Okay, I've just seen the third segment. About the Occupation.
https://www.dr.dk/drtv/se/frederik-i...e-tider_158614
F9 realized the necessity of collaborating with the Germans, while Ingrid struggled with that notion.
And years later, when QMII was queen, she say they felt ashamed. Not just sad, but ashamed.
As officers both F9 and C10 felt a deep sense of humiliation.
QMII labels C10 as "not the easiest man to be the son of."
Because he was not particularly inclined to share the burden of reigning DK with his son, not even in these difficult times.
What was expected was a long war, with Germany as the victors and that DK as such would remain occupied for a generation or so.
16th April 1940. QMII was born and her dad was "terribly proud of me, right from the beginning." There is in fact a photo dated 17th April with the text: "My own (little) girl."
The birth of QMII was rightfully described at the time as "a light in the dark."
There was no question of the DRF going into exile. They had to stay in DK and share what came with the people.
C10 became a daily, riding symbol that Denmark was still there.
Erik Scavenius was appointed Foreign Minister and he was probably the most competent foreign minister DK has had for centuries and was tasked with the difficult and unenviable and certainly thankless job of trying to maintain as good a relationship with Germany without compromising Denmarks sovereignty (as much as was left) and autonomy. He did surprisingly well until the collapse of the collaboration policy in 1943.
But many saw him then and later as a quisling. - And he knew he would be viewed in that light.
Politically, due to his role, he became de facto the most important person in DK until 1943. And politically he was in control.
QMII learned to speak very early on, so her parents were very careful about never discussing the occupation in front of her.
29th September 1942. Hitler was furious!
What had happened was that Hitler had send a congratulatory telegram to C10 on his 70th birthday. - Long and flowery telegram.
Christian X responded in the shortest manner possible: "Min bedste tak" = Thank you.
Hitler took it as a deliberate personal insult. (It no doubt was.)
Scavenius was pretty annoyed with C10. And an apology of some sort is send to Berlin from the Foreign Office, but DK is put on ice for a long period in Berlin. The mood is ominous!
And it is in this atmosphere C10 one day falls from his horse and is critically injured. Injured so bad he cannot ride again. He is a cripple.
In that period when he is committed, C10 - reluctantly - sign a document making F0 Regent. That happened 27th October 1942. - And the situation with Germany was still somber!
4th November. In order to prove goodwill towards Germany F9 was forced to resign the government and appoint a new one. F9 did that reluctantly and as such, under demand from Berlin, Scavenius was made the new PM.
Politically it's not a popular move! Scavenius is seen as both traitor and savior at the same time.
That happened after F9 met with the party leaders. Scavenius as PM meant that the peaceful relations between DK and Germany continued for some time yet.
The party leaders were surprised to meet a mature man, who was willing to make the responsible decision for DK. Here F9 becomes king, albeit still not in name.
C10 was not pleased with the decision!
In January 1943 a shipyard in Copenhagen was bombed. It was direct signal from the Allies that if DK was not able to stop supplying war-material to Germany, they would do it. The hard way! - Meaning DK would be bombed. Are you with us (the Allies) or against us?
In May 1943 C10 is back in the saddle.
And the first task he gets is to give a speech on the wireless, denouncing sabotage - written by the Scavenius government.
And at this time it began to be clear that Germany could lose the war, so opposition might not be futile idealism. As such the Resistance movement is very much on the rise.
C10 was not particular supportive of sabotage. That was in his law and order mind, anarchy. (He preferred fighting honorably with open visor, so to speak. I can add that many professional military officers - including Allied officers - felt the same. Because they preferred being able to quietly gathering intelligence and that was easier if things were peaceful.)
But the resistance increased, with more and more sabotage leading to more and more German pressure on the DK government to do something harsher to stop sabotage.
