Timeline of the Netherlands during World War II

This timeline is about events during World War II of direct significance to the Netherlands. For a larger perspective, see Timeline of World War II.

1939

28 August: Mobilization of the Dutch army

1940

10 January: Mechelen incident
10–17 May: German invasion of the Netherlands
24-25 June: an RAF raid on Den Helder results in 38 deaths.

1941

3-4 October: an RAF raid on Rotterdam results in 106-130 deaths.

1942

The year saw RAF air raids on Rotterdam, Schiedam, Geleen, and Einhoven.

1943

The year saw allied air raids on Rotterdam, Tussendijken, Haarlem, Amsterdam-Noord, and Enschede.
* 31 March: the "Forgotten Bombardment" on Rotterdam

1944

The Dutch famine of 1944–45 began late in the year.

June

10 June: Anton Mussert reveals that he has become a volunteer for the Wehrmacht.

July

30 July: Start of the.

August

2 Aug: Gerbrandy and Van Heuven Goedhart sign the documents for the establishment of the
24 Aug: First meeting of the College of Trusted Men
25 Aug: J.A. van Bijnen becomes the National Sabotage Commander of the
28 Aug: First new airdrop of weapons and sabotage materials for Dutch underground groups
30 Aug: Hitler orders the improvement and extension of the Siegfried Line

September

2 Sep: The mass exodus of NSB members from South Limburg begins
3 Sep:
* Brussels liberated
* Prince Bernhard appointed Commander of the Dutch Armed Forces.
* Queen Wilhelmina, via Radio Oranje, informs the population in occupied territory that 'liberation is imminent'
* Commencement of the organized departure of German citizens from the Netherlands
3 to 4 Sep: Start of systematic railway sabotage by the
4 Sep:
* Antwerp liberated
* Hitler orders the stubborn defense of West Zealand-Flanders and Walcheren
* Seyss-Inquart declares the state of exception, Rauter orders everyone to be indoors by 8 pm
* The queen agrees to Colonel Kruis being appointed Chief of Staff of Military Authority
* Mussert decides to evacuate NSB members from the western and central regions to the east
* The Government Information Service disseminates the incorrect information that Breda has been liberated
5 Sep:
* The mass exodus of NSB members begins
* The empties
* Dolle Dinsdag; the population behaves as if the occupier has already been expelled
* First major transport of prisoners from the concentration camp Vught to Germany
6 Sep:
* Prince Bernhard establishes himself on the continent
* Second major transport of prisoners from Vught
7 Sep: Formation of an illegal Top Triangle in Amsterdam
8 Sep:
* First two V-2 rockets launched at London
* Commencement of the evacuation of the German Fifteenth Army across the Western Scheldt
10 Sep: The British Second Army crosses the Bocholt–Herentals Canal at Beeringen
11 Sep: Schöngarth, Commander of the Security Police and SD, issues the so-called Niedermachungsbefehl
12 Sep: Major General Kruis issues a First General Directive with guidelines for the arrest of 'wrongful' elements
14 Sep:
* Montgomery issues his directive for Operation Market Garden
* Liberation of Maastricht
* The first attempt by the Canadians to enter West Zeelandic Flanders is repelled
* Establishment of the Militair Gezag
15 or 16 Sep: Hitler orders the utmost fanaticism in the defense of German territory
16 Sep: The illegal 'Delta Center' begins operating in Amsterdam
17 to 20 September – Battle of Nijmegen
17 to 26 September – Battle of Arnhem
17 Sep:
* The British Second Army launches the offensive from Beeringen
* Large Allied airborne landings in North Brabant, in the Reich of Nijmegen, and near Arnhem
* The Dutch government orders a general railway strike
* The Reichskommissariat is relocated to Delden
18 Sep: Liberation of Eindhoven
20 Sep:
* Entire East Zeelandic Flanders liberated
* Conquest of the Waal bridges near Nijmegen
* The British Airborne forces have to abandon the Rhine bridge at Arnhem
21 Sep: Beginning of the German destruction of the port facilities of Rotterdam and Amsterdam
22 Sep: Major van Houten grants arrest authority to the Interior Armed Forces Shock Troops
24 Sep: The queen, bypassing the ministers, sends a telegram requesting the Great Advisory Commission of Illegality to be prepared to send a delegation to her
25 Sep:
* The Airborne forces leave the 'perimeter' at Oosterbeek in the night to the 26th
* Commencement of the evacuation of Arnhem

