Figure 1.--Denmark was a very small country, but it had a small industrial base and very productiuve agricultural sector. Danish farmers provided some thing like 8 percent of German ratioins durung the War [ADAP, E, 3, No. 148] Hitler planned to feed Germany from his Eastern conquests. In fact it was expoloitation of the West that fed the Germans. While the Germans exploited the economy ruthlessy, there was still enough food so that the Danes remained the best fed peopole in German-occupied Europe. Photographer: Sven Turck.

The NAZIs invaded and conquered Poland with Soviet support in less than a month. Denmark fell with little resistance within hours. While both countries were close to each other on the Reich's northern and eastern border. The occupation regimes, however, could not be more different. The barbarity let loose on Poland was not in evidence in Demark. The difference was essentially that the Poles were Slavs and the Germans saw the Danes as fellow Teutons. General Falkenhorst gave clear orders to his men about how they should conduct themselves. The NAZIs allowed the Danish Government to continue to function under close supervision. In the case of Denmark, the German Foreign Ministry administered the occupation. The German occipation was overseen by a Reich Plenipoteniary. The first was a Foreign Ministry diplomat, CecilRenthe-Fink. He was replaced by Werner Best (November 1942). He was assisted by SS-officer Friedrich Franz of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Best was not given control over NAZI security forces operating in the country. Denmark continued to formally a sovereign state. This status was dramatically different than the other countries occupied by the NAZI. Racial affinities were the primary factor here as well as cultural afinities. The NAZIs did not ban political parties. Denmark remained a parlimentary democracy subject to a totalitarizn dictatorship. The Germans had the right to demand that any cabinent officer be removed. And they used this authority on several occassions. Minister of Trade John Christmas Müller was found to be too pro-British. Minister of Justice Harald Petersen was found to lack resolution in dealing with Danes incolved in a brawl with German soldiers at a fooball game (Danes/Admiral Wien). The Germans demanded the military be reduced by half and placed significant contraints on the country's foreign policy. The Danes formed a four Party coalition government headed by Thorvald Stauning. Erik Scavenius was appointed foreign minister (July 1940). After the NAZI invasion of the Soviet Union (June 1941), German authorities forced the Danish government to acquiese in the formation of a Danish unit to participate, albeit a volunteer unit. A few Danes volunteered and served with the Wehrmact on the Eastern front. German authorities also demanded that authorities ban the Communist Party. Under German pressure, the Danish Government joined the Anti-Comintern Pact (November 1941). Stauning died unexpectatly (May 1942). He was replaced by Vilhelm Buhl who, however, soon proved unacceptable to the Germans. They forced him to resign (November 1942). He was replaced by Foreign Miister Scavenius.

Conquest

The NAZIs invaded and with Soviet aid conquered Poland in less than a month. The Poles resisted, but were outnumbred and lacked the modern weapons and effective battle plan the Germas had. The invasion of Denmark was very different. Denmark did not have a substantial aemy. And it isa flat country without natural barriers. The Germans were in comtrol of the country within hours. There was virtually no resistance. King Constantimne and tthe Government did not have time to escape. There would be no government in exile.

Political Regime

Given the acquience of the Danes, the Germans decided to run the country through the existing govermental structure. The country was basically undanaged. NAZIs allowed the Danish Government to continue to function under close supervision. There was an initial accomodation. In the case of Denmark, the German Foreign Ministry administered the occupation. The German occipation was overseen by a Reich Plenipoteniary. The first was a Foreign Ministry diplomat, CecilRenthe-Fink. He was replaced by Werner Best (November 1942). He was assisted by SS-officer Friedrich Franz of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Best was not given control over NAZI security forces operating in the country. Denmark continued to formally a sovereign state. This status was dramatically different than the other countries occupied by the NAZI. The Germans demanded the military be reduced by half and placed significant contraints on the country's foreign policy. Under German pressure, the Danish Government joined the Anti-Comintern Pact (November 1941). Stauning died unexpectatly (May 1942). He was replaced by Vilhelm Buhl who, however, soon proved unacceptable to the Germans. They forced him to resign (November 1942). He was replaced by Foreign Miister Scavenius.

Race

Racial affinities were the primary factor that affected a gentler treatment of the Danes than the Slavs in the East. The NAZis did not have the racial goals in Denmark that they had in Poland and the East where they wanted to destroy. The Danes were Nordic people that the NAZIs judged of genetic value. It was a small populatin, butseen as value in a Europe where he Germans were badly outnumbered. While Poland and Denmark were close to each other on the Reich's northern and eastern border why transpired in the two countries could not be mpre differet. The occupation regimes, however, could not be more different. The barbarity let loose on Poland was not in evidence in Demark. The difference was essentially that the Poles were Slavs and the Germans saw the Danes as fellow Teutons. General Falkenhorst who planned the invasion of Denmark and Norway gave clear orders to his men about how they should conduct themselves.

