The rise of the second United Kingdom of the Netherlands

1929 - Black Thursday
The year 1929 was the 15th year of Leopold III on the throne. Of course that was cause for celebration. All over the Netherlands streetparties were organized to mark the occasion. However it was time for Leopold to get married. His brother Charles already was married to Clothilde d'Udekem d'Acoz. (The grandmother of our queen Mathilde) The winter of 1929 was the coldest of the 20th century with temperatures going down to -30 degrees celcius. Only the very poor suffered which caused a revisement of the Social Welfare laws. In the fall two new things came from the USA. The first "talkie" called "The Jazzsinger" with Al Johnson and the stockcrash of Thursday 24 October. "You ain't heard nothin'yet" How true these words were......
 
Hilversum: April 23rd 1987

"This is the NOS on the channels TV1 and TV2. This is an extra newsflash. Queen mother Astrid, Princess of Sweden and Queen of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands has died." On screen pictures from the royal palace were shown where the flag was lowered to half mast. The national anthem was played. "In a statement released by the palace King Baudouin said to be saddened by the death of his mother. He was at her side in the AZ Utrecht where she was rushed to after her heartattack.

Antwerp: July 29th 1930

All Dutch radiostations where live at the port of Antwerp where the Swedish Royal yacht "Gustav Vasa" was expected. The ship will bring the future queen of the Dutch. Princess Astrid of Sweden was not a conventional choice for she was Lutheran and Leopold III was catholic. At 12 noon the "Vasa" arrived at the docks and the King of Sweden Gustav V Karl and prince Karl of Sweden were the first to come on land. Then princess Astrid came rushing to Leopold. She flung him around his neck much to the joy of the people. After the arrival the royal party went in procession to the Central Station in Antwerp. From Antwerp the royal party went to Den Haag which was the capital that year. Whilst the train was speeding towards Den Haag. Parliament accepted the engagement of the King with Princess Astrid. The City of Rotterdam renamed the Maaspoort Station to the Princess Astridstation. The Delftse poortstation was renamed Leopoldstation. The royal train arrived in Den Haag on the Hollands Spoor station and from there the royal party went in open carriages to Noordeinde Palace. At 5:00 pm in the afternoon the engagement between Leopold and Astrid was announced. Astrid was 25 years and did charm the entire Dutch population.

Little did the Dutch know that their future queen would play an important role in the coming world war.....
 
The elections of 1929

The government of Anseele turned the Netherlands in a welfare state. No-one had to fear hunger, strive or poverty. Foodlines like in Germany were unheard of. Industry was booming and the colonies in Africa and Asia were profitable. The Dutch however grew tired of the alliance between ARP and POB/NWP. So they voted for change. On the 27th of May 1929. The ARP and POB/NWP were voted out of government. The PSC/CVP of Paul van Zeeland and the PRL/PVV of Pieter Jan Oud gained a very narrow majority. The North however voted largely for the old coalition. So both Anseele and Colijn could effectively delay plans which would turn back the clock to 1919. However the crash of the Stockmarket in New York on October 24th turned out disasterous for van Zeeland. The day before the royal wedding the government fell.
 
Hilversum: April 23rd 1987

Due to the death of Queen Astrid all regular programming will be suspended tonight. So we will give you an overview. On TV2 we will air Mozarts Missa Solemnis and from 21:45 a documentary made by Astrid Lindgren for Swedish Television on Queen Astrid. Here on TV1 we will air a documentary on the Royal Wedding of 1930. Around 21:00 a report on the trip of Queen Astrid to Batavia she made in 1984. From 21:45 We will bring an extra edition of the NOS Journaal recapping the sad events of this day. Around midnight both TV1 and TV2 will close for the day.

Now we switch to our studios in Antwerp. A still of the cityhall of Antwerp was shown with the flag on half mast. Paul Witteman welcomed the viewers who were taken back to the spring of 1930.

