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    Torben
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    The Dutch resistance movement formed in response to the Nazi invasion and occupation of the Netherlands in 1940, as well as the persecution of Dutch Jews. While the Nazis hoped the Dutch would accept National Socialism, the people rallied around the exiled royal family and provided valuable intelligence to the Allies. Early resistance was difficult due to the Netherlands' isolation, but mass arrests of Jews and brutal reprisals for strikes provoked strong opposition. The resistance informed the Allies of German troop movements and helped Jews escape, especially children, through hiding and forged documents.

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    Dutch resistance

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    The Dutch resistance movement formed in response to the Nazi invasion and occupation of the Netherlands in 1940, as well as the persecution of Dutch Jews. While the Nazis hoped the Dutch would accept National Socialism, the people rallied around the exiled royal family and provided valuable intelligence to the Allies. Early resistance was difficult due to the Netherlands' isolation, but mass arrests of Jews and brutal reprisals for strikes provoked strong opposition. The resistance informed the Allies of German troop movements and helped Jews escape, especially children, through hiding and forged documents.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    103 views2 pages

    In Put Resistance

    Uploaded by

    Torben
    The Dutch resistance movement formed in response to the Nazi invasion and occupation of the Netherlands in 1940, as well as the persecution of Dutch Jews. While the Nazis hoped the Dutch would accept National Socialism, the people rallied around the exiled royal family and provided valuable intelligence to the Allies. Early resistance was difficult due to the Netherlands' isolation, but mass arrests of Jews and brutal reprisals for strikes provoked strong opposition. The resistance informed the Allies of German troop movements and helped Jews escape, especially children, through hiding and forged documents.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 2

    The Dutch resistance

    TheDutchresistancemovementcameaboutbecauseoftwosimplefactsoutragethattheir
    countryhadbeeninvadedandsheerhorroratwhathappenedtotheDutchJews.Hollandhad
    swiftlyfallenasaresultoftheonslaughtofBlitzkriegin1940.ThereweremanyinNazi
    Germany,includingJosephGoebbels,whohadhopedthatmanyDutchpeoplewouldabsorb
    NationalSocialismintotheirculture.Inthistheywerewrong.TheDutchralliedaroundtheir
    exiledroyalfamilyandtheDutchresistancewastoprovidetheAllies
    withvaluableintelligenceinformation.

    AnyformofresistanceintheNetherlandstooktimetoevolve.Thiswas
    primarilybecausethecountrywasisolatedfromLondonandfromthe
    influenceoftheSpecialOperationsExecutive(SOE).Thisremainedthe
    caseuntil1944.TheGermanshadheavilydefendedtheDutch
    coastline.AnysupportfromSOEthatinvolvedasealandinghowever
    covertwouldhavebeendifficult.Dutchairspacewasalsowell
    defendedbytheGermansasAlliedbombersfrequentlyflewoverthe
    DutchcoastenrouteforGermany.Theareawasriddledwithradarso
    thetraditionalwayofgettingSOEoperativesintoacountry(by
    Lysander)wasalsofraughtwithproblems.

    Beingasmallcountryintermsofitsgeographicsizemadeiteasierfor
    theGestapotoenforceitsauthority.AsearlyasMarch1942,the
    GestapohadarrestedawirelessoperatorinHollandandhadusedhiscodestosendfalse
    messagestoBritainencouragingtheBritishtoassisttheDutchresistancemovement.Any
    agentsandsuppliesdroppedinHollandbytheBritishwereimmediatelyinterceptedbythe
    Germans.Thisdeceptionlasteduntiltheautumnof1943.Therefore,duringthistimetheDutch
    resistancewasdeprivedoftheexperthelpthatSOEhadbeenabletogiveothers.

    WhatprovokedamajorreactioninHollandwasthewaveofarrestsofJews.ThistheDutch
    peoplecouldnottolerate.ThefirstarrestsweregreetedwithsolidaritystrikesbynonJewish
    Dutchworkers.InMay1943,therewasanothergeneralstrikeinHollandwhentheGermans
    sentbacktoPOWcampsDutchsoldierscapturedinthespringof1940butwhowereduefor
    repatriationtoHollandthreeyearslater.TheGermansreactedtothisstrikewithbrutality,
    shooting150people.WhenanotoriousDutchcollaborator,GeneralSeyffardt,was
    assassinatedbytheDutch,250hostageswerealsoshot.

    TheDutchresistancemadeitsmarkwiththecollectionofintelligencethatcouldbeusefultothe
    Allies.ItwastheDutchresistancewhoinformedtheAlliesofthefactthattheSSIXandX
    divisionswereintheregionofArnheminSeptember1944informationthatwasessentially
    ignoredwithdisastrousconsequences.TheDutchresistancealsohelpedDutchJewstoescape
    especiallychildren.Nineorganisationswerecreatedtodothisandtheyspecialisedinhiding

    people,forgingidentitypapersetc.This,alongwithitsintelligencework,provedtobeitsmost
    importantworkasopposedtotheclassicimageofresistanceunitsblowingupbridgesetc.

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