Germany's rapid conquest of the Netherlands in May 1940 demonstrated the effectiveness of combined airborne and ground assault, forcing Dutch surrender within five days.
Key Facts
- Campaign start date
- 10 May 1940
- Main Dutch surrender
- 14 May 1940
- Final resistance ended
- 17 May 1940 (Zeeland)
- Key event
- Bombing of Rotterdam by the Luftwaffe
- Occupation ended
- 1945 (liberation)
- Part of
- Case Yellow (Fall Gelb)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
As part of Case Yellow, Nazi Germany sought to rapidly neutralize the Low Countries and France. The Netherlands, despite its neutrality, lay in the path of the German advance. Germany aimed to seize airfields and strategic points using a combination of paratroop drops and ground forces to prevent a prolonged defensive stand.
Beginning on 10 May 1940, German forces invaded the Netherlands using airborne troops to capture key airfields near Rotterdam and The Hague, while ground forces advanced rapidly. After the Luftwaffe's devastating bombing of Rotterdam on 14 May, Germany threatened further urban bombardment, prompting the Royal Netherlands Army's General Staff to order a cessation of hostilities.
The main Dutch forces surrendered on 14 May 1940, with the last resistance in Zeeland ending on 17 May. Germany completed its occupation of the entire country, which remained under Nazi control until liberation in 1945. The campaign showcased early large-scale paratroop operations and influenced subsequent airborne warfare doctrine.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
2 belligerents