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In 1939, as tensions escalated in Europe, Adolf Hitler extended offers of nonaggression pacts to the Scandinavian nations. While Sweden and Norway declined, Denmark accepted the offer, seeking to avoid conflict. When World War II broke out later that year, Denmark declared its neutrality. However, on April 9, 1940, Germany invaded Denmark as part of its strategy to secure communications for the invasion of Norway. The Danish government offered only limited resistance, and the country was quickly occupied by German forces.
The Nazi occupation of Denmark was distinctive compared to other occupied countries. The Danish monarchy remained in place, and the initial conditions of occupation were relatively lenient. Denmark retained its own government and the Folketing (parliament) continued to function. The Danish coalition government sought to protect the population through a policy of compromise, maintaining a degree of autonomy. The Danish police largely remained under local control, and German authorities kept a distance from direct governance. However, tensions rose when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, leading to the ban of the Danish Communist Party (Danmarks Kommunistiske Parti).
As the war progressed, Nazi demands became increasingly oppressive. In August 1943, faced with escalating German pressures and demands that violated Danish sovereignty, the Danish government resigned. This prompted the Germans to assume full control over the country. From that point forward, Denmark became increasingly resistant to the occupation, and an armed resistance movement emerged.
Despite the challenges, Denmark remained under German control until the end of the war. On May 4, 1945, German forces in Denmark, along with those in Northwest Germany and the Netherlands, surrendered to the Allies. The following day, on May 5, 1945, British troops liberated Copenhagen, and Denmark was freed from occupation. Three days later, World War II officially ended, bringing an end to this tumultuous chapter in Danish history.