The 20th Century, 1900 - 1999 The European Union

1940 - 1942 World War 2

In the early morning the 9th of April 1940 these 7 Danish soldiers are waiting for the Germans - 2 of them got killed.

They stopped a few armoured cars of the huge German invading army.

To do the best for the people of Denmark the government decided to stop all resistance to the German army. None of the Danish cities were bombed and everything in the society were intact.

It was a kind of shame for the Danish army, but they had not the right equipment to make a serious resitance to the Germans.

1941 Life must go on

So in the first years of the occupation the life in Denmark was so close to normal as it could be.

King Christian 10. was taking a ride in the streets of Copenhagen every morning and the Danish army were guarding the Royal Castles.

Because of the lack of fuel the horses returned. Germany said they would supply Denmark with coal, but there was not enough so people used peat, which was cutted mostly in Jutland.