Prior to the German invasion , the Netherlands had adhered to a policy of strict neutrality . The country had narrow bonds with Germany , and less so with the British . The Dutch had not engaged in war with any European nation since 1830 . During World War I , the Dutch were not invaded by Germany and anti-German sentiment was not as strong after that war as it was in other European countries . The German ex-Kaiser had fled to the Netherlands in 1918 and lived there in exile . The German invasion , therefore , came as a great shock to many Dutch people . Nevertheless , the country had ordered general mobilization in September 1939 . By November 1938 , during the Kristallnacht , many Dutch people received a foretaste of things to come ; German synagogues could be seen burning , even from the Netherlands , ( such as the one in Aachen ) . An anti-fascist movement started to gain popularity – as did the fascist movement , notably the '' Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging '' ( NSB )
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Dutch resistance