League of Nations and its promises of collective security, the people were unwilling to enter a conflict, and finally, the Great Depression leading to defense expenditure reduction. Defenses inside the Netherlands were insufficient although the number of soldiers mobilized was sufficient. However, these men were ill-prepared and equipped with outdated weapons. In total, the army only consisted of 22 infantry battalions and 48 regiments specifically for border defense. As for the nation's air force, it only consisted of 155 aircraft. The potential of Dutch airpower was severely under-utilized. Along with this, it was undertrained. Hitler and his generals saw this weakness within the Dutch army and predicted to conquer it no more than 5 days.
Dutch Policy[]
Ever since 1579, Netherlands had chosen staying out of European affairs to be the best national policy. Even during WW1, when its southern neighbor Belgium had been conquered by Germany, the country managed to remain out of the conflict. Although throughout WW1 the threat of invasion led to a build-up in the military. However, following the First World War, the military strength of the army slowly lost its grip. Defense expenditures in 1918 were 5 times that in 1933. With the threat of Nazi Germany, the Netherlands sought to repeat its neutrality if another conflict came. So when Britain and France did go to war with Germany, the Netherlands continued its policy of neutrality, not heeding Winston Churchill's warning to prepare for a German invasion.
Popular Sentiment in the Netherlands[]
During the interwar period, a pacifist movement continued. The Netherlands was not a militaristic country and a site of meetings that discussed world issues. Many Dutch believed strongly in the rule of international law and viewed it as the last line of defense and even stop Hitler himself. Many citizens viewed soldiers with contempt until war began to become inevitable in the late 1930s.
Start of WW2[]
The Netherlands led under Prime Minister Hendrikus Colijin, continued its neutral stance in 1939, not wanting to end its mutual trade with Germany. In order to avoid conflict, the government actively repressed criticism of controversial Nazi policies. However, Germany turned its attention west, to protect its most vital region the Ruhr, by invading the low countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands.
Course of the Battle[]
German Invasion Begins[]
The battle began in the early hours of May 10, 1940, as apart of Operation Fall Gelb, the invasion of the low countries. At night, Germans disguised in Dutch uniforms had been sent to distract the Dutch detonation teams planning to blow up the bridges to slow the German advance. However, these Germans would be discovered upon reports of the German scheme. The Luftwaffe began early attacks across the North Sea attacking Dutch airbases, at first giving the illusion that the attacks were aimed at England only to be turned east onto the Dutch air force and defenses. The Dutch airforce was reduced to just 70 aircraft at the end of the day, with minimal German losses.
Battle for The Hague[]
Following the aerial bombardments, paratroopers began to be landed around airfields, Dutch air defenses shot down many German transport planes down. Paratroopers landing in the city of Hague attempted to capture both the queen and the cabinet, effectively cutting off the Dutch leadership. However, the paratroopers were unable to capture the airfield at Ypenburg to safely land in more paratroopers. The battle became a German operational failure.
German Success[]
The Dutch army withdrew to defensive positions along the hills of the Utrecht Province. near the town of Grebberberg, which had the lands around it flooded by the Dutch army to slow Germany, it would see some of the most intense fightings of this campaign, falling to German forces on May 13. Although the Dutch army had gained small victories, holding out against a vastly more numerous enemy could not have continued any longer.
Bombing of Rotterdam[]
On about 1:30 in the afternoon on May 14, German planes began the bombing of the Dutch port city of Rotterdam. The air raid lasted 10 minutes. As a result of the fire, a massive fire was ignited that could be seen from any side of the town. Densely populated areas had been destroyed, and 900 people killed. Thousands of other people would be left without shelter.
Dutch Surrender[]
Germany threatened to do what they had done with Rotterdam to other Dutch cities if they had not surrendered. And so, the following day, Dutch commander H.G Winkleman.announced the surrender of the Netherlands, signing the Dutch capitulation. Dutch troops in Zeeland province continued to resist the German advance. The exiled queen and prime minister had fled the nation and formed a government in exile based in London. For much of the war, and even to the end, the Netherlands would not be entirely liberated until Germany's surrender in 1945.
References[]
https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/rijksstudio/timeline-dutch-history/1940-invasion
https://www.annefrank.org/en/anne-frank/go-in-depth/german-invasion-netherlands/
http://totallyhistory.com/battle-of-the-netherlands/