Football Club Progrès Niederkorn is a professional football club based in Niederkorn , Luxembourg .
86-649: During the German occupation of Luxembourg , the club played in the Gauliga Moselland under the name of FK Niederkorn, where it finished runners-up in 1942–43, behind champions TuS Neuendorf . Three times domestic league winners, the club's most successful years were at the end of the 1970s and beginning of the 1980s. They haven't won a major trophy since the 1981 league title. In the 2005–06 season, Niederkorn finished second in Luxembourg's second division,
172-513: A mutual defense pact (under TIAR and NATO respectively). For many states, such as Ireland, neutrality does not mean the absence of any foreign interventionism. Peacekeeping missions for the United Nations are seen as intertwined with it. The Swiss electorate rejected a 1994 proposal to join UN peacekeeping operations. Despite this, 23 Swiss observers and police have been deployed around
258-569: A " Standgericht ") and executed by firing squad at nearby Hinzert concentration camp . Nevertheless, protests against conscription continued and 3,500 Luxembourgers would desert the German army after being conscripted. Collaboration with the Nazi occupation is an aspect less often talked about in Luxembourg. Studies have shown that collaboration was a phenomenon in all layers of society. There was, however, an over-representation of civil servants among
344-617: A broad-minded attitude towards the country's problems and a willingness to solve these in consultation with the government commission. On 13 July 1940, the Volksdeutsche Bewegung (VdB) was founded in Luxembourg City under the leadership of Damian Kratzenberg , a German teacher at the Athénée de Luxembourg. Its main goal was to push the population towards a German-friendly position by means of propaganda, and it
430-602: A consequence of the advance. 47,000 fled to France, 45,000 fled into the central and northern part of Luxembourg. Grand Duchess Charlotte and the government of prime minister Pierre Dupong fled to France, Portugal and the United Kingdom, before finally settling in Canada for the duration of the war. Charlotte, exiled in London , became an important symbol of national unity. Her eldest son and heir, Jean , volunteered for
516-577: A delicate situation. On the one hand, the population's sympathy lay with Belgium and France; on the other hand, due to the country's policy of neutrality since 1867's Treaty of London , the government adopted a careful non-belligerent stance towards its neighbours. As of 1 September, Radio Luxembourg stopped broadcasting. In spring 1940, fortifications were erected along the borders with Germany and France. The so-called Schuster Line , named after its constructor, consisted of massive concrete roadblocks with steel doors. The official aim of these road blocks
602-478: A fellow member that is the victim of armed aggression. It accords "an obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in [other member states'] power" but would "not prejudice the specific character of the security and defense policy of certain Member States" (neutral policies), allowing members to respond with non-military aid. Ireland's constitution prohibits participating in such a common defence. With
688-595: A further 1,500 Jews left the country on the orders of the authorities. The Gestapo accompanied them to France and Spain but, since they were rejected there, they went on an endless odyssey. On 23 August 1941, a curfew was introduced for the Jewish population and they were degraded to second class citizens. The synagogues in Luxembourg City and Esch-sur-Alzette were destroyed; the ones in Ettelbruck and Mondorf-les-Bains were devastated. The Nazis concentrated most of
774-478: A large number of youths who refused to serve in the German armed forces now had to be hidden around the country and kept safe and fed, or helped to escape abroad. Collections of food and money were also made to help the families of those who were arrested, deported, or fired from their jobs. An increasingly important part of the Resistance's activities was to provide military, political and economic intelligence to
860-585: A last-minute goal for Ufa sent Progres out, denying them a rematch against Rangers in the play-offs. Their first European goal was against Glentoran in the 1981–82 European Cup , where they drew 1–1. Up to date as of match played 25 July 2024 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. The women's team plays in Luxembourg's highest league,
946-587: A political alliance within the European Union . Sweden 's traditional policy was not to participate in military alliances, with the intention of staying neutral in the case of war . Immediately before World War II , the Nordic countries stated their neutrality, but Sweden changed its position to that of non-belligerent at the start of the Winter War . Sweden would uphold its policy of neutrality until
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#17327834965961032-404: Is already in port, in which case it must have a 24-hour head start. A prize ship captured by a belligerent in the territorial waters of a neutral power must be surrendered by the belligerent to the neutral, which must intern its crew. Neutrality has been recognised in different ways, and sometimes involves a formal guarantor. For example, Switzerland and Belgium's neutrality was recognized by
1118-701: The Wehrmacht would defeat Joseph Stalin and the Red Army , while at the same time hiding Jews and anti-Nazi clergy mixed together in their farms. The Luxembourg Resistance was joined by the Communist Party of Luxembourg only after the invasion of the USSR in June 1941. The activities of the Resistance were largely directed towards undermining the German monopoly on information, and providing moral support to
1204-470: The 1st Spahi Brigade of Colonel Jouffault and the 2nd company of the 5th Armoured Battalion, crossed the southern border to conduct a probe of German forces; these units later retreated behind the Maginot Line . By the evening of 10 May 1940, most of the country, with the exception of the south, was occupied by German forces. More than 90,000 civilians evacuated from the canton of Esch-sur-Alzette as
1290-598: The 2017–18 UEFA Europa League . They overcame a 1–0 defeat at Ibrox with a 2–0 win at the Stade Josy Barthel, having scored only once before in European competition. This victory was also the club's first ever win in European football. They enjoyed an even greater campaign in the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League , defeating FK Gabala and Budapest Honvéd FC to reach the third qualifying round against Russian side FC Ufa . The tie seemed destined for extra-time but