Brussels: May 17th 1930

Trains from all over the country arrived at the Gare du Nord and the Gare de Midi full of people wanting to see the wedding. The sun was out in full force and people were singing and cheering. All radiostations in the kingdom were there to cover the occassion live. The wedding procession would be impressive, before the carriage with the king and still princess Astrid, Sultans on horsebacks were seen. Elephants laden with treasure. Soldiers in their nicest uniforms. Balinese dancing girls where there and the sacred Garuda birdstatue was paraded through the streets of Brussels. Forgotten were the reports of crisis coming from France and Germany. Everyone knew this was a sight they would see only once in a lifetime. The parade halted on the Grand Place where the mayor of Brussels performed the civil wedding. Afterwards the weddingprocession went to Koekelberg basilica where the catholic wedding mass was held. An ageing cardinal Mercier held the homily. After the mass the procession returned in full force back to Laeken where a small intimite service was held in the Svenska Kyrkan. Little did the public knew that Leopold turned Lutheran for his wife. Little did Leopold knew that his people did not care.
 
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The elections of 1930

The PSC/CVP-PRL/PVV coalition did not manage the threats of economic downturn caused by the crash of 1929. Van Zeeland and Oud wanted strict austerity and they wanted to maintain the Goldstandard at all costs. For many in the CVP and in the other Dutch speaking parties this was not really a necessity. Austerity caused fear and unrest and for the time being there was no reason for that. On May 16th the government fell. Van Zeeland had to go to king Leopold on the eve of his wedding. According to the "Handelsblad" it was the saddest thing Dutch politics had ever seen. The campaign of 1930 was short because the electorate preferred to go the beach or the Ardennes. The POB/NWP - ARP coalition was returned. With a stronger majority. Anseele returned as prime minister.

Next time a longer update when we will explore Batavia in the Dutch East Indies.
 
Life in Batavia

The East-Indies were the pride and joy of the Dutch and it's capital Batavia was the largest Dutch speaking city outside Europe. Batavia has grown from a backwater in 1880 to a full grown metropolis in 1930. The city was the seat of government of the Dutch East Indies and unlike Dutch Guyana and Dutch Africa French was not an official language. That didn't mean that the people did not speak French. Magazines and Newspapers in French were readily available and the European elite listened to Radio Saigon. Most Europeans would travel to Batavia by boat. The boat would arrive a few miles west of Batavia. From there the travellers could take a taxi or the tram to Batavia. The arrival was a culture shock because in the East-Indies poverty was still a huge problem. The Indonesians were still discriminated. The Chinese and Japanese were treated better. The Europeans led comfortable lives. Most owned cars and had air-conditioned houses. Social life took place in the Pasar Malam where the Europeans traded with the Indonesians for food and goods. After business was done people could dine and listen to local music. The Dutch however preferred dances and visits to the cinema. Economic life was centered on Batavia. The Dutch worked for the government and Dutch companies like Shell or Dutch Foods. Banking was done by the Americans and Japanese. Stockmann, a German, owned a chain of departement stores. The Indonesians however did all the dirty jobs. Some who spoke Dutch were hired as servants for the Dutch. If they had kind masters they could earn a decent living. Those who were not so lucky had to take on a second job.

Unlike in the rest of the Dutch Empire there was censorship in the East-Indies. Social Democratic and communist propaganda were forbidden. The government in Batavia did not allow the VARA to participate in PHOHI the Dutch shortwave service to Indonesia. Leopold might have set the Indonesians free of bondage to the white Europeans that did not mean however that the local population were treated equal. It took a revolt in 1946 to change that.

 
1930 - 1934

The government of Anseele turned out to be not as succesful as the POB/NWB - ARP government of the twenties. The economic crisis was more severe than expected. From 1931 on Unemployment rose. The view of Colijn was that people should not sit idle at home so the "Werkverschaffing" (Based on the Work First projects in the USA) was introduced. Due to the Werkverschaffing people could still earn some decent money and the government could build large infrastructural projects. In 1932 a crisis in Dutch Guyana turned in a revolt when the writer Anton de Kom was detained by the colonial government. On the day of his release a large crowd gathered on the streets of Paramaribo. Unfortunately the police and the army overreacted and the demonstration turned into a bloodbath leaving 33 people dead. Anton de Kom was sent to the Netherlands were he was convined to his house on the isle of Ameland. He could write his book "The slaves of Surinam" which became a bestseller in France and the UK.

