Hitler Invades the Low Countries

Denmark and Norway April - May 1940

• Following his success in Poland, Hitler decided to invade the tiny neutral countries of Denmark and Norway in 1940
• Despite British, French and Canadian declarations of war against Germany, there is little they can do to protect Denmark and Norway
• The Allied Countries are using the time to build up their own defenses as well as to train and equip their armies for yet another war in Europe
• Hitler uses his Blitzkrieg methods to crush Denmark and Norway. Both countries are taken by surprise. Denmark offers little resistance but Norway fights very hard against the Nazi force
• The British under their new Prime Minister, Winston Churchill do try to help Norway with a token force but it is too late
• for Norway and they have to surrender
• In both Denmark and Norway an underground resistance movement was be set up to terrorize the Nazi forces that occupy their countries
• Hitler followed his success in Denmark and Norway with the swift invasion of the low countries of Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg
• Again Hitler used his Blitzkrieg (lightening war) methods to roll through these countries quickly. Any resistance the Nazi’s received was crushed brutally by the German army and the German air force
• Denmark, Norway and the low countries were under Nazi occupation for five years before the Allied countries of Britain, France, Canada and the USA were able to liberate these people
• The Nazis impose strict curfews on the people, taking much of their food, clothing and fuel
• The Nazis expect the occupied countries to hand over willingly any Jews or communists that might be living in their country
• Nazi puppet governments were set up to administer the countries, any attempts to resist the Nazis resulted in execution