October

3 Oct: The RAF breaches the. In Eindhoven, the radio station 'Herrijzend Nederland' begins its broadcasts.
3 October to 8 November – Battle of the Scheldt
4 Oct: Important note from the queen: the second Gerbrandy cabinet must disappear.
6 Oct: The Canadian First Army launches a major offensive against the Germans in West Zeelandic Flanders.
10 Oct: The first company of the Shock Troops departs for the front.
16 Oct: Montgomery grants absolute priority to operations for clearing the Wester-Schelde. In Eindhoven, the 'Bond Nederland' is founded.
18 Oct: Second General Directive from General Kruis.
24 Oct: Start of the Canadian attack on the Kreekrak Dam.
25 Oct: Commencement of the liberation of Den Bosch.
27 Oct: Liberation of Tilburg.
29 Oct: Liberation of Breda.

November

1 Nov: Allied landings at Vlissingen and at Westkapelle.
2 Nov: German resistance in and around West Zeeland-Flanders is broken.
6 Nov: Liberation of Middelburg.
8 Nov: An American division, part of the Canadian First Army, reaches Moerdijk.
12 Nov: Assertive letter from General Kruis to prevent the arrival of ministerial 'quartermasters.'
15 Nov: Kruis officially establishes a Temporary Committee of General Commissioners for agriculture, trade, and industry.
21 Nov: 'Hunger demonstration' in Eindhoven.
25 Nov: The ministerial 'quartermasters' establish themselves in Oisterwijk. Disturbances in the center of Brussels.
27 to 30 November – Battle of Broekhuizen
28 Nov: The first Allied convoy reaches the port of Antwerp.

December

2 Dec: The Wehrmacht floods a large part of the Betuwe.
3 Dec: In Middle Limburg, the Wehrmacht is pushed east of the Meuse.
6 Dec: Meeting of Kruis in Eindhoven with top figures of the resistance in the liberated South to establish guidelines for the arrest of 'wrongful' elements.
14 Dec: Kruis issues new arrest guidelines.
21 Dec: The bishops of Den Bosch and Breda call on Catholics to remain loyal to their own organizations.
31 Dec: Incorrectly believing itself to have great influence in the liberated southern Netherlands, the Communist Party of the Netherlands rebrands as the "Communistische Partij Bevrijd Gebied".

1945

January

2 Jan: Special meeting of the Council of Ministers to discuss the position of the Militair Gezag
11 Jan: The cabinet accepts that the queen does not sign the arrangement for the emergency parliament.
14 Jan: Commencement of the evacuation of Venlo.
20 Jan: Commencement of the evacuation of Roermond.
22 Jan: The ministers approve a letter from Gerbrandy warning the queen against the formation of a royal cabinet.
23 Jan: Gerbrandy dismisses Burger from the cabinet due to a radio speech and tenders the resignation of the cabinet.
31 Jan: A delegation invited by the queen from the liberated South arrives in London.

February

5 Feb: Minister van Kleffens refuses to form a cabinet.
8 Feb: The queen instructs Gerbrandy to form a new cabinet.
10 Feb: The arrestation regulations for the area to be liberated are established.
15 Feb: Minister van Heuven Goedhart inaugurates the first Tribunal.
23 Feb: Announcement of the composition, to the extent completed, of the third Gerbrandy cabinet.
24 Feb: Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy urges Eisenhower's Chief of Staff Bedell Smith for a separate offensive for the liberation of the Netherlands north of the major rivers.