The Surinam crisis was the end of the government Anseele. Snapelections were organized in which the ARP won the elections and formed a government with the PSC/CVP, the CHU and PRL/PVV. Colijn became prime minister. The years 1932 to 1934 were years with severe austerity measures. In Brussels and Liège the measures brought mass riots. The riots were extremely violent and caused several deaths when a miners strike was broken by the Gendarmerie. After the strike the CHU and the PSC/CVP left the government. Causing a governmental crisis.

Was there no happy news? Yes, the marriage of Leopold with Astrid brought forth 3 children. Baudoin (1930), Albert (1932) and Josephine-Charlotte (1934). At least the monarchy was doing great.
 
After a long break due to illness and work an update.

1934 - The National alliance

The government of Colijn was far from popular and especially in the French speaking parts of the Netherlands people were not satisfied with the government. Some placed their faith in communism and others placed their faith in fascism or national socialism. In Brussels Léon Degrelle founded the Rex party, a catholic and fascist party based on Mussolini. In the north the NSB became popular. The NSB led by Mijnoud Rost van Tonningen was supported by Hitler. Fearing a situation as in Germany the POB/NWB struck a deal with the ARP, the PSC/CVP and the CHU to form a National Alliance. On October 1st 1934 the elections were held and the National Alliance won the absolute majority. The PRL/PVV, the MR/VDB tolerated the alliance so the leftwing extremists and the far right were isolated.

In the course of next week a longer update.
 
1937 - 1940 Mobilzation and War (Part I)

The National Alliance was able to ease the causes of the crisis and after snap-elections in 1936 Paul Henri Spaak (POB/NWB) became the first social democratic prime minister. Unemployment benefits rose and the economy gained some growth. However the NSB and Rex where causing unrest. On several occasions riots broke between communists and facists. In 1937 The government banned the NSB and Rex, the communist party would be banned on a later date. The ban on the NSB caused outrage in Berlin. Hitler threatened with severe measures against the Netherlands. Altough the Netherlands would remain neutral, the government made an agreement with the British and French on assistance in case of an German attack.

The events of 1938 caused for a lot of unrest in the Netherlands. The German "Anschluss" with Austria was eyed with lots of suspision. The government reacted by increased spending on the military and when in September 1938 the Sudetenlandcrisis erupts the Dutch army goes in full mobilization. All over the country young men are called up to join the army. Thousands of conscripts are transported to the barracks. Airraid shelters are prepared. King Leopold addressed the country in a speech on September 19th 1938. "We sincerely hope that a peaceful settlement can be reached but we know and we must realize that we must be ready to defend ourselves. Many of you are scared and uncertain. I would lie to you if I were to say I am not scared or uncertain. Afterall I have three young children myself. By doing your duty you are protecting your children. May God bless you all. Vive la Belgique, Leve Nederland!" After the treaty of München on September the 30th 1938. The situation calmed down. On October 4th 1938 the army demobilized. The joy of demobilization would be very shortlived.

The Reichskristallnacht in November 9th 1938 would cause some uproar but the year 1938 ended peaceful but cold. A long cold winter with fun on the ice and snow diverted the Dutch from international politics. In 1939 King Leopold would on the throne for 25 years. He and his wife Astrid were very popular and big celebrations were planned. In his Christmas message king Leopold warned for the risks of war in the new year. How little did the Dutch realize that they were on the edge of a horrible war....
 
1937 - 1940 Moblization and War (Part II)

The threat of war was looming on the Dutch during 1939. In March of 1939 the Germans marched into Czechoslovakia. During the summer it became more and more clear that war was no longer avoidable. In August tensions between Germany and Poland rose causing mobilzations in the UK and France. Fearing the Dutch would be in the thick of it the Dutch Army was mobilized again. For the second time in a year emotional scenes were seen on trainstations all over the Netherlands. Dutch radioreports on the situation in Germany painted another picture than the Nazi-propaganda wanted to know. Of course Goebbels banned listening to Dutch stations and the reporters were sent home. On September 1st 1939 Nazi-Germany invaded Poland holding the rest of the world in a deep breath.
 
