MovieChat Forums > Oorlogswinter (2008) Discussion > The German Army in Holland, January 1945

The German Army in Holland, January 1945

posted 13 years ago by jeffyoung1
8 replies | jump to latest

All I can say for the Dutch people of the Netherlands (Holland) in January of 1945, their situation SUCKED the big one.

The German Army (Heer) had been thoroughly crushed on the Eastern Front during the massive Soviet counteroffensive, Operation Bagration.

The German Army had been thoroughly defeated on the Western Front and sent reeling back to its own territorial borders across the Rhine in the face of the Western Allied onslaught.

Yet in Holland, the German Army remained strong and in control and the Dutch people under the Nazi heel. It must have been a bitter pill for the Dutch people to swallow.

The problem was that Holland lies far to the north outside of the Allied and Soviet zones of combat operations. So in other words, to free Holland, the Allies and the Soviets have to first overrun Germany itself. That means a long wait for the Dutch people.

The pre-war Dutch government was under little illusion about its German neighbor, even though Germany had been defeated in WWI, weakened economically by the Great Depression, but transformed into a politically unstable, economically fragile, but somehow functioning democracy known for its swinging jazzy night life in decadent Weimar Republic Berlin where anything went. The problem was location, location, location, small Dutch population, and limited economic resources. The Dutch were in position to build a massive military and compete against a southern Germanic neighbor several times its size in land mass and population.

Despite being ostensibly, 'Aryan', and under one of the least oppressive Nazi occupations, that wasn't saying very much. While the Dutch didn't have to suffer genocide they did have to put up with German brutality, softened as it was because of the Dutch racial similarity to its German neighbor. Small wonder that back in 1970, a Dutch gasoline station owner replied to several German tourists asking directions, "You didn't need directions back in 1940."

[–] mathew5000 13 years ago

While the Dutch didn't have to suffer genocide

Some of them did.

[–] chas437 11 years ago

I've heard the theory that Hitler chose to starve the population of the Netherlands as punishment for the assistance they gave the Allies during Operation Market Gardern.

[–] gerdine 12 years ago

I would like to add a few other interesting things to your comment:

My parents lived during this war in Holland (I am dutch, living in US). The last winter of the war (1944-45) was called Honger winter (Hunger winter), due to the fact that there was little or no food available for the dutch people to eat. People in the cities had to walk to the country side to trade any valuables they had for potatoes, vegetables, and if they were lucky, for meat. That is why in this movie you see so many people on the road with package, walking and using anything with wheels (bicycles with wooden (!) wheels) to carry stuff on. My mother had to do this also in order to supplement the meager rations she would be able to get using the ration cards. Trees in cities got cut, rail ties got pulled out, to burn for heat (there was NO fuel). Tulip bulbs got eaten. All this because Germany was directing all its spent energy towards the East Front (Russia) and was pretty much aware they were losing this war. Finally, in May 1945, the allied forces walked into Holland. Ten of thousands of dutch people had died in that last winter of starvation and cold (it was a VERY severe winter)! And, by the way, Holland did suffer genocide; hundreds of thousands of dutch Jews were transported out of Holland and died in the gas chambers.

To answer a question of one of the reviewers of this movie: Michiel's father was shot together with 2 other citizens as a response to the killing of a German soldier. This was a common response of the Germans towards the dutch to make up for aggression towards them. The dutch resistance was strong, and to keep it in check they used cruel methods as shown in this movie.

The Germans were still called "Krauts" by many dutch people decades after the war was over. It was a horrible 5 years (1940-45) for the dutch people, and memories of this war are only slowly fading with new generations coming into life.

I have a question of my own: I hope no animal suffering took place in this movie. In the US animal suffering is NOT allowed, and it would be nice to know that in MY own country there are also strict regulations in regards to this. If there is anybody out there who can confirm this, I would be grateful.

Gerdine Markus, Hilo, Hawaii

[–] aege2 12 years ago

My father was from Holland but living in the US during this time period. I have spoken to a cousin that was there and she told me her brother was in a
Sanitarium because he was suffering from TB. The Germans were not ones to "treat and care for" sick individuals. The hospitals were left without any food or drugs and most patients died there.

The Nazis were not too particular about who they would wreak their vengance on. Jews, Christians, gays, the mentally ill, the mentally challenged were all their prey.

People in the village of Dachau still deny any knowledge of what was going on in the concentration camp there. I have visited the camp on several occasions and cannot see how this would be the case. If nothing else, they had to smell the ovens when they were working. Also, prisoners were taken to local factories and were made to work and make arms and war items for the Germans. I realize that like in this movie, cooperation with the enemy was necessary to keep things on a low burner.

[–] heckles 8 years ago

The German soldiers in the movie looked much too young and well-equipped to be rear area soldiers, esp. if we're depicting 1945. This isn't the first movie I've seen this in, however; it's a phenomenon I call "The Rear Area Stormtrooper Convention."

[–] pfarnell 8 years ago

lol..

[–] pfarnell 8 years ago

The dutch resistance was strong,

strong is maybe a relative word, but I would question this..

[–] ktowny 7 years ago

"...People in the cities had to walk to the country side to trade any valuables they had for potatoes, vegetables, and if they were lucky, for meat. That is why in this movie you see so many people on the road with package, walking and using anything with wheels to carry stuff on...."

Thank you for explaining this. I was wondering what they were doing.

"Loves turned to lust and bloods turned to dust in my heart"