March

1 Mar: Liberation of Roermond and Venlo.
3 Mar: Bombing of the Bezuidenhout quarter in The Hague.
7 Mar: Rauter is seriously wounded in an ambush at Woeste Hoeve; two hundred and sixty-three death-row candidates are executed.
14 Mar: The Combined Chiefs of Staff instruct Eisenhower to launch a separate offensive for the liberation of West Netherlands.
18 Mar: J.J.F. Borghouts arrives in occupied territory as the Commander of the Fighting Section of the BS.
30 Mar: Commencement of the liberation of East and North Netherlands.

April

2 Apr: In a conversation with Hirschfeld, Seyss-Inquart suggests the idea of a ceasefire that would allow large-scale assistance to the famine-stricken provinces.
4 Apr: Mussert flees over the Afsluitdijk to The Hague.
6 Apr: Start of the Georgian uprising on Texel.
7 to 8 April – Operation Amherst
9 Apr: Consultation between the Trusted Men and members of Koot's staff regarding Seyss-Inquart's offer.
11 Apr:
* Buchenwald is liberated as the first concentration camp not completely evacuated by Allied forces.
* Canadians cross the IJssel near Brummen.
12 Apr:
* Montgomery cancels the separate offensive for the liberation of the famine-stricken provinces.
* Seyss-Inquart meets with Van der Vlugt and Six as representatives of the College of Trusted Men and Colonel Koot.
12 to 16 April – Liberation of Arnhem
14 Apr:
* Himmler issues the order: 'No prisoner may fall into enemy hands alive.'
* Arrival of Trusted Men, Van der Gaag and Neher, in the liberated South.
15 Apr: Gerbrandy meets with Churchill to discuss Seyss-Inquart's offer.
17 Apr: Inundation of the Wieringermeer.
18 Apr: The entire East and North of the country is liberated except for the area near Delfzijl and the Wadden Islands.
21 Apr: The resistance sends its first telegram to London, protesting against the negotiations with Seyss-Inquart.
23 Apr: The Combined Chiefs of Staff authorize Eisenhower to conclude a ceasefire with Seyss-Inquart.
28 Apr: In Achterveld, the German Schwebel and Montgomery's Chief of Staff de Guingand reach an agreement for a conference with Seyss-Inquart.
29 Apr:
* Hitler appoints Admiral Dönitz as his successor.
* First food drops in the famine-stricken provinces.
30 Apr:
* Suicide of Adolf Hitler
* In Achterveld, Seyss-Inquart approves arrangements for rapid assistance to the famine-stricken provinces.

May

2 May: First food transports to the famine-stricken provinces by road, via Rhenen.
2–3 May: Seyss-Inquart departs for Flensburg for discussions with Dönitz.
4 May:
* Montgomery accepts the capitulation of the 'Wehrmacht' in Northwest Europe, including the Netherlands.
* 'Mobilization' of the BS in the famine-stricken provinces.
5 May:
* General Johannes Blaskowitz receives the capitulation order presented by General Foulkes at Hotel 'De Wereld' in Wageningen.
* Radio speech by Queen Wilhelmina.
* The first food ships arrive in Rotterdam.
* An Allied vanguard arrives in Copenhagen.
6 May: General Blaskowitz signs the capitulation order presented to him the previous day in the auditorium of the Agricultural College in Wageningen.
7 May:
* First 'general' German capitulation at Reims.
* Shooting incident on Dam Square in Amsterdam.
* Arrest of Mussert.
8 May:
* Entry of the two divisions of the 1st Canadian Army Corps in Amsterdam, The Hague, and Rotterdam.
* General Kruis, Chief of Staff Military Authority, arrives in The Hague.
* An Allied vanguard arrives in Oslo. Second 'general' German capitulation in Berlin.
13 May: German deserter execution
16 May: Dissolution of the College of Trusted Men.
20 May: A Canadian force arrives on Texel and the local German forces surrender, ending the Georgian uprising on Texel. The Georgians are allowed to retain their arms.

June

3 Jun: German forces on the island of Ameland surrender.
11 Jun: The last 600 active German troops in the Netherlands, on the island of Schiermonnikoog, surrender to the Canadians and are evacuated from the island, completing the liberation of the Netherlands.
16 Jun: The Georgian Legion is evacuated from Texel.