Occupied Holland

On May 10th, 1940 the German advance on Europe reached the borders of the Netherlands. German forces bombed the Dutch city of Rotterdam, leveling the city and softening the Dutch war effort. The Nazis then rolled through Holland and despite a valiant effort to defend their home the, Dutch capitulated just five days after being invaded. The occupation by the Nazis lasted five whole years before Allied forces liberated the country on May 5, 1945    

Location

Due to it's location on the North Sea, the nation was one particularly hard to escape from. The surrounding countries of Germany and Belgium were both under control of the Nazis. Exit through the North Sea was also virtually impossible because U-Boats and other German ships were constantly patrolling the waters.

Country Make up
The Netherlands is a little less than twice the size of Massachusetts, but at the time was home to nearly nine million people. The geography inside the country's boarders offered little room to run and hide from the Germans.

Conditions 

Holland was not not unlike other European countries in that it had a Jewish population. The Jews were taken to special camps, while most of the remaining citizens were sent to work camps. There was wide spread famine in the winter of '44 which became known as Hogerwinter, or literally"hungry winter". The winter was unusually harsh, not to mention the Germans cut off food supplies to nearly half the citizens. Nearly 18,000 people died.