1937 - 1940 Mobilization and War (Part III)

On Sunday September 3rd. All Dutch listeners were glued to their sets. What Chamberlain had to say was quite disheartening. At 12:45 PM the INR/NIR and most commercial stations aired the statement of Neville Chamberlain:

"This morning the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German Government a
final Note stating that, unless we heard from them by 11 o'clock that they were
prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would
exist between us.

I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received, and that
consequently this country is at war with Germany.

You can imagine what a bitter blow it is to me that all my long struggle to win
peace has failed. Yet I cannot believe that there is anything more or anything
different that I could have done and that would have been more successful."

Later that day the French also declared war on Germany. Which was also aired on most radio stations. Later on that evening king Leopold addressed the Dutch Nation. "We seek not war but rest asure we will defend our Nation with an iron will." That was a quote. On September 4th the Berlin - Amsterdam Express arrived in the Dutch town of Oldenzaal on board where the French and British embassadors. In the winter prime minister Spaak fell ill and had to be replaced with Dirk-Jan de Geer (CHU) despite the war, live in the Netherlands remained normal until the 9th of April 1940 when Nazi Germany invaded Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands.

April 9th 1940

On 7:30 am. All radiostations aired the following message from the king:

"My fellow countrymen,

This morning the German army invaded our nation without any warning and without valid cause. I send my strongest protests to the German government for this breach of trust. We tried to maintain neutrality at the most strictest form. Now we are at war. I will assume command of the armed forces. I and my government will do our duty. You do yours. May God bless our country."

"This is the NIR and the commercial stations. We will now air a national programme. Here is the news. From army HQ the following communique is present. All troops were alert. The enemy has been stopped near Deventer. The King will address parliament in Brussels today at 09:30 am. Prime Minister de Geer has issued an State of Emergency for the entire Empire. The PHOHI Station in Kootwijk will be blown up to avoid the capture and spreading of misinformation by the enemy.

Brussels 09:30

Under cheers of "vive le roi!" and "leve de koning!" King Leopold III rode on horseback to parliament to address parliament and assume command of the army. After the session of parliament the royal family went to the Koekelberg basilica to offer prayers to the Lord.

On Day 1 - The Germans occupied all the territory from Harlingen in Friesland to Namur in the South. The governement was moved to De Panne later on that day.
 
A stab in the back

April 10th 1940

In the early morning aircraft were heard above Brussels and immediately the air raid sirens were heard, Leaflets were thrown which contained a message in French and Dutch. "Germany wishes not to occupy Denmark and the Netherlands. If the Dutch would accept a contingent of German soldiers in Rotterdam and in the Charleroi area, the hostilities would cease immediately. The government had time until 4:30 PM to think about it. At 9:30 am a Swiss delegation appeared at the office of the Prime Minister with the same demands of the German government. Immediately a council of the government was called. The ministers from the French speaking parties saw any surrender to the Germans as treason they expected the French to intervene but half the French army was stationed at the Marginot Line and the other half did not move an inch since the German attack. The British were not able to defend the Dutch. "Basically, messieurs, we are alone. The reenforcements from Kongo and the East Indies will be here in a couple of months and we can't hold out for so long. On the other hand can we trust Hitler?" Antoine de Vosse (PSC/CVP) was still against it. "I refuse to surrender to the Germans" then vice-premier Pierlot rose. This is a matter for the PM and the King to decide. De Geer, who hated war and was in favour, had a very hard time to convince King Leopold III that any fighting was useless. The King as Commander in Chief wanted to fight. Only when General Winkelman and General Dufour explained that a long battle would be futile the King would give in. The King however refused to take any responsibility.

Having de fact no head of state could cause a German occupation. At 4:00 pm Prince Charles was sworn in as Regent of the Dutch. Immediately after taken the oath he addressed the Dutch people in which he explained that further resistance would be useless and would have costed the lives of thousands. "As Regent and Commander in Chief, I accept the German demands." The actions of De Geer and Prince Charles were recieved with anger in Paris and London. The Dutch might have stalled their occupation but let the door wide open for an invasion of France. Which occurred on April the 12th 1940. In six weeks Nazi Germany had conquered Denmark, The Netherlands and France.

April 29th 1940

In most Dutch cities it felt like the war never happened. The Germans remained in Rotterdam and in the Borinage but behaved very correct. In the colonies however the mood was much somberder the felt the acts of De Geer as a stab in the back.
 