As crown prince C9 could not join the Resistance, but he was pretty well informed about what went on, not least in connection with the navy and what navy officers were doing. One of F9's close friends was head of the navy, so F9 knew what would happen, should the Germans try and take the Danish navy. (They were under orders to sail to Sweden and be interned there or scuttle the ships if that wasn't possible and to open fire, if fired upon.)
On the 28th August 1943 the collaboration policy became untenable and the government resigned. And given the circumstances no new Danish government could be appointed, because no politicians would accept the German demands.
That meant that no one knew what the German reaction could be - both for Denmark but also for the politicians and the DRF personally, they could have ended up being killed.
The Germans made their move at dawn the next day 29th August 1943.
The Danish military was interned after skirmishes in various parts of the country. And DK became genuinely occupied under a German governor. With Danish civil servants administering the country on a day to day basis.
The navy is scuttled and there was fighting in various parts of the country and also at sea.
F9 living in the same mansion as M&F live in today, would have been able to see the navy ships being sunk from the windows.
Sinking the navy was a part of DK being accepted as one of the Allied.
What happened initially at Amalienborg was that detachment of German soldiers knocked on the door of F9's residence, demanding to search the place. - So what now? Would they be shot? Taken off to Germany?
Ingrid was heavily pregnant with Benedikte and the pregnancy was complicated. She was i danger of losing the child if the went out of bed. But she simply did not want Germans entering her home! Period!
The Germans end not entering Amalienborg, but they have now taken direct military control of Denmark.
Shortly after armed Danish police took over guarding the DRF and Amalienborg.
But now at least the Germans were now officially the enemy.
Shortly after all this, the Danish Jews were to be interned and shipped away to concentration camps. We all know how that went, almost all were smuggled to Sweden.
The DRF, especially F9 and his family became ever closer associated with the Resistance. Being in contact with the heads of the Resistance The Freedom Council listening to the illegal broadcasts from BBC and getting illegal papers.
September 1944. The Germans seize the police (an uncle of mine was fortunate to avoid capture and went underground.) There was fighting at Amalienborg between Germans and Danish police.
The Germans take over guarding Amalienborg and there were genuine concerns about the safety of the DRF, so a secret tunnel is build, making it possible to evacuate the DRF, should it be necessary. (That is covered somewhere in the residence threads in the DK forum.) And considering that C10 was an invalid, that meant the CP family.
March 1945. DK is as close to anarchy as it has been since the 1600's. There is no police, no law and order. Sabotage and Shallburtage is the order of the day. Liquidations is a daily occurrence.
QMII tells about a day in late March, 21st March, when she was out walking with her nanny, escorted by her dad's valet. Then the air-raid sirens went off. She had heard them before, but always at night.
That was British Mosquito bombers on their way to precision-bomb the Gestapo HQ in Copenhagen. The HQ was indeed bombed, but by a tragic mistake a school was bombed as well, with the loss of many lives.
When she was met by her dad at home she asked: Dad, was it rubbish? (German planes) - No, it was the English.
4th May in the evening. The Liberation Message. The German troops in DK will surrender to the Allies the next day. - Jubilation in the streets!!!
QMII remember that evening. She went out of bed and couldn't understand why people were shouting hurrah. It wasn't farfar's birthday?!? (The German soldiers had quietly returned to their barracks and members of the Resistance took over guarding Amalienborg.)
F9 came up and took her downstairs where she was given lemon-fizzy water. That was a rare treat!
It was a very relieved C10 who learned that DK was free again. But he had never fully recovered from his fall. But he manged to take part in the first opening of the Parliament after the Occupation.
QMII ends by saying that these first five years of her life, defined her. It defined the way she view herself, her country and what happens around us.
- It is impossible to cover this dramatic period in any depth and include all the many events taking place. - The internment of the Communists was not mentioned for example. Nor the personal issues within the DRF in relation to certain members who were pro-German.
This is merely a rough summary of the main events and IMO mainly aimed at those who already have a deeper knowledge of what went on during WWII in general and in DK in particular.