German-occupied Europe refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly occupied and civil-occupied (including puppet governments) by the military forces and the government of Nazi Germany at various times between 1939 and 1945, during and shortly before World War II, generally administered by the Nazi regime.[1] The German Wehrmacht occupied European territory:
- as far east as the town of Mozdok in the northern Caucasus in the Soviet Union (1942–1943)
- as far north as the settlement of Barentsburg in Svalbard in the Kingdom of Norway
- as far south as the island of Gavdos in the Kingdom of Greece
- as far west as the island of Ushant in the French Republic
Outside of Europe proper, German forces effectively controlled areas of North Africa in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia under ostensible British, Italian and Vichy French rule at times between 1941 and 1943. German military scientists established the Schatzgräber weather station base (1941–1944) as far north as Alexandra Land in Franz Josef Land – arguably part of Asia. Manned German weather stations also operated in North America (Greenland: Holzauge, Bassgeiger, Edelweiss base – 1942–1944). Additionally, German Kriegsmarine vessels operated in all of the world's oceans throughout the war.
Background[edit]
Several German-occupied countries initially entered World War II as Allies of the United Kingdom[2] or the Soviet Union.[3] Some were forced to surrender before outbreak of the war such as Czechoslovakia;[4] others like Poland (invaded on 1 September 1939)[1] were conquered in battle and then occupied. In some cases, the legitimate governments went into exile, in other cases the governments-in-exile were formed by their citizens in other Allied countries.[5] Some countries occupied by Nazi Germany were officially neutral. Others were former members of the Axis powers that were occupied by German forces at a later stage of the war.[6][7]
Occupied countries[edit]
The countries occupied included all, or most of the following:
| Country or territory of occupation | Puppet state(s) or military administration(s) | Timeline of occupation(s) | German annexed or occupied territory | Resistance movement(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albanian Kingdom |  Albanian Kingdom | 8 September 1943 – 29 November 1944 | None | Albanian resistance |
| Guernsey
| Military Administration in France | 30 June 1940 – 9 May 1945 | None | Guernseyian resistance |
| Jersey | Military Administration in France | 1 July 1940 – 9 May 1945 | None | Jerseyian resistance |
| Czechoslovak Republic Czecho-Slovak Republic Czechoslovak Republic |  Slovak RepublicGerman Zone of Protection in Slovakia | 1 October 1938 – 11 May 1945 | Gau Bayreuth Protectorate of Bohemia and MoraviaReichsgau Niederdonau Reichsgau Oberdonau Reichsgau Sudetenland | Czechoslovakian resistance |
| Federal State of Austria | None. Although there was substantial popular support in Austria for some type of (re)unification with Germany, Chancellors Engelbert Dollfuss and his successor Kurt Schuschnigg wanted to maintain at least some type of independence. Dollfuss had implemented an authoritarian regime now termed Austrofascism, continued by Schussnigg, which imprisoned many members of the Austrian Nazi Party and the Social Democratic Party which both favored unification. Violence by Austrian Nazi Party members including the assassination of Dollfuss, along with German propaganda and ultimately threats of invasion by Adolf Hitler, eventually led Schuschnigg to capitulate and resign. Hitler, however, did not wait for his hand-picked successor, Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart, to be sworn in and ordered German troops to invade Austria at dawn on 12 March 1938, where they were met with cheering crowds and an Austrian army previously ordered not to resist. | 12 March 1938 – 9 May 1945 | Reichsgau Kärnten Reichsgau Niederdonau Reichsgau Oberdonau Reichsgau Salzburg Reichsgau Steiermark Reichsgau Tirol-Vorarlberg Reichsgau Wien | Austrian resistance |
| Free City of Danzig | None. The city was directly annexed to Germany along with the surrounding Polish Pomeranian Voivodeship. | 1 September 1939 – 9 May 1945 | Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia | Danzigian resistance |
| French Republic
Provisional Government of the French Republic |  French State
