De Hongerwinter
The Hunger Winter of 1944-1945 is one of the most notorious episodes in Dutch history. In this book, based on extensive research at home and abroad, Ingrid de Zwarte tells the story of the Hunger Winter. What was the cause of the famine? What was the role of the Nazis? Who died, who survived? And how did government agencies, the Allies, and the population deal with the famine?
De Hongerwinter refutes the common conception of famine: it was not a period of passive suffering, but rather of unprecedented resilience. While Allied relief aid was delayed for months and the state distributed hunger rations, citizens all over the country set up private relief actions. It is noteworthy that the German occupying forces often supported these efforts for strategic reasons. 75 years on, this book explains how a modern country like the Netherlands fell into famine - and how it eventually managed to overcome the crisis.