The German invasion of the Netherlands was part of the attack on Western Europe that began on the same morning as the invasion of Belgium and France. German paratroopers and airborne troops were dropped near The Hague, Rotterdam and Dordrecht to seize airfields and bridges, while the army advanced from the east. The Dutch forces fought for several days, but the speed of the German advance, and the threat of more attacks after the bombing of Rotterdam, which destroyed the centre of the city and killed hundreds of people, led the Dutch commander to capitulate. Queen Wilhelmina and the government went to London and carried on from exile. The occupation lasted until 1945 and was marked by persecution of the Jews and by famine in the final winter.
Before and after
- 13 April 1940Birth of Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio
- 16 April 1940Birth of Margrethe II of Denmark
- 25 April 1940Birth of Al Pacino
- from 10 May 1940 to 25 June 1940Battle of France
- from 10 May 1940 to 15 May 1940German invasion of the Netherlands
- from 10 May 1940 to 28 May 1940German invasion of Belgium
- 14 May 1940Rotterdam Blitz
- 15 May 1940Founding of McDonald's
- 20 May 1940Construction of Auschwitz
More in Wars, politics & history
- from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918World War I
- 1917Russian Revolution
- 28 June 1919Treaty of Versailles
- from 1933 to 1945The Holocaust
- 30 January 1933Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
- from 18 July 1936 to 1 April 1939Spanish Civil War
The era
This moment belongs to the Modern era (1914 CE to 1945 CE), world wars and a changing world. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.