German invasion of the Netherlands

German invasion of the Netherlands
	Part of the Battle of France
	; The centre of Rotterdam destroyed after bombing
Date	10–17 May 1940; (1 week)
Location	Netherlands
Result	German victory German occupation of the Netherlands; Creation of Reichskommissariat Niederlande; Removal of Dutch military presence in the continental European Theater; The Dutch government goes into exile in the United Kingdom; End of Dutch Neutrality;
Belligerents
Netherlands; France; United Kingdom;	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Henri Winkelman ; G. v. Voorst tot Voorst; Henri Giraud;	Fedor von Bock; Hans von Sponeck;
Strength
280,000 men; (9 divisions); 700 guns; 1 tank; 5 tankettes; 32 armoured cars; 145 aircraft	750,000 men; 22 divisions; 1,378 guns; 759 tanks; 830 aircraft; 6 armoured trains
Casualties and losses
2,332 killed (Netherlands); 7,000 wounded; 216 killed (France); 43 killed (United Kingdom)	2,032 killed; 6,000–7,000 wounded; 4 armoured trains destroyed; 225–275 aircraft destroyed; 1,350 captured (sent to England)
	2,000+ civilians killed

The German invasion of the Netherlands (Dutch: Duitse aanval op Nederland), otherwise known as the Battle of the Netherlands (Dutch: Slag om Nederland), was a military campaign part of Case Yellow (German: Fall Gelb), the Nazi German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) and France during World War II. The battle lasted from 10 May 1940 until the surrender of the main Dutch forces on 14 May. Dutch troops in the province of Zealand continued to resist the Wehrmacht until 17 May, when Germany completed its occupation of the whole country.

The invasion of the Netherlands saw some of the earliest mass paratroop drops, to occupy tactical points and assist the advance of ground troops. The German Luftwaffe used paratroopers in the capture of several airfields in the vicinity of Rotterdam and The Hague, helping to quickly overrun the country and immobilise Dutch forces.

After the devastating Nazi bombing of Rotterdam by the Luftwaffe on 14 May, the Germans threatened to bomb other Dutch cities if the Dutch forces refused to surrender. The General Staff knew it could not stop the bombers, and ordered the Royal Netherlands Army to cease hostilities. The last occupied parts of the Netherlands were liberated in 1945.

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