The Hunger Winter
Fighting Famine in the Occupied Netherlands, 1944â1945
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
About This Book
In this pioneering study, Ingrid de Zwarte examines the causes and demographic impact of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter' that occurred in the Netherlands during the final months of German occupation in the Second World War. She offers a comprehensive and multifaceted view of the socio-political context in which the famine emerged and considers how the famine was confronted at different societal levels, including the responses by Dutch, German and Allied state institutions, affected households, and local communities. Contrary to highly-politicized assumptions, she argues that the famine resulted from a culmination of multiple transportation and distribution difficulties. Although Allied relief was postponed for many crucial months and official rations fell far below subsistence level, successful community efforts to fight the famine conditions emerged throughout the country. She also explains why German authorities found reasons to cooperate and allow relief for the starving Dutch. With these explorations, The Hunger Winter offers a radically new understanding of the Dutch famine and provides a valuable insight into the strategies and coping mechanisms of a modern society facing catastrophe.
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Table of contents
- Cover
- Half-title
- Series information
- Title page
- Copyright information
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- List of Figures
- List of Maps
- List of Tables
- Acknowledgements
- List of Abbreviations
- Maps
- Introduction
- 1 Historical Contexts
- 2 Causes of the Famine
- 3 Effects on Mortality, Fertility, and Health in Later Life
- 4 Central Government and Food Administration
- 5 The Politics and Practices of Allied Relief
- 6 Coping at Household and Individual Levels
- 7 Community Strategies
- 8 The Evacuation of Children
- Conclusion
- Appendix: Timeline of Important Events
- Bibliography
- Index