The Stage Is Set: Hitler’s Western Ambitions

As Adolf Hitler prepared his forces for the invasion of France in spring 1940, he first turned his attention to the Low Countries. The Nazi dictator viewed the Netherlands and Belgium as strategic appetizers before the main course of France. Unlike his reckless gambles in later campaigns, Hitler approached these operations with uncharacteristic caution, personally overseeing meticulous planning sessions at his military headquarters.

The German high command had developed “Fall Gelb” (Case Yellow), a bold operational plan that called for simultaneous assaults through the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. This northern thrust served dual purposes: it would outflank France’s formidable Maginot Line while drawing Allied forces away from the real main attack through the Ardennes. For Hitler, success in the Low Countries wasn’t just about territory – it was about creating the perfect conditions for his knockout blow against France.

Blitzkrieg Unleashed: The Invasion of the Netherlands

On May 10, 1940, Germany launched its western offensive with characteristic deception. The night before, German aircraft bombed their own university town of Freiburg, then falsely blamed the attack on Dutch and Belgian forces. This manufactured provocation provided the thin veneer of justification for invading neutral nations. At dawn, German forces crossed the borders under the pretext of preempting an Anglo-French attack.

The Dutch defenses relied heavily on their historic water barriers. Prime Minister Colijn had boasted to Winston Churchill that he could flood the country with a phone call from his lunch table. But these medieval defenses proved useless against modern warfare. German planners countered the water obstacles with an innovative solution: airborne troops landing behind the flood zones.

General Kurt Student’s elite 7th Airborne Division executed daring glider landings at key bridges near Rotterdam while paratroopers seized airfields. Simultaneously, German infantry and armor pushed across the border. The Dutch military, though warned about airborne threats, remained overconfident in their static defenses and Allied support promises.

The Fall of Rotterdam and Dutch Surrender

The battle for Rotterdam became the campaign’s decisive engagement. German paratroopers captured the vital Willems Bridge after a dramatic river landing by seaplanes. When Dutch resistance stiffened, Hitler grew impatient. On May 14, he authorized the terror bombing of Rotterdam’s city center – a ruthless display that killed nearly 800 civilians and left 80,000 homeless. This act of psychological warfare broke Dutch morale.

Faced with overwhelming force and the threat of more city bombings, Dutch commander General Henri Winkelman surrendered on May 15. Queen Wilhelmina and her government had already fled to London to continue resistance in exile. The Netherlands fell in just five days, shocking Allied commanders who had expected more prolonged resistance. The rapid collapse sent tremors through Allied ranks, foreshadowing the disasters to come.

The Impossible Mission: Capturing Eben-Emael

While Dutch forces capitulated, German attention turned to Belgium’s formidable defenses along the Albert Canal. The centerpiece was Fort Eben-Emael, considered Europe’s strongest fortress. This massive concrete-and-steel complex featured retractable gun turrets, underground tunnels, and sheer 40-meter cliffs protecting its flanks. Belgian engineers had designed it to withstand any conventional attack.

But the Germans had developed an unconventional solution. On May 10, eighty-five elite paratroopers in gliders landed silently on the fort’s roof. Using shaped explosive charges, they systematically destroyed gun emplacements and observation posts within minutes. The Belgians, trained to repel ground assaults, were helpless against attackers appearing from above. German sappers then used flamethrowers and explosives to clear the underground tunnels.

After thirty hours of intense fighting, the “impregnable” fortress surrendered. German propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels spun wild tales about “secret weapons” conquering Eben-Emael, creating an aura of invincibility around German forces. The fort’s fall opened Belgium’s eastern gate, allowing German armor to pour across the Albert Canal.

Belgium’s Agonizing Collapse

With its frontier defenses breached, the Belgian army conducted a fighting retreat toward the Dyle River line where British and French forces were deploying. The Allies had rushed into Belgium under their prearranged “Dyle Plan,” only to find themselves outmaneuvered by Germany’s surprise thrust through the Ardennes.

As German panzers approached Brussels, King Leopold III faced an impossible choice. His forces lacked ammunition, air support, and coordination with retreating Allies. When British commander Lord Gort refused to counterattack to relieve Belgian forces, the king felt abandoned. On May 28, against his government’s wishes, Leopold surrendered unconditionally.

The Belgian capitulation created a dangerous gap in Allied lines, hastening the British evacuation from Dunkirk. While criticized for his decision, Leopold had recognized the hopelessness of Belgium’s position – caught between Nazi aggression and Allied strategic blunders.

Legacy of the Lightning Campaign

The swift conquest of the Low Countries demonstrated the revolutionary potential of combined arms warfare. German success stemmed from meticulous planning, tactical innovation (especially airborne operations), and psychological shock tactics like the Rotterdam bombing. The campaigns also revealed fatal flaws in Allied strategy – their rigid adherence to prewar plans and inability to counter German operational flexibility.

For the occupied nations, the brief but intense battles marked the beginning of five brutal years under Nazi rule. The Dutch would suffer a devastating famine in the “Hunger Winter” of 1944-45, while Belgium became a battleground again during the 1944 Ardennes offensive. Both nations emerged from the war determined to avoid future neutrality policies that had left them vulnerable in 1940.

The lightning campaigns against the Low Countries remain studied today as textbook examples of operational art – where bold planning, surprise, and tempo can overcome numerical and positional disadvantages. They also stand as sobering reminders of how quickly democratic societies can fall to determined aggressors when caught unprepared.