History of Denmark during the Second world war

The occupation of the Denmark by the Germany during the Second world war began the April 9th 1940 with the Opération Weserübung and ended the May 5th 1945 when the German forces were withdrawn following their defeat vis-a-vis the Alliés. Contrary to the situation of the other country under German occupation, the majority of the Danish institutions continued to function more or less normally until 1943. The Gouvernement Danish remained in the country, maintaining a relation turbid between democratic regime and totalitarian system, until the German authorities dissolve the government following a series of strikes and sabotages.

The invasion

The Occupation of the Denmark forever be an important objective for the German government. The decision to occupy their small Scandinavian neighbor was made to facilitate the invasion of strategically more important the Norway; and also like means of countering probable a British countryside in Norway. The German military strategists thought that a base in the north of the Jütland, and especially the airport of Ålborg, would be essential with an invasion of Norway, and started to plan an occupation partial of Denmark, but until February 1940, the decision to occupy the country had not been made yet. The question was finally settled when Hitler, personally, striped the words die Nordspitze Jütlands (the extreme north of Jütland) and replaced them by Dä , a German abbreviation for Denmark.

Although the Danish territory of the Jütland of the south was inhabited by an important German minority, and that the province was restored following the Plébiscite within the framework of the Traité of Versailles, the Germany did not seem in a hurry to recover it. With much more long run certain Nazis vaguely hoped to incorporate Denmark in a great “Scandinavian Union”, but there was no concrete plan to carry it out.

With 4:15 of the morning the April 9th 1940 (Danish hour), the German forces crossed the border of Denmark, neutral, in direct violation of the German-Danish treaty of non-aggression signed the previous year. In a coordinated action, the German vessels unloaded with the docks of Copenhagen. In spite of their numerical inferiority and poor equipment, soldiers in several parts of the country fought, and particularly the Royal Guards of Copenhagen, the units in the Jütland of the south, and the garrison of Odense.

16 Danish soldiers died by defending Denmark, but after only two hours of military resistance the Danish government capitulated thinking that resistance was useless and hoping to negotiate an advantageous agreement with Germany. The flat of the Jütland, frontier territory of Germany, was a perfect zone for the operations of the German army, and the surprised attack of Copenhagen had returned any attempt to defend the impossible Zealand. The Germans were also fast to take the control of the bridge on the Petit Belt, and thus to give the access to the island of Fyn. The German army was technologically sophisticated and many; the Danish army, in comparison, tiny, and using obsolete equipment, resulting partly from a policy of pre-war period aiming at avoiding any confrontation with Germany. Even a savage resistance would not have lasted well a long time. Thinking that any resistance would have like only effect to weigh down the Danish losses, the Danish cabinet finally decided to fold " in protestant" under the German pressure. Because of the rapid turning of the events, the Danish government did not have time to officially declare the war against Germany.

The occupation was carried out so quickly that the majority of the Danes rose without realizing that their country had been occupied. For the rest of the world these events seemed disconcerting, almost as if the social democrat government had taken the party of Germany. Nevertheless, the Danes were generally probritannic and preserved a hostility towards the Germans, making the invasion German largely unpopular. The people, nevertheless, were divided on the best attitude to take vis-a-vis in Germany.

The Danish government under protectorate 1940-43

General information

Taking into account the co-operative attitude of the Danish authorities, official German declared that they would respect Danish sovereignty, the territorial integrity, like its neutrality. The German authorities were inclined with indulgence with respect to Denmark for various reasons:

They did not have interest ideological or strategic particular in the country, consequently, they were satisfied to leave the responsibilities, the burden of the Administration to Germanic people “brother”.

the only strong economic interests that Denmark presented, like the surpluses of the agricultural produce , would probably have been provided by the Danes by economic need. The German files indicate that the German administration had not really become aware of this potential before the invasion.

the Germans hoped to mark points of propaganda while making of Denmark, in the words of Hitler, “a Protectorat model”. That was going to show in the world what future a Europe controlled by the Nazis could be.

In addition to these practical objectives, according to the ideology Nazi, the Danes were " cousins nordiques" , Aryan, and consequently could, up to a certain degree of confidence, to deal with their own businesses.