| 10 May 1940 – 9 May 1945 |  Gau Baden Gau Westmark Reichsgau Wallonien | French resistance |
| Luxembourg | Military Administration of Luxembourg Civil Administration Area of Luxembourg | 10 May 1940 – February 1945 | Gau Moselland | Luxembourg resistance |
| Italian Islands of the Aegean | Italian Islands of the Aegean | 8 September 1943 – 8 May 1945 | None | |
| Belgium | Military Administration in Belgium and Northern France Realm Commissariat of Belgium and Northern France | 10 May 1940 – 4 February 1945 | Gau Cologne-Aachen Reichsgau Wallonien | Belgian resistance |
| Denmark | protectorate state | 9 April 1940 – 5 May 1945 | None | Danish resistance |
| Kingdom of Greece | Military Administration in Greece
| 6 April 1941 – 8 May 1945 | None | Greek resistance |
 Kingdom of Hungary | Kingdom of Hungary
| 19 March 1944 – May 1945 | None | Hungarian resistance |
| Kingdom of Italy | Italian Social Republic
| 8 September 1943 – 2 May 1945 | None | Italian resistance |
| Norway | Realm Commissariat for the Occupied Norwegian Territories
| 9 April 1940 – 8 May 1945 | None | Norwegian resistance |
| Netherlands | Reich Commissariat for the Occupied Dutch Territories | 10 May 1940 – 20 May 1945 | None | Dutch resistance |
| Kingdom of Yugoslavia | Albanian Kingdom
Independent State of Croatia
Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia
| 6 April 1941 – 15 May 1945 | Reichsgau Kärnten Reichsgau Steiermark | Yugoslav resistance |
| Monaco | None | 8 September 1943 – 3 September 1944 | None | |
| Republic of Lithuania Provisional Government of Lithuania | Reich Commissariat East | 22 March 1939 – 21 July 1940 23 June 1941 – 5 August 1941 | Gau East Prussia | Lithuanian resistance |
 Republic of Poland | Military Administration in Poland General Government administration Reich Commissariat East Reich Commissariat Ukraine | 1 September 1939 – 9 May 1945 | Bezirk Bialystok Gau East Prussia Gau Niederschlesien General Government Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia Reichsgau Wartheland | Polish resistance |
| San Marino | None | 17 September 1944 – 20 September 1944 | None | |
| Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia |  Commissioner Government
| April 30, 1941 – January 1945 | None | Serbian resistance |
| Slovak Republic | German Zone of Protection in Slovakia | 23 March 1939 – May 1945 | None | Slovakian resistance |
| Territory of the Saar Basin | None. In a referendum in 1935, over 90% of residents supported reunification with Germany over remaining a League of Nations protectorate of France and the United Kingdom or joining France. | 1 March 1935 – April 1945 | Gau Palatinate-Saar Gau Saar-Palatinate | Saar Basinian resistance |
| Ukrainian National Government | Reich Commissariat Ukraine | 30 June 1941 – September 1941 | General Government | Ukrainian resistance |
Parts of the  Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | Lepel Republic Military Administration in the Soviet Union
Reich Commissariat East Reich Commissariat Ukraine | 22 June 1941 – 10 May 1945 | Bezirk Bialystok General Government | Soviet resistance |
Governments in exile[edit]
Allied governments in exile[edit]
| Government in exile | Capital in exile | Timeline of exile | Occupier(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austrian Democratic Union | London | 1941–1945 | German Reich/Greater German Reich |
| Free France | London (1940–1941)
| 1940 – August 31, 1944 | French State German Reich/Greater German Reich |
| Government of the Republic of Poland in exile | Paris (September 29/30, 1939 – 1940) Angers, French Republic (1940 – June 12, 1940) London | September 29/30, 1939 – December 22, 1990 | German Reich/Greater German Reich Reich Commissariat East |
| Belgium | London (October 22, 1940 – September 8, 1944) | October 22, 1940 – September 8, 1944 | German Reich/Greater German Reich Military Administration in Belgium and Northern France |
| Denmark | None | 1943–1945 | German Reich/Greater German Reich |
| Luxembourg | London | 1940–1944 | German Reich/Greater German Reich |
| Kingdom of Greece | Cairo, Egypt | April 29, 1941 – October 12, 1944 | German Reich/Greater German Reich Kingdom of Italy |
| Norway | London | June 7, 1940 – May 31, 1945 | Reich Commissariat for the Occupied Norwegian Territories |
| Kingdom of Yugoslavia | London | June 7, 1941 – March 7, 1945 | Albanian Kingdom Commissioner Government |
