page_title: German occupation of Luxembourg during World War II
section_title: Liberation
hierarchical_section_title: German occupation of Luxembourg during World War II / Liberation
caption_attribution_description: English: The Allied Counter Attack 25 December 1944 - 28 January 1945: Civilians of Wiltz in Luxembourg at the window of the hospital, watch as the Luxembourg flag flies again after the town's liberation by the 4th Armoured Division on 25 December as Patton's 3rd Army began the attack which would relieve Bastogne. This is photograph FRA 200617 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums.
context_page_description: The German occupation of Luxembourg in World War II began in May 1940 after the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg was invaded by Nazi Germany. Although Luxembourg was officially neutral, it was situated at a strategic point at the end of the French Maginot Line. On 10 May 1940, the German Wehrmacht invaded Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. Luxembourg was initially placed under a military administration, but later became a civilly administrated territory and finally was annexed directly into Germany. The Germans believed Luxembourg to be a Germanic state, and attempted to suppress what they perceived as alien French language and cultural influences. Although some Luxembourgers joined the resistance or collaborated with the Germans, both constituted a minority of the population. As German nationals, from 1942, many Luxembourgers were conscripted into the German military. Nearly 3,500 Luxembourgish Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. The liberation of the country by the Allies began in September 1944, but due to the Ardennes Offensive it was not completed until early 1945.
context_section_description: Luxembourg was liberated by Allied forces in September 1944, specifically U.S. Army Combat Command A (CCA), 5th Armored Division. The first U.S. forces entered Luxembourgish territory near Petange on 9 September, and liberated the capital city on 10 September 1944. The Germans retreated without fighting. By 12 September 90% of the Grand Duchy had been liberated. One month before the start of the Battle of the Bulge, 250 soldiers of the Waffen-SS had unsuccessfully tried to recapture the town of Vianden from the Luxembourgish Resistance during the Battle of Vianden. During the Battle of the Bulge, the northern part of the country was hit by artillery from a special unit that the Germans designed to send shells up to 40 km (25 mi) away (see V3), but the Germans did not take the city.
caption: Civilians in Wiltz flying the flag of Luxembourg during the town's liberation by U.S. forces
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