Background to the battle- Causes:

The Netherlands had declared themselves neutral, like they had done in WWI. Even after this declaration was made Germany invaded the Netherlands. The point of this was to draw attention away from activities in Ardennes and to lure the British and French farther into Belgium. Also, to prevent a British invasion in North Holland. The occupation lasted five years. During this time many of the Jewish people were sent to concentration camps. 140 000 Jewish people lived in the Netherlands and only 30 000 survived the war. In 1944 the people suffered from what was known as the “Hunger Winter.” A German blockade had cut off ships that brought in food from farm areas and food became very scarce. Many people had died, especially elderly people. This invasion had led up to the Liberation of the Netherlands in 1944-45 by Canadian forces. The people of the Netherlands sent 100 000 and picked tulips for the soldiers who helped free their country as a thank you gift. These flowers were then planted on Parliament Hill and are now a symbol for peace, freedom, and international friendship.

Photo above says "Liberation of the Netherlands." This article was printed four days before the Germans surrendered.

During the battle:

During this battle it was the first time 2 Canadian corps would fight together. The 2nd corps orders were to clear the northeastern Netherlands, and the 1st Canadian corps would fight the leftover in the Western Netherlands north of the mass. As the 2nd Canadians corps proceeded to drive north they quickly gained momentum and the support of the Dutch. The 2nd Canadian corps had a successful campaign pushing through Almelo April 5th and then curving back up into eastern Germany and fighting all the way up to the sea.

The 1st Canadian Corps consisted of the 1st Canadian Infantry division and the 5th Canadian Armored Divisions, lead by Lieut.-General Charles Foulkes, their mission was to liberate of the area north of the Maas River. This area holds some major cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, the citizens could almost no long endure the misery and starvation which had come with the "Hunger Winter". Food was a scarce resource in the cities, fuel had become practically impossible to come by and it was almost impossible to travel anywhere unless it was on foot. Thousands of men, women and children had died or were on the verge of death the population suffered.

The 1st corps began their assault on Arnhem on April 12th and won the battle for the town 2 days later. Then the 5th division hurried as fast as possible to cut off the enemy and take over Apeldoorn.

The Germans were being pushed back in west Holland. That same day a truce was negotiated and the fighting had stopped, the Netherlands was liberated at the most important time of the war. The Canadian soldiers hold a tremendous honor in defeating the Germans and liberating the Netherlands it ended the war and showed Canadians can contribute in more easy then supplying the war

Canada's Role

Canadian Forces played an important role in liberating the Netherlands. Canadians, who landed on D-Day, fought battles through France, Belgium, the Scheldt and in Germany before being dispatched back to the Netherlands with the Canadians who had fought in Italy. Canadian orders were to push the German troops occupying the northeast back to the sea and to drive German troops in the west back into Germany. The advance was halted on April 12, because of concern for the well-being of citizens in the western Netherlands, who, having been starved for months, ran the risk of having their country flooded if the Germans panicked and opened the dykes

On April 28, the Canadians negotiated a truce which permitted relief supplies to enter the western Netherlands and end the "Hunger Winter". No part of western Europe was liberated at a more vital moment than the Netherlands and the Dutch people cheered Canadian troops as one town after another was freed

To show their appreciation to the pilots who dropped food from the air, many Dutch people painted, "Thank you, Canadians!" on their rooftops. In honour of their gift of freedom Dutch people have donated 10,000 tulip bulbs to Canada for the National Capital Region, annually since the war's end. For 1995, the Netherlands donated an additional 5,000 bulbs for Parliament Hill, 1,000 for each provincial and territorial capital and 1,000 for Ste. Anne's hospital in Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue, Que. (the only remaining federal hospital in Canada, administered by Veterans Affairs Canada)

The outcome

During the battle of the Netherlands, 30,000 people died of starvation. The invasion of the Nazis in May 1940 marked the beginning of five years of terror for the Dutch people. They faced oppression and death with remarkable stoicism, but nothing could save them from the Hunger Winter of 1944-5, The Canadians brought hope for the Dutch by donating food and liberating them from this great depression of death. The Canadians negotiated a truce which ended the Hunger winter. An eternal friendship was made between the Dutch and Canadians, Dutch people cheered Canadian troops as one town after the other became liberated. Canadians became heroes in the eyes of the Dutch.