September 1940 - The Battle of Britain

The Germans intended that their raids over England would eliminate the RAF and allow their troops to invade. So their first attacks were directed at the fighter airfields in East and South-East England. Later, in order to demoralise the civilian population, big cities were bombed at random. Some of the German bomber squadrons attacking British cities used the Dutch airfields, which in turn were attacked by the Royal Air Force, resulting in many air battles. As soon as the wailing air-raid sirens warned of imminent danger, the Dutch tended not to head for the air-raid shelters or to go inside, but to go into the streets and on the roof-tops to watch, which was, of course, not without risk. What annoyed the Germans most, was that the Dutch people used not to hide their pleasure when a German plane was shot down, or their regret when a British one was.

Thanks to the gallant RAF fighter squadrons, some with Dutch pilots, the Germans lost the battle for supremacy of the air and they had to postpone, and later cancel, their invasion of Britain.

England was not beaten, and the majority of the Dutch people believed that it never would be. They never doubted that England would win the war and that one day the 'Tommies' would liberate them. This belief kept their spirits up. It was a good thing that, at the time, most people were not aware of the real situation and how weak England really was after their withdrawal from Dunkirk.

At last it dawned upon the impatient Nazis that the Dutch were not going to voluntarily become Germans, or permit their country to be incorporated in Hitler's "Thousand Years' Reich". Instead, the active and passive resistance movements grew. The Nazis lost patience and, in the winter of 1940-1941, they dropped their pretences and the SS Administration showed its real, and ugly face.

The first blows were struck at Jewish citizens. They were no longer allowed to be Civil Servants, or permitted to use public transport or bicycles, or to visit cinemas, theatres, parks, swimming pools and other sporting facilities. Boys and girls were no longer allowed to attend their normal schools, but had to go to special Jewish institutions. Membership of general associations was also forbidden. On top of that, Jews had to wear a yellow Star of David.

The Jewish community was so integrated into Dutch society that often neighbours were unaware that Jews lived in their street, until they had to wear their badges.

In February 1941 Dutch Nazis marched through the cities beating-up Jews and destroying Jewish-owned shops. Dutch workers found it difficult, if not impossible, to accept Nazi anti-Semitism, as symbolised by the yellow stars, did not take lightly to this and often came to the rescue of their Jewish friends. For a couple of days Amsterdam city centre was the scene of riots and street fighting. Dutch Nazis were beaten up. One was beaten to death. The Germans reacted violently, firing their guns, rounding up Jews and deporting them to the Mauthausen concentration and death camp in Austria. In reply, workers in Amsterdam went on strike and the city came to a grinding halt. The strikes spread to villages and towns in other parts of the country. The Nazis retaliated with machine-gun fire, arrests were made and the strike leaders, when caught, had to face the firing squads.

Leniency was over. Terror began in earnest, and the Resistance grew.