# 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 Deppner executions [nl].

### August

* 2 Aug: Gerbrandy and Van Heuven Goedhart sign the documents for the establishment of the College of Trusted Men [nl] (Dutch: College van Vertrouwensmannen)
* 24 Aug: First meeting of the College of Trusted Men
* 25 Aug: J.A. van Bijnen becomes the National Sabotage Commander of the Knokploegen [nl] (Knokploegen were Dutch resistance fighting squads)
* 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 Landelijke Knokploegen [nl]
* 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 Dutch Labor Service [nl] 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 (orders to shoot resistance members on sight )
* 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 (Military authority)
* 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 Westkappelse Zeedijk [nl]. 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 (soon renamed 'Gemeenschap Oud-Illegale Werkers Nederland').
* 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.
* c. 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" (Communist Party Liberated Area).

## 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 ('Peter-Zuid') arrives in occupied territory as the Commander of the Fighting Section of the BS (Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten/Interior Forces).
* 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 (Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten/Interior Forces) 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.