1.5 Neutral Netherlands

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• Leerjaar 3

1.5 Neutral Netherlands

Today's lesson=

• instruction 1.5
• work individually

The Netherlands during the First World War

First World War 1914-18

The Netherlands remained neutral, but was affected by the war.

Neutral = Not choosing sides.

Effects of the war

• Mobilisation
• Belgian refugee crisis
• Wire of Death
• Economic problems (distribution, rationing and smuggling)

Mobilisation

1914

• Although the Netherlands was neutral, the army nevertheless mobilised.
• The Dutch army was not very well trained...........the Germans needed a free port
• Belgium, too, had declared neutrality, but was nevertheless attacked!

Belgian refugees

• About 1 million refugees fled from Belgium to the Netherlands (population of 6,6 million).

• Belgians fled because of the war.

• Belgian soldiers were disarmed and imprisoned.

• Required tremendous organisation of supplies and shelter.

Wire of Death

• Construction began in the spring of 1915.  The Wire consisted of over 200 km (125 mi) of 2,000-volt wire with a height ranging from 1.5 to 3 m).

• An estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people fell victim to the wire or were executed by German border patrols because they came to close to the border.

Death Wire

• Also called: The Wire

• The Death Wire was constructed by the Germans between Belgium and the Netherlands.

• Germans wanted to prevent Allied soldiers, German deserters, spies or war volunteers from travelling to, from or through Belgium.

Contact with the Death Wire, which had 2,000 volts on it, meant death by electrocution...

...so smugglers came up with all kinds of ways to avoid touching the wires.

Economic problems

• Before the war Dutch trade flourished (import/ export of goods).

• During the war the government put the neutrality policy into practice.

• At first the Dutch were succesful. Competition was gone and products were scarce. A lot of money was earned.

 

Economy

• War is bad for trade: scarcity arises in the Netherlands as well

• Dutch ships are also victims of the Unlimited Submarine War...

• ...but sometimes also of acts of war by the Allies
  
• .........

What was not in the Treaty of Versailles?

1. The army could only have 100.000 soldiers
2. Germany had to pay all reperationdebts
3. Germany has to be a democracy
4. Germany is the only one responsible for the outbreak of WWI

What is nationalism?

1. Competitions between nations to build the most weapons
2. Great love for one's country and believing it is superior to others
3. Union between countries for the benefit of each other
4. The peace treaty that officially ended WWI

Why was 1917 an important year in WWI?

1. U.S. left the war, Russia joined the Allied Powers.
2. U.S. left the war, Russia joined the Central Powers.
3. Russia left the war, U.S. joined the Allied Powers.
4. Russia left the war, U.S. joined the Central Powers.

The tank was first used during World War I. Which other weapons were used for the first time during WWI?

1. airplanes, atom bomb, poison gas
2. airplanes, flame thrower, poison gas
3. atom bomb, automobile, submarine
4. automobile, flame thrower, submarine

In what year did the Russian Revolution happen?

1. 1914
2. 1917
3. 1919
4. 1922

1. wire of death
2. Mata Hari
3. Wilhelm II
4.  Ration stamps
5. black market
6. The port of Rotterdam
7. U-boats

a. stop deserters

b. Germany's lifeline

c. avoid a rise in prices

d. some smugglers became very rich.

e. died as refugee

f. convicted and executed

g. Dutch trade nearly ended

Work individually....!!

• HW  (assignments 1.5)
• Study the chapter
• Do exercises  1-4 up till 8 o
• Make a summary of 1.5