Borders

The Germans perhaps because of the initial Danish acquiesence mot to ammex southern Drnmark, redoing the border settlement after Worlkd War I. It is likely that given the plan to annex all of Denark as part of a greater Reich after Germany had won the War, that id made liitke sence to stirk up trouble by annexig a small area during the War.

Political Parties

The NAZIs did not ban political parties. This was the onlu occvupied parties where political parties were not banned. Denmark remained a parlimentary democracy subject to a totalitarizn dictatorship. The Germans had the right to demand that any cabinent officer be removed. And they used this authority on several occassions. Minister of Trade John Christmas Müller was found to be too pro-British. Minister of Justice Harald Petersen was found to lack resolution in dealing with Danes incolved in a brawl with German soldiers at a fooball game (Danes/Admiral Wien). The Danes formed a four Party coalition government headed by Thorvald Stauning. Erik Scavenius was appointed foreign minister (July 1940). German authorities also demanded that authorities ban the Communist Party.

Danish Military Contribution

Denmark provided the Germans valuable military bases. After the NAZI invasion of the Soviet Union (June 1941), German authorities forced the Danish government to acquiese in the formation of a Danish unit to participate, albeit a volunteer unit. A few Danes volunteered and served with the Wehrmact on the Eastern front.

Occupation Results

The intrest in Denmark was to 1) exploit the country economically to support the war effort and 2) make the Danes and Denmark part of the New Order leading to a greater Reich after the War. For the Danish people, there was a minimal German imprint at first. Few German soldiers werre seen on Danish streerts. Life went on much as before the invasion. The major impact was in the economic sphere. After the military occupation was secured, the German Foreign Ministry attempted to negotiate or more precisely implement an economic union with Denmark (summer 1940). Then Göring and his Four-Year Plan attempted to oversee the Danish economy. Eventually the Reich Economics Ministry took control. The Germans abandoned the idea of economic union. The German persued more limited measures. They established a ministerial Eastern Committee to expand Danish industry in the Eastern areas seized by the Barbarossa offensive (June 1941). The overall NAZI goal was to become the economic center of a self-sufficient continental Europe. Thus German could function and continue the War depite the British naval blockade. A major goal in Denmark as in other occupied areas was to obtain food for the Reich. Denmark wa a food exporter, especially dairy products. Much of that food was marketed in Britain. After the German invasion, agricultural production was redirected to the Reich. [Lund] Here the Germans were very successful. Before the War, less than 25 of Danish exports went to the Reich (1939). This rapidly shifted and the Reich was soon receiving 75 percent of Danish exports (1941). Estimates suggest that during the War, the Danes supplied 10-15 percent of the Reich's food supplies. Also important was Danish cement and naval shipyards. The shipments to Germany without any counterflow of German products caused economuic problems in Denmark. Danes experienced price inflation. The Danish Government was forced to impose food rationing.

German Exactions

As the War continued, the Danes became increasingly restive as the Germn boot pressed harder. Actual resistance attacks were rare. Even so the Germans gradually increased the severity of the occupation. Defeats in the East increased German needs, but it seems that Hitler penchant for brutality was the primary factor in ocupation policy. Hitler intervened personally, disatisfied with the idea of treating the Danes gently. He was furious with the Danish Resistance public spiriting the country's Jews to Sweden. Given that Danes were aNordic people, he saw it as close to treason. Hitler instructed the German authorities that Denmark would be annexed to the Reich, the monarchy would be ended as well as all democratic institutions purged. [ADAP, E, 4, Nos6, 104, and 108.] These plans were not announced to the public, but the behavior of the Danmish NAZIs left little doubt about what was planned for Denmark. The Germans announced a military emergency (August 1943). They removed the Danish Government in all but name. Rather than quell resistance it stimulated it. Resistance and repression followed. The Danes never rose uip, but there was no longer any illusioin in Berlin about the orienttion of the Nordic Danes and the Danish people fully uderstood German intentions.

Sources

Akten zur Deutschen auswärtigen Politik 1918-1945 (ADAP). Documents mainly from the German Foreign Mimnistry

Lund, Joachim, Denmark and the ‘European New Order’, 1940–1942 (Cambridge University Press, 2004).

Created: 5:09 AM 6/23/2019
Last updated: 5:09 AM 6/23/2019