Ocupied population and Wehrmacht

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baldviking
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Ocupied population and Wehrmacht

#1

Post by baldviking » 14 May 2004, 22:44

In Norway the small, but growing resistance movement, focused their energy towards norwegian fascist and the german police, trying as best they could to avoid angering Wehrmacht. The civilian population seems to have thought likevise, at least in the rural areas I come from. As the indecisisive majority finaly made a stance, they prime targets for anger where local fascists and the german police. Ordinary norwegians and ordinary german soldiers did, to some degree, talk to each other, sometimes even becomming friends. This may have to do with harsh nature forcing germans and norwegians to work togehter, or with the long, cultural bonds that excisted between Norway and Germany (I know there were harder fronts in the cities...), so I want to hear what is was like in other, western countries, like Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgia and France:

How were the relationships between the ocupied population and ordinary Wehrmacht soldiers?

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Georges JEROME
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#2

Post by Georges JEROME » 15 May 2004, 17:55

In France y've

- collaborators : poeple which trust in Vichy policy and have narrow connection with german occupation forces. German army representatives are wellcome to meeting of Vichy organisations, they claim crusade against bolchevism, they give assistance to fight against resistance,
- economics opportunists : they trade with german army
- trustee of Petain : they trust in Petain as the winner of Verdun and the lonesome which can save the France : they don't like germans but they don't like too english (Mers El Kebir) numerous old fighers of 14/18 are in this category.
- neutral : a large range of population which are passive but don't look for contacts with german army.
- resistance : a limited part which are active opponents

Formely le "boche" was an enemy for the 3 last categories.

Georges


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baldviking
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#3

Post by baldviking » 16 May 2004, 01:11

JEROME Georges Wrote
- economics opportunists : they trade with german army
Those we had in Norway too. After the war all the small ones, contractors, farmers, poor people from rural areas, were severly punished, while the big ones (mostly big companies...) continued their operations, strenghtened by reduced competition from firms closed by the germans during the ocupation.

Maybe one diference between Norway and France were we had 3-400.000 Wehrmacht soldiers in a population of 3.000.000...? In many parts of Norway there were more german soldiers than local population.

Many doctors and enginers (people regarded with high respect as beeing educated...) got their education in Germany before WW2. Many of those never understood why the land of Bethoven and Schiller invaded Norway. Norway had after all not been invaded by anybody since 1814. This would explains why many choose to talk to the enemy, german soldiers.

ordnung
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german invasion of norway

#4

Post by ordnung » 16 May 2004, 05:51

baldviking - I have read that Germany invaded Norway to gain access to the Atlantic and also the North Sea.

england was about to invade your country, but Germany beat her to it. The Norwegiens and the Germans are probably first cousins - similar language, personality, etc.

Witch-King of Angmar
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#5

Post by Witch-King of Angmar » 16 May 2004, 13:37

The best relationships between German occupiers(which includes, but is not limited to, military) were in the Netherlands. Citizens of the respective lands can give more details on the problem than yours truly.

~The Witch-King of Angmar

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HaEn
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Netherlands

#6

Post by HaEn » 22 May 2004, 05:59

Witch-King of Angmar wrote:The best relationships between German occupiers(which includes, but is not limited to, military) were in the Netherlands. Citizens of the respective lands can give more details on the problem than yours truly.

~The Witch-King of Angmar
Are you kidding ? When the war was over, just about all Dutch people claimed to have been part of the resistance. Heroic deeds had been the order of the day: "I and 20 of my other brave comrades have captured a cripple :D :lol: :P german soldier"
It was VERY embarrassing to the Dutch Government that about a million of their subjects had been "German friendly" and about 50,000 had chosen to fight in the German army.
Oh well. HN.

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Bjørn from Norway
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#7

Post by Bjørn from Norway » 22 May 2004, 15:40

Hello HaEn!
The Dutch situation you describe, is very close to the Norwegian as well. The NS party, which was post-war described as "a tiny miniature party" had in fact close to 60 000 members. About 15000 volunteered to the SS, app. 6000 were granted. But, when counting in those serving in TeNo, Luftwaffe, Heer, Kriegsmarine, SS Wachbatallion 6, Transportflotte Speer etc, one can get a figure close to 50 000.
Baldwiking gives otherwise a very good description of the situation during the occupation.

B

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Tanker
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#8

Post by Tanker » 24 May 2004, 12:03

But it is fact that there exist about 40,000 "bastards" (thats what they are called today) that were born by norwegian women which had a relationship with german wehrmacht soldiers. They fell in love,after the war,this women were badly treated,not only in Norway, everywhere in Europe, in all occupied countries, because "all" of the population considered themselves to be "against the germans". And especially those who were working together with the germans during the war said that they were totally anti-german.

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Wasa
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#9

Post by Wasa » 24 May 2004, 12:11

Hm...I think that Anni-Frid Lyngstad, or perhaps better known as Frida in ABBA was one of those "bastards" as you call it. Don´t know if that is why she´s ended up in Sweden though...

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Tanker
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#10

Post by Tanker » 24 May 2004, 12:13

Thats right! She has problems with her identity until today,because those children are not exepted in society.

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Wasa
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#11

Post by Wasa » 24 May 2004, 12:15

Although I am swedish I have relatives in Norway. I have relatives that fought for both the Nordland and the Free Norwegians...brothers in the same family actually... 8O

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#12

Post by Lobscouse » 25 May 2004, 04:39

A very recent story on BBC internet news, about so-called Boche Babies.

French women gave birth to 200,000 children fathered by German servicemen. None as the result of rape, by the way.

These now grown old children are telling their stories, and some are really heartbreaking.

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HaEn
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"bastards"

#13

Post by HaEn » 25 May 2004, 15:40

Heartbreaking indeed. :( Irionically, had Germany WON he war, these same people who condemned the fraternization between German soldiers an local women, would have gone out of their way to claim that they also had been German friendly. :x HN

Kephra
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#14

Post by Kephra » 25 May 2004, 16:42

such is the nature of ... humans. :|

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Wasa
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#15

Post by Wasa » 25 May 2004, 17:11

Kephra wrote:such is the nature of ... humans. :|
yes indeed...hm...."the coming of the Reich of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen"...eh?.. :lol:

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