Military history of the Netherlands during World War II Military history of the Netherlands during World War II The Netherlands entered World War II on May 10, 1940, when invading German forces quickly overran them. On December 7, 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Netherlands government in exile also declared war on Japan. Operation Market Garden, which started in 1944, liberated the southern and eastern parts of the country, but full liberation did not come until the surrender of Germany on May 5, 1945. When World War II erupted in September 1939, most in the Netherlands believed that the country could remain neutral, as it had in
Military equipment of Sweden during World War II the Royal Navy lived through an enormous enhancement, ending up as the second-strongest naval power of the Baltic Sea after the Soviet Union. Number of destroyers pre-war: 13 Number of destroyers in 1939: 14 Number of destroyers in 1940: 19 Number of destroyers in 1941: 20 Number of destroyers in 1942: 23 Number of destroyers in 1943: 27 Number of destroyers in 1944: 28 Number of destroyers in 1945: 28 Sweden's air force at the beginning of World War II was relatively small and lacked modern radar systems, engines, or weaponry. This changed during the build-up in the 1940s, though,