Thursday 12 December 2013

Primary source analysis (Trent & Spencer)

Primary source analysis (explain how the source helps us understand the event)
        -letter, political cartoon, video, newspaper article, photograph, etc.

Spencer and Trent.

Canada's Role In The Battle (Cam)


Two Canadian armies liberated the Netherlands in the final weeks of the war in Europe, and it didn't come a moment too soon. The Nazis, after five years of brutal occupation, had stripped Holland bare, of everything from heavy industrial equipment to food, and shipped it back to Germany. That last winter, the "Hunger Winter", saw a major famine, and 35,000 Dutch died of starvation. Over the month of April the 2nd Canadian Corps cleared the northeastern Netherlands and the German coast, and the 1st Canadian Corps took on the Germans remaining in the western Netherlands. They got help from elements of the US Army and the British Army.On April 28, the Canadians negotiated a truce which allowed food to enter the western Netherlands. As one history puts it, "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." Canadian, British, and American bombers flew very low and dropped food to the Dutch during the truce.The Liberation should not be confused with Operation Market Garden, an ambitious airborne operation that failed to take southern Holland the previous September.

Consequences of the battle (Taylor)

Throughout out the this campaign of liberating the Netherlands not many Military men died only about 7000 men died in the fight but due to the Germans long control over the Netherlands the winter of 1944 during the fight the Dutch had no food despite the efforts of food drop made by Canadians. 18,000 Dutch had died due to lack of food and starving. in doing these drop the people put thank you Canadians on top of their roofs. during this time the Dutch royal family fled to Canada.  Princess Margriet was born in exile while the family was in Canada. in the end the Germans surrendered control of the Netherlands in Wageningen. 

In the end the liberation of the Netherlands was a success.

Components of the Battle (Taylor)


There are many components for the liberation of the Netherlands operations. The Schelde Campaign was a key part along with operation market garden which failed. The Schelde campaign also know as the battle of the schelde was one of the most key points because it was the operation to secure Antwerp. Antwerp is a port the allies needed for the use of supply lines. Operation market garden was a plan to rapidly end the war with a quick strike. By cutting in half the German positions in western Europe. But the German resistance was fierce, however and the bold attack failed. Operation Peasant was an operation was the beginning of the liberation of central and western Noord-Brabant Province there are many more operations but these are some of the more important ones.

Causes of the Battle (Cam)


  • The battle of the Netherlands was one of the battle that saw major use of paratroopers.
  • German luftwaffe used paratroopers to take critical targets out like airfields. They were also dropped around cities like rotterdam and the Hague.
  • Battle ended after a bad bombing of rotterdam, Germany threatened to bomb other cites and the Dutch knew they could not stop the bombers, so they surrendered and it was held until 1945 when it was liberated.
  • Dutch army was compared like David vs Goliath.
  • Dutch armed forces compressed of 39 armoured cars and 5 tanks.
  • Air forces of mostly by-plaines.
  • The Dutch army had not expanded their army equipment from WWII.