All these factors contributed to bring to Denmark a privileged relation with the Nazi Germany. The government remained intact and the Parlement continued to function more or less like before. They could, approximately, keep the control of the interior policy. The police force and the Legal system remained with the hands of the Danes and contrary to the majority of the occupied countries, the king Christian X remained in the country as Head of State. The Third Reich was formally represented by an ambassador plenipotentiary (Reichsbevollmächtigter), i.e. a diplomat accredited near the sovereign, a station decreed in November 1942 with lawyer and general S Werner Best.

Generally, the Danish public opinion soutinta the new government, particularly after the defeat of France in June 1940.

The general feeling was that the German occupation was a sad truth and that was to be confronted in the most realistic possible way, with the sight of the international situation. The politicians carried out that they would have to work hard to maintain the privileged position of Denmark by presenting an united front to the German authorities, therefore all the democratic principal parties linked themselves to form a new government. The Parliament and the government agreed to work together. With a suppression, in fact, of any opposition, the situation was not without evoking a mode of Sole party, but one can consider that the government was representative.

The Danish government was dominated by the Sociaux-démocrates, to which prewar the Prime Minister Thorvald Stauning belonged, which found the Nazi party being repugnant to and which found depressing the prospect for Europe under hegemony Nazi. Nevertheless its party pursued a strategy of co-operation, hoping to maintain the democracy and the maintenance of the Danes to the capacity as a long time as possible. There were many problems to regulate with Germany in the months which followed the occupation.

articles of newspapers and the dispatches " who could compromise the Germano-danoises" relations; were put censured.

Following the attack of the Soviet Union (the Operation Barbarossa), Denmark united with the pact anti Komintern as well as the Scandinavian neighbor, the Finland; The Communist party was interdict in Denmark. Consequently, of many Communists became the first members of the Danish Résistance.

the relations with the governments of the countries Alliés were cut.

the Industrial production and the trade were redeployed towards Germany (partly for geopolitical reasons and by economic need). Traditionally, both principal parteanires economic of Denmark were Germany and the United Kingdom. Many Ministers for the government thought that the development of the trade with Germany was vital to maintain the social order of Denmark. One could fear that the rise of unemployment and poverty can lead to an open revolt of the country against the Germans, involving reprisals on behalf of the Germans.

Erik Scavenius was Prime Minister during most of the war as a chief of the cabinet of coalition gathering all the political principal parties (except the tiny Communist Parties and Nazi). Scavenius was a diplomat, not an elected official, and had a élitiste approach of government. It feared that an emotive public opinion could endanger its attempt at compromise between Danish sovereignty and the reality of the German occupation. Scavenius thought firmly that he was the most enthusiastic defender of Denmark. After the war its position was very criticized, particularly on behalf of the members of resistance who thought that it had blocked the cause of resistance and had threatened the Danish national honor. He, thought that these criticisms were vain, and that their authors, by using the popular emotion, especially thought of giving each other a beautiful image to ensure their own careers.

The Danish authorities were shown very co-operative to obtain considerable concessions for their country. They constantly refused to enter a Customs union and a monetary Union with Germany. The Danes worried at the same time about the negative economic consequences and fallen down political. Official German did not want to compromise their privileged relation with Denmark by using the constraint as they did it in the other occupied countries. The government also managed to differ the negotiations concerning the return from the province of Slesvig of north towards Germany, they removed the military processions in tight rows which could have supported the agitation on behalf of the German nationalists or of the Danish Nazis. They maintained the party national-Socialist apart from their government, and organized in the middle of the war of the practically free elections whose result was unfavourable to the Nazis. The Danish soldiers had also access to German confidential informations and delivered them to the allies. The harmful economic consequences of the occupation were attenuated by the German-Danish co-operation. The impulse of German investment in industry, agriculture and especially the defense and the maintenance of the troops caused a serious inflation the first year of the war. The Danish government could renegotiate the foreign exchange rate fixed arbitrarily between Deutsche Mark and the Danish crown, to solve this problem. The success generally mentioned with respect to the Danish policy with respect to Germany is the protection of the Jewish minority of Denmark.

During the five years of occupation, the government systematically refused the German requirements concerning the Jews. No special law was issued and the civil laws applied without restriction on the Jews as on the remainder of the Danish population. This position exasperated more and more the German authorities which were however obliged to conclude that any attempt to off-set or maltreat the Jews would be " politically inacceptable". With more high level, Dr. Werner Best which represented the authorities of occupation as from November 1942 pronounced against any action against the Jews in Denmark not to disturb the relations between the two governments.