| Netherlands | London | 1940–1945 | Reich Commissariat for the Occupied Dutch Territories |
| Provisional Government of Czechoslovakia | Paris (October 2, 1939 – 1940) London | October 2, 1939 – April 2, 1945 | German Reich/Greater German Reich
|
Axis governments in exile[edit]
| Government in exile | Capital in exile | Timeline of exile | Occupier(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
 Kingdom of Bulgaria | Vienna, Greater German Reich | September 16, 1944 – May 10, 1945 | Kingdom of Bulgaria
|
| French State | Sigmaringen, Greater German Reich | 1944 – April 22, 1945 | Provisional Government of the French Republic |
 Kingdom of Hungary | Vienna, Greater German Reich Munich, Greater German Reich | March 28/29, 1945 – May 7, 1945 |  Czechoslovak Republic
|
| Kingdom of Romania | Vienna, Greater German Reich | 1944–1945 | Kingdom of Romania |
 Montenegrin State Council | Zagreb, Independent State of Croatia | Summer of 1944 – May 8, 1945 |  Kingdom of Yugoslavia |
| Slovak Republic | Kremsmünster, Great-German Reich | April 4, 1945 – 8 May 1945 | Czechoslovak Republic |
Neutral governments in exile[edit]
| Government in exile | Capital in exile | Timeline of exile | Occupier(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belarusian Democratic Republic | Prague, Czechoslovak Republic (1923–1938) Prague, Czecho-Slovak Republic Prague, German Reich/Greater German Reich | 1919 – present | German Reich/Greater German Reich Realm Commissariat East |
| Republic of Estonia | Stockholm, Kingdom of Sweden (1944 – August 20, 1991) New York City, United States of America | June 17, 1940 – August 20, 1991 | Realm Commissariat East Union of Soviet Socialist Republics |
 Ukrainian People's Republic | Warsaw, Republic of Poland (1920–1939) Prague, German Reich/Greater German Reich | 1920 – August 22, 1992 | German Reich/Greater German Reich
|
See also[edit]
- Drang nach Osten ("The Drive Eastward")
- Lebensraum ("Living Space")
- Neuordnung ("New Order")
- Areas annexed by Nazi Germany
- Greater Germanic Reich
- Pan-Germanism
References[edit]
- ^ a b Encyclopædia Britannica, German occupied Europe. World War II. Retrieved 1 September 2015 from the Internet Archive.
- ^ Prazmowska, Anita (1995-03-23). Britain and Poland 1939–1943: The Betrayed Ally. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521483858.
- ^ Moorhouse, Roger (2014-10-14). The Devils' Alliance: Hitler's Pact with Stalin, 1939–1941. Basic Books. ISBN 9780465054923.
- ^ Goldstein, Erik; Lukes, Igor (2012-10-12). The Munich Crisis, 1938: Prelude to World War II. Routledge. ISBN 9781136328329.
- ^ Conway, Martin; Gotovitch, José (2001-08-30). Europe in Exile: European Exile Communities in Britain 1940–45. Berghahn Books. ISBN 9781782389910.
- ^ Hanson, Victor Davis (2017-10-17). The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won. Basic Books. ISBN 9780465093199.
- ^ Cornelius, Deborah S. (2011). Hungary in World War II: Caught in the Cauldron. Fordham Univ Press. ISBN 9780823233434.
Bibliography[edit]
- Bank, Jan. Churches and Religion in the Second World War (Occupation in Europe) (2016)
- Gildea, Robert and Olivier Wieviorka. Surviving Hitler and Mussolini: Daily Life in Occupied Europe (2007).
- Klemann, Hein A.M. and Sergei Kudryashov, eds. Occupied Economies: An Economic History of Nazi-Occupied Europe, 1939–1945 (2011).
- Lagrou, Pieter. The Legacy of Nazi Occupation: Patriotic Memory and National Recovery in Western Europe, 1945–1965 (1999)
- Mazower, Mark (2008). Hitler's Empire: Nazi Rule in Occupied Europe. London: Allen Lane. ISBN 9780713996814.
- Scheck, Raffael; Fabien Théofilakis; and Julia S. Torrie, eds. German-occupied Europe in the Second World War (Routledge, 2019). 276 pp. online review
- Snyder, Timothy. Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin (2010), on Eastern Europe
- Toynbee, Arnold, ed. Survey of International Affairs, 1939–1946: Hitler's Europe (Oxford University Press. 1954) 730pp. online review; full text online free
Primary sources[edit]
- Carlyle Margaret, ed. Documents on International Affairs, 1939–1946. Volume II, Hitler's Europe (Oxford University Press. 1954) 362pp.)
External links[edit]
- Map of Europe in 1942
- http://www.worldwar2history.info/war/Allies.html
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_advances_through_europe
- http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/nazioccupationʘ[permanent dead link]
