Build-up to war
World War II arose from a complex web of political tensions, territorial disputes, and ideological conflicts that developed during the 1930s. The seeds of the conflict lay in the aftermath of World War I, where dissatisfaction with the Versailles peace treaties led to instability in Europe. The rise of totalitarian regimes, such as those of Adolf Hitler in Germany, Benito Mussolini in Italy, and later Josef Stalin in the Soviet Union, further expanded these tensions.
Germany’s desire for territorial expansion and rearmament under Hitler led to aggressive expansion in Europe, beginning with the annexation of Austria in 1938 and the occupation of Czechoslovakia that same year. This aggression culminated in the invasion of Poland in September 1939, officially marking the beginning of World War II.
Initially, the response of Great Britain and France to German aggression was cautious, but when Germany invaded Belgium and the Netherlands in May 1940, the conflict escalated into a global war. The alliances of the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) and the Allies (Great Britain, France, later the United States and the Soviet Union) brought large parts of the world into war.
World War II was one of the most devastating conflicts in history, with tens of millions of people killed and vast areas of Europe and Asia destroyed. Only after five years of bitter fighting did the war end in 1945 with the defeat of the Axis Powers and the liberation of Europe.
In the lead-up to World War II, the Netherlands faced increasing political tensions and threats from Nazi Germany. As Adolf Hitler became increasingly aggressive in Germany and expanded his territorial ambitions, the fear of a possible invasion grew in the Netherlands.
In response to this, the Dutch government began preparing for potential conflicts by strengthening defensive lines and taking measures to protect the population. At the same time, plans were made to manage national supplies, particularly in the area of food.
One aspect of these preparations was the food distribution system, which was established to ensure that the population would have sufficient supplies in the event of a crisis. This was a response to the economic and political pressures that arose from the looming war. The goal was to prevent food shortages and to distribute the available supplies fairly among the population.
Rationing systems were put in place, where each citizen was allocated a certain amount of food based on age, occupation, and other factors. Food distribution quickly became an essential part of daily life in the Netherlands and remained in effect throughout the entire war period.
As tensions in Europe continued to rise, the Netherlands was eventually invaded by German troops on May 10, 1940. This invasion marked the beginning of the occupation of the Netherlands by Nazi Germany and brought new challenges, including even stricter food rationing and food shortages.