The king Christian X remained in Denmark during all the war. It was a symbol of courage very appreciated by its subjects. The legend according to which he would have declared that he would carry a star of David if the Jews were forced to carry some is not supported by historical evidence.

The Irregular force " Danemark"

A party Danish national-Socialist (DNSAP) had been created in 1930. With the elections of 1939, it had been credited with 1,8% of the voices. June 29th, a few days after the invasion of the USSR by German, these Danish Nazis create a body of volunteers to go to fight the Soviet Union within the framework of the Waffen-SS.

The Danish law authorizes the Danish citizens to begin in a foreign army, but active recruitment on the Danish ground is prohibited. The S exceed this law to recruit in the rows of the Danish Nazis and the German minority.

In 1941,6 000 men among whom 1 500 belong to the German minority of Denmark are enlisted in this irregular force.

The pact anti-Comintern

November 25th, the Germans " invitent" the Danish government to join the Pact anti-Comintern. The Minister for the businesses étranères Scavenius contacts the ambassador of Germany Renthe-Finck to mean to him that Denmark should sign the pact, but that the ministerial Cabinet is not favorable to this signature which would be encontradiction with Danish neutrality. The Germans then threaten to put an end to the " occupation pacifique" and to found a " state of guerre" , a government Nazi and a territorial dismemberment. November 23rd, Stauning joins together its cabinet Stauning, Scavenius and three other ministers are in favor of the compromise whereas 7 ministers oppose it, but finally 3 other ministers adopt the point of view of Stauning. Scavenius is then charged to go to sign the pact in Berlin, with restrictions so that Denmark is not engaged in a war against the USSR.

The advertisement of the signature of the treaty causes hostile demonstrations of students to alignment on Germany. Of return to Copenhagen, Scavenius insists near the cabinet so that is defined once and for all which are the limits not to be crossed in collaboration with Germany. The ministers agree on 3 critical points:

No anti-Jewish legislation,
Denmark should not join the Axe Rome-Berlin which Japan had also joined,
No unit of the Danish army must fight at the sides of Germany, Italy and Japan.

With surprised of much, Scavenius takes these instructions without hesitation.

The telegram of Hitler

In 1942, Adolf Hitler transmitted a long telegraph of birthday to the king. The king answered by simple a Meinen besten Dank. Chr. Rex (I.e.: Thank you very much - King Christian ) putting the insane Führer of rage. The relations between Denmark and Germany were seriously disturbed. Hitler pointed out its ambassador immediately and expelled the Danish ambassador of Germany.

Denmark under German occupation (1943-45)

Increasing hostility

With the passing of years, the population became increasingly hostile with the Germans. The German soldiers stationed in Denmark had found the whole of the population cold and reserved at the beginning of the occupation, but the relations had become more cordial with what seemed to be the good will of the government to cooperate with the occupants: The government had tried to discourage sabotage and violent resistance to the occupation, but with the autumn 1942, the violent acts of resistance increased at a point such as Germany declared for the first time Denmark " territory ennemi". After the battles of Stalingrad and El-Alamein the facts of resistance (violent one and symbolic systems), knew an exponential growth. In March 1943 the Germans authorized the behavior of elections which gave good scores to the parties anti-nazis. This election, dissatisfaction, and a feeling of increasing optimism that Germany would be overcome led to general strikes and a movement of civil disobedience during the summer 1943.

Dismissal of the government

Estimating that the Danish government refused to regulate the situation in a satisfactory way, the Germans dissolvèrent the Danish government the August 29th 1943 and issued the martial Loi.

In 1941, to slacken the German pressure, the Danish government had yielded six Torpilleur S to the Germans; an action which had encouraged the king Christian X to put the Danish flag in Bern at semi-chechmate at the battery of Sixtus of the wearing of Copenhagen, as one was accustomed to making it with dead of the king. This time Ci, in 1943, the navy resisted. Preceding the advance of the German troops, the morning of August 29th, 1943, on order of the government, the Danish fleet which wet in Copenhagen was sent by the bottom. On fifty two ships of the Danish navy, two, which were in Greenland, were precipitately cast, four escaped in Sweden, country neutral, and fourteen were captured intact by the Germans.

After the fall of the government, Denmark was completely submitted to the occupants Nazis. The Sabotage S developed considerably in quantity and quality. They generally do not causèent serious worry with the Germans. June 6th, 1944, D-day of the unloading in Normandy, the Danish railway network was disturbed during several days, in order to delay the arrival of Renfort S towards the place of unloading. A clandestine government was formed and an illegal press developed.

