Topic summary
Denmark in World War II
At the outset of World War II in September 1939, Denmark declared itself neutral, but that neutrality did not prevent Nazi Germany from occupying the country soon after the outbreak of war; the occupation lasted until Germany's defeat. The decision to occupy Denmark was taken in Berlin on 17 December 1939. On 9 April 1940, Germany invaded Denmark in Operation Weserübung. In contrast to the situation in other countries under German occupation, most Danish institutions continued to function relatively normally until 1945. Both the Danish government and King of Denmark remained in the country in an uneasy coalition between a democratic system and a totalitarian one until, amidst growing civilian resistance and unrest, the Danish government refused to further cooperate with the Germans' demands; in response, on 29 August 1943, Germany declared martial law and placed Denmark under direct military occupation, which lasted until the Allied victory on 5 May 1945.
The German occupation of Denmark formed part of Berlin's broader strategic plans in northern Europe. Denmark occupied an important geographic position as the gateway to the Baltic Sea and as a transit route between Germany and occupied Norway. Control of Danish airfields and ports enabled German forces to support naval and air operations in the North Sea and the North Atlantic. The occupation was also intended to secure agricultural production and maintain stable deliveries of food products to Germany during wartime shortages.
During the first years of occupation, the Danish policy of cooperation (samarbejdspolitikken) was defended by politicians as a means of preserving a degree of national autonomy and protecting the population from harsher German measures. The Danish parliament, courts, police and civil administration continued to operate, although under increasing German pressure and censorship. The arrangement became controversial both during and after the war, as critics argued that cooperation indirectly assisted the German occupation authorities.
Just over 3,105 Danes died as a direct result of the occupation. A further 2,000 volunteers of Free Corps Denmark and Waffen-SS, most of whom originated from the German minority of southern Denmark, died fighting on the Eastern Front, while 1,072 merchant sailors died in Allied service. Overall, this represents a very low mortality rate compared to other occupied countries and most belligerent countries. In addition to the volunteers of Free Corps Denmark and Waffen-SS, some Danes chose to collaborate during the occupation by joining the National Socialist Workers' Party of Denmark, Schalburg Corps, HIPO Corps and Peter Group (often with considerable overlap between the participants of the different groups). The National Socialist Workers' Party of Denmark participated in the 1943 Danish Folketing election, but despite significant support from Germany it only received 2.1% of the votes. In Denmark, the occupation period is known as Besættelsen (Danish for "the Occupation").
Economic conditions in occupied Denmark differed from those in many other German-occupied territories. Danish industry and agriculture continued production throughout much of the war, partly due to trade agreements with Germany and the comparatively limited destruction within the country. Rationing of consumer goods, fuel and raw materials nevertheless affected daily life, and shortages became increasingly severe after 1943. A black market developed in major urban areas, particularly in Copenhagen, where ration coupons and scarce imported goods were traded illegally.
A resistance movement developed over the course of the war, and the vast majority of Danish Jews were rescued and sent to neutral Sweden in 1943 when German authorities ordered their internment as part of the Holocaust. The rescue operation, carried out with assistance from fishermen, resistance members and ordinary civilians, transported approximately 7,000 Danish Jews and several hundred Jewish refugees across the Øresund to Sweden during October 1943. The episode has frequently been cited as an example of widespread civilian solidarity during the Holocaust in occupied Europe.
Acts of sabotage increased significantly after 1942, particularly against railway infrastructure, factories and shipyards used by the German war effort. Resistance groups such as Holger Danske and BOPA carried out attacks in cooperation with the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), which supplied weapons and training to Danish operatives. In response, German authorities and Danish collaborators conducted reprisals, arrests and executions of suspected resistance members.
Following Germany's surrender in May 1945, Denmark was liberated by British forces under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. The island of Bornholm remained under Soviet occupation until April 1946 after Soviet forces bombarded and captured the island from retreating German troops. After the war, Denmark prosecuted collaborators in a series of legal proceedings known as the retsopgøret ("legal purge"), during which thousands of individuals were investigated or sentenced for collaboration, treason or war crimes.