Attack on Belgium and the Netherlands in 1940: The German Wehrmacht invades the neutral Netherlands on its advance towards France. The film shows the attack on Rotterdam and the surrender of the city. Film length 3:11. A licence fee of 7 x 30 seconds is charged to acquire a licence for the complete film.
Deutscher Angriff auf die Niederlande 1940 from zb Media Filmproduktion on Vimeo.
The attack on the Netherlands and Belgium in 1940 was a significant event in the Second World War, particularly during the Western Campaign. On 10 May 1940, the German Wehrmacht invaded the neutral countries of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
The invasion took place as part of the so-called Blitzkrieg, a strategy based on rapid movement and surprise. The German troops crossed the Belgian border and broke through the Maginot Line, a defence line that had been built as the main defence against a German attack.
The Netherlands was also attacked, and although they put up a valiant defence, they were ultimately outgunned by the well-prepared German forces. The Battle of the Netherlands ended with the German occupation of the country and the surrender of the Dutch forces on 15 May 1940.
Belgium suffered a similar fate and, after fierce fighting, this country also fell into the hands of the German army. The Belgian government had to go into exile and the country was occupied by the Germans.
The blitzkrieg against the Netherlands and Belgium enabled the German forces to advance quickly towards France, which ultimately led to the fall of France and the evacuation of the Allies at Dunkirk. This blitzkrieg was a turning point in the war and marked the beginning of German dominance on the European continent.