The rescue of the Danish Jews

After the dismissal of the Danish government, on August 29th, 1943, German had envisaged rafler and to off-set some 8 000 Jews residing at Denmark. September 28th, Georg Ferdinand Duckwitz, German diplomat, revealed semi-officially the Nazis projects in Hans Hedtoft, president of the social democrat party which transmitted at once information to Danish Resistance and representatives of the Jewish community. Information was disseminated at the time of the offices of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, on September 29th.

Of another with dimensions, when Danish civils servant were also informed of the imminence of the raid, without mutual dialog, they made in kind warn the Jews and hide them. Thus, the Danish Jews were already hidden several days or several weeks before the exfiltration towards Sweden which granted asylum. Transport was carried out by sea. About fifteen kilometers separate the island from Zeeland, where Copenhagen is located, from Sweden. All kinds of boats were used, since the large fishing vessels of 20 tons to the boats used for the competitions of oar. certain refugees also took seat on ferries which ensured the service of freight between the two countries. Certain fishermen taking part in the operation accepted money, others did it on a purely gracious basis. The police force of the port and the civil police force facilitated the operation.

In the final analysis only 450 Jews, is approximately 7% of the total of the Jewish population was taken by the Germans and deportees, for the majority with the Concentration camp of Theresienstadt which was not a death camp. The Danish government could send parcels to them and make them visit by the Red Cross. 51 Danish Jews left their life to Theresienstadt nevertheless.

Economy of Denmark (1940-1945)

Denmark knew during the war of the economic problems extrèmement serious. The Danish economy was touched of full whip by the increasing cost of raw material imports like the coal and the Pétrole. The effects of the Blocus against Germany were negative for Denmark. The country not having practically any Natural resource, it is particularly vulnerable to the shocks and shortages. The government had anticipated the possibility of lacks of coal and of oil and had stored some before war. This anticipation combined with the Rationing, avoided the worst. Denmark had also to suffer from the disturbances of the network of European trade, but all things considered, Denmark left itself there rather well compared with other countries during the war.

Prosperity touched even certain sectors and after the war, of the investigations were undertaken to find and punish the collaborators, but the consequences and the range of these lawsuits were less thorough than in many of other countries, mainly because of the consensus which had existed with respect to a realistic co-operation with Germany. Phil Giltner established that Germany accumulated a " dette" roughly 6,9 billion crowns in Denmark. This means that they had taken much more with the Danish economy which they had not brought. This German debt also means that the Danish occupation was beneficial with the German effort of war.

Difficulties and end of the war

Denmark was released from the German yoke in May 1945 by the general Bernard Montgomery, although the island more in the east Bornholm remained occupied by the Soviet forces for still a year.

Although Denmark was touched less than of other areas of Europe, the population nevertheless had problems, in particular after the Germans took load the administration of the country in 1943. The Allies carried out some operations of bombardment on targets chosen, but anything comparable so that underwent, for example, the close Norway or the Netherlands. The island of Bornholm was especially damaged by the Soviet bombardment which aimed at the German garrison stationed on the island.

A little more than 850 members the various Danish resistance movements were killed during the war. Roughly 900 Danish civilians were killed for various reasons, is taken in air raids, victims of civil disturbances, or reprisals. 39 Danish soldiers were killed or wounded during the invasion, and 4 were killed the August 29th, 1943 when the Germans dissolvèrent the Danish government. Approximately 360 Danes died in concentration camps. The group more touched was that of the Danish sailors who continued to operate throughout the war, the majority victims of submarines: 1 850 sailors died. A little more than 100 soldiers died as combatants of the allied forces.

After the war 40 000 people were stopped suspected of Collaboration. 13 500 were punished in one way or another. 78 accepted the capital punishment, although only 46 were carried out. The majority of purified accepted custodial sentences of less than 4 years. One criticized the fact much of being caught some with people of modest means in an exaggerated way, whereas many politicians and much managers of undertakings were not worried.

Although some members of resistance tried to organize new political parties after the war to reorganize the Danish political scene, they did not reach that point. The only strong impact that resistance had on the elections in October 1945 was that the Communists, largely credited for most of work of resistance, carried out the good score of 12,5% of the votes.

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