Overview
The Danish Resistance was able to tie down German troops in Denmark with increased acts of sabotage to ensure the success of the Allied attack in Normandy, France on D-Day (a major turning point leading to the German defeat). The Resistance was also able to help 7,000 of their 8,000 Jewish citizens escape, giving them the lowest Jewish casualty rate of any of the occupied countries, and they provided intelligence reports to the British throughout the war. The Danish Resistance stood up to the Germans when it seemed their government would not, saving countless lives in the progress. Denmark may be a small country, put the brave people who fought in the Resistance proved that the country and its people are truly great.
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A group of Danish resistance fighters with an armoured car in May 1945
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The Beginnings of Resistance
Occupied Denmark.
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Technically, Nazi Germany was not actually at war with Denmark (even though Germany illegally occupied Denmark in 1940), as Nazi Germany had not declared war against Denmark. King Christian X made a formal protest against the occupation, but eventually bargained that the Danish government would remain in power if German troops were allowed to remain in Denmark. Because of this, no acts of resistance could be legalized by the Allies. While the government in Copenhagen, Denmark accepted it as fait accompli that Denmark was occupied, many of Denmark's citizens did not. It was around this time that the Resistance movement began to form, with many of it's members being former members of the Denmark military. While the Resistance was willing to pass along intelligence reports to the SOE (the British task force formed to help resistance movements in occupied countries) the members were not willing to engage in acts of sabotage requested by the SOE. Any acts of sabotage which took place were sanctioned by Resistance leaders in Denmark or Stockholm, Sweden. However, there was an increase in Resistance acts of sabotage starting in 1943.
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The Fire of Resistance Spreads
Up to 1943, the Germans had a relatively easy time in Denmark, but an increase in sabotage caused a hardening of attitudes by the Germans. When Resistance suspects were arrested the Danish people organized strikes, which led to more arrests for civil disobedience, causing more strikes. By August 1943, the Germans delivered the Danish government an ultimatum: the Danish government must declare a state of emergency, and condemn to death all saboteurs. When the Danish government refused and resigned, the Germans formally seized power, finally making Denmark, legally, an occupied country. It was finally at this time that the Danish Resistance was legitimized in their actions against the Germans. In September 1943, the "Danish Freedom Council" was formed, which attempted to unify the many Resistance movements across Denmark into one. The Council was made up of seven Resistance representatives and one member of the SOE.
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Danish refugees registering in Sweden
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The Lead-Up to D-Day
Factory sabotaged by Danish Resistance fighters June 22, 1944
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Deliverance Day, or D-Day, occurred on June 6, 1944 as a coordinated Allied attack against the Germans. As D-Day drew closer, Danish Resistance membership grew to over 20,000 and acts of sabotage increased. Even though the D-Day landings were taking place in Normandy (northern France) the SOE decided that the more German troops they could tie down in Denmark, the fewer would be present in northern France. Therefore, the more acts of sabotage taking place in Denmark, the fewer the German troops in France, and the greater the chance of success of Allied forces.
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