Figure 1.--

The Dutch resistance movement was slow to organize. The 1940 NAZI invasion had come as a great shock. The subsequent fall of France convinced many Dutch people that the NAZIs had essentially won the war and they would have to accept and accomodate themselves to the NAZIs. This slowly began to change as the British hung on in 1940 and then NAZI blitkrieg bogged down in Russia The entry of America into the War especially cheered the Dutch, although few understood how poorly prepared America was. NAZI brutality and the nature of NAZI ideology increaingly alienated the Dutch. The roundup and deportations of the Jews and the inductions for forced labor in Germany brought to the fore the true nature of the NAZIs. The Ressistance by mid-1943 had organized and began to play an important role. It was, however, to lat to help many Jews. By that time most had been deported.

NAZI Misconceptions

Hitler did not understand the Dutch people. Hiler and Himmler believed that the Dutch because of their Aryan blood would be easily won over to NAZI ideology. They were were also unprepared to deal with the primarily passive, non-militaristic character of Dutch resistance.

Resistance to NAZI Ideology

The Dutch resisted NAZI ideology and culture. They also saw themselves as destinively Dutch and had no interest in union with Germany. Almost all Dutch people with th exception of a small number of right wing zealots looked towards the day for renewed Dutch independence. [Woolfe]

There were many examples of Dutch resistance to the NAIs. The NAZI occupation authorities banned American and British movies, replacing them with German films, including German newsreels. Dutch patrons began walking out or booing during the newsreels. The NAZIs issued decrees prohibiting such behavior. Mny Dutch people in response simplly stopped going to the movies. NAZI radio broadcasts were principally propaganda. While the Germans were accustomed to this, the Dutch were acustome to a free press and saw the NAZI radio as boorish propaganda. It was illegal to listen to British radio, but many Dutch regularly tuned into to the BBC and radio broadcasts from the Dutch government in exile. The NAZIs responded by confiscating in 1943 over 1 million radio. [Woolf]

There were many quiet acts of resistance. On Prince Bernard's birthday, many people took to wearing orange carnations. Orange was the symbol of the House of Orange--the Dutch ruling family. When mailing letters, stamps were affixed to the upper left hand corner as many believed the upper right hand corner was reserved solely for the stamp of Queen Wilhelmina. Symbolic gestures that their heart's remained true to the Netherlands. [Woolf]

Only one-and-a-half percent of the Dutch population joined the NSM (Dutch NAZI party, despite the advantages in doing so. After June 1941 this became less advantageous as service in the Eastern front was expected which proved more dangerous than terrorizng unarmed Jews.

The NAZIs in 1943 demanded that university students sign an loyalty oath to the occupying forces. Despite the danger, 85 percent refused to sign. Many began to hide to avoid the NAZI labor service in Germany. [Woolf]

Many Dutch people spoke out or publishing tracts criticizing the NAZIs, acts of great courage. To be caught meant imprisonment or deportation to concentration camps such as Mauthausen from which few survived. The clergy regularly read letters from the pulpit. Underground newspapers appeared and were of some importance after the NAZIs he confiscation of radio sets and the loss of electricity during the later years of the war. [Woolf]

Underground Organization

The Dutch resistance did not begin to effectively organize until 1943. Thiswas in part because the German victory and military dominance was so overwealming that few Dutch people thought it was possible to organize. In addition, there were many close ties with Germany. The Dutch had been symphathetic toward the Germans in World War I. Most Dutch people decided that they would have to accomodate as mush as possible to the NAZIs. It was the NAZI persecution of the Jews that showed the Dutch the true character of the NAZIs. In addition the course of the War in 1942 began to swing against the Germans as the German Blitzkrieg bogged don in Russia and America entered the War. Dutch people began to realize that they would have to resist as best they could. By mid-1943, the Dutch Resistance became increasingly effective.

These Resistance never launched a major partisan campaign of armed resistance. This was not feasible given the Grman frces in the Netherland and Dutch geography. The Resistance did, however, conduct a wide range of actions, including sabotaging German cars and equipment, stealing food ration cards, and helping Allied airmen evade capture. Underground cells were involved in the manufacture of false papers The Resistance was able to help some Jews hide, but by the time the Resistance effectively organize, the NAZIs had succeeded in deporting most Dutch Jews to the Polish death camps. Early acts of resistance were stree fights ith the Dutch NAZIs. One importan objective was to steal ration cards and identification papers that could be used help Jews, Allied airmen, and anti-NAZIs trying to hide. It was too late to help most Jews, most had by that time been deported. They were able to rescue a few children and aid Jews and others in hiding. They also worked to provide food and money to those in hiding.

Resistance Groups

Gradually theRessistnce created an underground network of well organized codes and systems for conducting clandestine operations. The Dutch had two main resistanc groups. These was a sabotage group and another group involved in communications. The Ressistance acted as couriers of secret documents to countries outside of the Netherlands to assist Allied war efforts. It is estimated that over 50,000-60,000 individuals were directly involved in underground activities with hundreds of thousands offering assistance. More than 10,000 resistance memnbers were killed by the NAZIs. [Woolf]
h2>Mass Strikes

Mass strikes broke out in 1943 in response to deportations and conscription of Dutch labor into Germany. The railroad workers strike in 1944 was a bold act of resistance which was further supported by a secret underground organization which provided financial support to the striking workers. [Woolf] Over 0.5 million Dutchmen were deported to Germany and employed in the German economy as slave labor. About 30,000 of them died before the end of the war bcause of the poor conditions and mistreatment.

NAZI Reaction

With food becoming very scarce and in response to the Dutch strike of September 1944, the German administration outlawed the import of food into the highly populated areas of Holland and Zeeland in October 1944; the period until liberation in May 1945 thus is referred to as the Hunger Winter; many died of starvation.

Sources

Woolf, Linda M. "Survival and Resistance: The Netherlands Under Nazi Occupation," April 6, 1999.

Created: October 9, 2002
Last updated: October 19, 2002