April - December 1940:

Altough Germany wanted to station troops in Rotterdam and the Borninage they wanted to show that they were the boss. So the Germans paraded through Amsterdam and Brussels. Large crowds stood silent along the streets. They knew that they were defeated.

During the German invasion of France there was a slight panick in the South. There was a genuine fear of French or British attacks. In the North such fears were less present. They were relieved that the Germans showed more decorum than in 1914. On June 15th Hitler allowed the Dutch prisoners of war ,as a gesture of good will, to return home. The Dutch soldiers were treated well. In Brussels the mood was relieved but nothing more than that. The war turned out to be a humiliation. The King was subsided in favour of his brother Charles. The Dutch State remained a democracy yet the communist party remained banned and Rex and the NSB were back allowed. On July 21st 1940. The King rode out with his family to the Koekelberg Basilica for the annual Te Deum. Charles the regent was forced to remain at the chateau d'Aremberg.

The 15th August 1940 was a black day for the Netherlands when Britain took control of the Dutch East Indies. The governour of the East Indies ordered the KNIL to stand down. No Dutch oil for German tanks. The arrival of the British was seen as a kind of liberation as De Geer and Prince Charles were seen as traitors. The Dutch East Indies would no longer supply fuel to the Dutch. Coffee and other exotic goods were still readily available from the Congo and Surinam. On the 16th of August the NSB organized a rally on the Malieveld in Den Haag to protest the capture of the East Indies. But most Dutch choose not to get involved in politics. They wanted to live their own lives.

In the fall of 1940 life was as normal as it ever was. Except for the presence of the Germans. In November the first snows of Winter came. The war between Britain and Germany still raged. What the coming years would bring... No-one would know.
 
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Living under a threat, 1941 - 1943

The winter of 1941 was bitter cold but most if not all Dutch were living fairly comfortable lives. The stream of coal and gas was less than before the war. The Germans were not willing to let the Dutch freeze. In January it was cold enough for an "Elfstedentocht" which was won by Auke Adema. A little scandal erupted when Adema did not accept the congratulations of Prince Charles but was seen visiting Laeken later that month to see King Leopold and Queen Astrid. Most Dutch who were not member of Rex or the NSB still supported King Leopold III. Like his Danish counterpart he rode out every day to greet the public. Leopold, who was bitter because he could not defend his country, became a beacon of hope in dark times. The "Telegraaf" and "La Libre Belgique" printed a daily picture of the king and his family. The presenters of the KRO, The NCRV and Radio Belgique closed with the sentence "Alles sal reg kom" which is Afrikaans for "Everything will come all right." The censors did not notice it was a desire for the return of Leopold III.

On the 23rd of June, two days after Operation Barbarossa had started. Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands were "invited" to join the Anti-Komintern Pact. From July 1st the Waffen-SS started to recruit volunteers. In special propaganda movies the life of an SS-soldier was made as interesting as possible. Especially among the NSB, Rex and the unemployed a life in the army seemed attractive. In fact it turned out to be living hell. Hated at home and used as cannonfodder life was dangerous.

From June 1941 censorship became stricter. All newspapers had to adhere to strict rules and the broadcasters were all banned. Radio Brussel/Radio Bruxelles came into in excistence. From October 1st 1941 the commercial stations were forced to close. "Het Laatste Nieuws" and "Le Soir" did however not adhere to the new censor rules and were confiscated by the state and sold to a more pro-German investors. In the North an illegal press came into excistance with "Het Parool" and "Trouw" as the most important papers. In November 1941 Prime Minister de Geer invited Rex and the NSB in the government. A new government of national unity was formed. Everything was done to please Hitler and to keep the Dutch independent. The Germans still tried to woo the Dutch by taking in children for holidays in the mountains. And well paid jobs in German factories. With gritting teeth the Germans allowed to keep travel between the Netherlands and Britain open. The Dutch government did try to ban jazz, swing and American movies but that prooved not to be popular. Cinemas however had to screen at least 50% German movies.

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A vendor of "La pays réel" in Brussels.

