1942 Oorlog op alle fronten
In 1942, the Dutch could no longer ignore the main dilemmas of the occupation. The occupying forces increasingly resorted to brutal intimidation, intensifying the hunt for members of the resistance and the ruthless persecution of the Jews.
Severe shortage
Due to the harsher exploitation of the Dutch economy, the pleasures of life became scantier and there was a dire shortage of basic necessities such as coal and soap. Workers had to be grateful simply to keep their jobs and not be sent to Germany. Forced labour, evacuation, and deportation drove hundreds of thousands of Dutch people from their homes.
Worst nightmare
After the initial period of adjustment, the question now became to what extent the Dutch would be prepared to bend. Police officers and officials, as well as the leaders of the Jewish Council faced difficult choices. For the Jews, their worst nightmares became reality. Starting that summer, the occupying forces deported the first 40,000 Dutch Jews to Auschwitz. How did it all happen at such an astonishing rate?
