Occupation Flashcards
When was the Netherlands invaded?
May 1940
What city was bombed?
Rotterdam
What did the royal family refuse to do?
Cooperate so went into exile to Britain.
Why were the Dutch treated largely with respect?
They had the same ethnic background as the Nazis.
When and how did Dutch communists strike?
1941
400 Jewish men were rounded up for deportation so they striked in retaliation.
Trams stopped working & strikers marched in Dutch towns, ending the friendly attitude the Nazis had for them. They shot, killing 9 and arresting hundreds
When did the Nazis switch to intimidation & violence methods?
1943-44
Who did the Nazis target in the Netherlands?
The 140,000 jews who lived there.
What did the Jews have to identify themselves with from 1942?
The yellow Star of David.
What percentage of Jews were deported to extermination camps?
76%
What did the Nazis do to sort the severe shortage of workers in Germany?
300,000 Dutch ex-soldiers were sent to Germany to work in forced labour. All Dutch men 18-35 had to become forced labourers (only 54,000/170,000 went) so then it extended 16-60 (500,000 went)
How did Dutch resistance develop?
By 1944: 300,000 men were in hiding & illegal printing presses were set up producing anti-Nazi leaflets. Armed resistance began as Dutch fought back.
What did the Dutch do late 1944 when occupation was coming to an end?
Dutch government called for railway strikes. 30,000 rail workers went into hiding. This severely limited the Germans’ transport leading to food being in short supply. Living conditions worsened & food shortages severe. 20,000 Dutch died of starvation.
When and how did 5 years of Nazi occupation come to an end?
5th May 1945 when the Netherlands was liberated by Canadian soldiers.
Poland had only existed as a country since ____, before this it had been part of ________ ________.
1918
Greater Germany
Why did the Nazis invade in 1939?
They wanted to remove all Polish control of culture and ‘Germanise’ the country.
What were the people of Poland seen as by the Nazis?
Slavs.
In 1940, Himmler drew up his…
Eastern General Plan.
What was the Eastern General Plan?
A strategy for the occupation of the east - remove all Polish or Slavic people and replace them with Germans.
How many native Polish citizens were replaced with Germans from 1940?
500,000
Where did native Poles move to?
The General Government region.
Who governed the General Government region?
Hans Frank - nazi ex-lawyer.
In 1940, Frank destroyed…
How?
Polish culture, education and leadership.
Schools closed, Polish leaders were targeted, 30,000 arrested, many tortured and murdered.
How many Slavic Poles were murdered?
1.9 million.
What rules were established by the Polish Decrees?
Slavic Poles had to wear a ‘P’ on their arms, sexual relations with Germans banned & they were paid a lower wage than Germans.