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Other newspapers were sold at newsstands (most newsstand owners refused to sell Rex or NSB papers)

In December 1941. Germany wanted to take control of the entire Dutch coast. The Dutch government accepted reluctantly they new that refusal would mean a total occupation. Life became somewhat unpleasant as civillians in the German zone were expected to be home after 10pm. A Dutch propaganda movie explained how the Dutch civilians coped with that.


From 1942 the German occupation became more unpleasant. Altough the institution of May the first as public holiday was generally welcomed. The beginning of the holocaust in the Netherlands was not so readily accepted. From June 1st no jews were allowed to attend college nor were jews allowed to work for the civil service. In the "Free Netherlands" no jews were prosecuted yet. On December 5th began the "St.Nicholas Strike" in Amsterdam. To protest the prosecution of jews. The Germans did not tolerate such behaviour and ended the strike with brutal force. The Germans forced prime minister de Geer to issue the following proclemation.

To the Dutch workers!

Sabouteurs and rioters are trying to frighten the workforce and caused the workers of Amsterdam to strike. This is a breach of trust in the discipline of the Dutch worker and a danger of the peace and independence of our country.
I call upon all workers of good will to resume their work immediately.

Those who strike will cause suffering upon them and their family as striking means no income and hunger. Those fired due to the strike will LOOSE their right on Welfare. Furthermore the strikers will be punished severely by the German authorities

Charles - Regent of the Dutch

Dirk Jan de Geer - Prime Minister


BEKANNTMACHUNG!

All persons who are striking will be punished severely.

ALL THOSE WHO RESIST THE GERMAN FORCES WILL BE SHOT!!!

Falkenberg - Commander of the Dutch Coast and Northern France


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Striking Tramdrivers (December 6th 1942)

The strike ment the end of de Geer. On January 27th 1943 de Geer was forced to resign. Léon Degrelle was appointed new prime minster and new elections were held on April 3rd 1943. To the shock of the Germans and Degrelle. The NSB and Rex together only got 5% votes. Most Dutch voted for the traditional parties. They formed a coalition and named Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (ARP) and Hubert Pierlot (PSC/CVP) as prime ministers. The Germans had enough of it. They demanded that Léon Degrelle (Rex) would remain prime minister. On the day that parliament was going to installed the order from Berlin was clear. Arrest all members of parliament......
 
Back from vacation and now it's time for a grime tale of the second half of the occupation

April 17th 1943:

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In big black letters the "Le dernière heure" made it very clear to their readers. Prince Charles to swear in new government. Princes Baudoin and Albert sent to Sweden to join princess Josephine and queen Astrid. The editors of "Le dernière heure" swear allegiance to our beloved king Leopold III. In the Dutch speaking area's "Het Algemeen Handelsblad" and the local papers followed the example of Le dernière heure. The events of that april the 17th however could not be found in newspapers nor on Dutch radio bulletins. The last bulletin from the NIR was at 10am. "Here is Brussels, this is the Dutchspeaking service. Communique from the ANP in Antwerp. German troops have captured the mayor and the towncouncil of Antwerp. The Germans have threatened to bomb Brussels at 11am if we do not capitulate. "In the face of the horrible threats made towards our people. We will surrender. We will close. Alles sal reg kom. The Brabanconne was played and the station closed....

Stockholm 11.00 am
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Here is Radiotjänst. Here is Stockholm. Dagens Nyheter is reporting that a coup d'etat is underway in the Netherlands. According to DN German tanks have captured King Leopold, Prince Charles, the Dutch government and the Dutch parliament. In a statement made by General Falkenberg it was said that it was the wish of Adolf Hitler himself that the plutocratic and zionist government of the Netherlands would be forced to step down. In The Hague a reporter of Aftonbladet was arrested for breaking the curfew and unknown Dutch reports for Expressen report that workers in the textile cities of Enschede and Tilburg went on strike.

From Drottningholm now a message from his majesty the King. "I am concerned with the situation in the Netherlands. Obviously my family fears the fate of my son in law King Leopold. We also fear the fate of those Dutchman who stood up for their freedom and their land. Men and women of Sweden, let's pray for our Nordic brethren and our Dutch friends. (Gustav den 5. Rex)

At the end of the day radiostations in Brussels aired again but in German. Dark days had arrived....
 
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