1376-949: The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . During the Cold War , former Yugoslavia claimed military and ideological neutrality from both the Western and Eastern Bloc , becoming a co-founder of the Non-Aligned Movement . There have been considerable changes to the interpretation of neutral conduct over the past centuries. Belligerents may not invade neutral territory, and a neutral power's resisting any such attempt does not compromise its neutrality. A neutral power must intern belligerent troops who reach its territory, but not escaped prisoners of war . Belligerent armies may not recruit neutral citizens, but they may go abroad to enlist. Belligerent armies' personnel and materiel may not be transported across neutral territory, but
1462-740: The Dames Ligue 1 . The team has won 15 championships and are therefore the national record champions. The last title was won in 2010–11, which qualified them for the 2011–12 UEFA Women's Champions League . German occupation of Luxembourg in World War II The German occupation of Luxembourg in World War II began in May 1940 after the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was invaded by Nazi Germany . Although Luxembourg
1548-533: The Division of Honour . As the top league, the National Division , expanded from twelve teams to fourteen, Niederkorn were promoted along with Differdange 03 . In the 2016–17 Luxembourg National Division , Progrès Niederkorn drew the league's highest attendance that year: 1,820. Their average home attendance was 710. On 4 July 2017, Progrès beat Scottish side Rangers in the 1st qualifying round of
1634-534: The Donegal Corridor , making it possible for British planes to attack German U-boats in the mid-Atlantic. On the other hand, both Axis and Allied pilots who crash landed in Ireland were interned. Sweden and Switzerland, surrounded by possessions and allies of Nazi Germany similarly made concessions to Nazi requests as well as to Allied requests. Sweden was also involved in intelligence operations with
1720-527: The law of war from belligerent actions to a greater extent than other non-combatants such as enemy civilians and prisoners of war . Different countries interpret their neutrality differently: some, such as Costa Rica have demilitarized , while Switzerland holds to "armed neutrality", to deter aggression with a sizeable military, while barring itself from foreign deployment. Not all neutral countries avoid any foreign deployment or alliances, as Austria and Ireland have active UN peacekeeping forces and
1806-780: The resistance or collaborated with the Germans , both constituted a minority of the population. As German nationals, from 1942, many Luxembourgers were conscripted into the German military. Nearly 3,500 Luxembourgish Jews were murdered during the Holocaust . The liberation of the country by the Allies began in September 1944, but due to the Ardennes Offensive it was not completed until early 1945. The outbreak of World War II on 1 September 1939 put Luxembourg's government in
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#17327834965961892-471: The "German-ness" of the Luxembourgers merely lay under a thin external layer of French influence. This in turn meant that, with a bit of determined "unraveling" by his administration, the German character of the population would essentially reveal itself. Simon had two clear goals: His very first series of decrees made this policy very clear: A massive propaganda campaign was launched to influence
1978-634: The Allies, including listening stations in Sweden and espionage in Germany. Spain offered to join the war on the side of Nazi Germany in 1940, allowed Axis ships and submarines to use its ports, imported war materials for Germany, and sent a Spanish volunteer combat division to aid the Nazi war effort. Portugal officially stayed neutral, but actively supported both the Allies by providing overseas naval bases, and Germany by selling tungsten . The United States
2064-467: The Allies. While some acts of sabotage did take place, they were rare and were seen as too risky in a small country with no remote areas to which they could withdraw. For similar reasons, armed combat by the Resistance against the occupiers was rare. Finally, many of the movements made contact with the government-in-exile, the Allies, and the French and Belgian resistance movements, with about 400 men joining
2150-547: The Bishop and used their influence on their congregations to strengthen their patriotic feelings, and protested against the occupation or became active in the Resistance. In the course of the war, out of 446 Catholic priests in Luxembourg, 58 were arrested, 16 imprisoned in Dachau and 7 were killed there. Another 18 clerics were deported to Vichy France. Luxembourg's economy was dominated by heavy industry, especially mining and
2236-590: The British Army in 1942. The only official representative left behind was Albert Wehrer [ de ] , head of a governmental commission, as well as the 41 members of the Chamber of Deputies. Early on 10 May 1940, the German diplomat Von Radowitz handed the general secretary of the Luxembourgish government a memorandum from the German government, stating that Germany had no intention of changing
2322-786: The Bulge , 250 soldiers of the Waffen-SS had unsuccessfully tried to recapture the town of Vianden from the Luxembourgish Resistance during the Battle of Vianden . During the Battle of the Bulge, the northern part of the country was hit by artillery from a special unit that the Germans designed to send shells up to 40 km (25 mi) away (see V3 ), but the Germans did not retake the city. In total, 5,700 Luxembourgish citizens died during World War II, which corresponds to 2% of
2408-610: The European states closest to the war, only Andorra , Ireland , Portugal , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland (with Liechtenstein ), and Vatican City (the Holy See ) remained neutral to the end. Their fulfillment to the letter of the rules of neutrality has been questioned: Ireland supplied important secret information to the Allies ; for instance, the date of D-Day was decided on the basis of incoming Atlantic weather information , some of it supplied by Ireland but kept from Germany. Ireland also secretly allowed Allied aircraft to use
2494-698: The German Standgerichte . Thousands were arrested and tortured. Hundreds were murdered in the concentration camps. Whole families were deported to eastern Germany and replaced by German families, mainly from South-Tyrol and Eastern Europe. The headquarters of the Gestapo, the Villa Pauly , became the symbol of this terror. In August 1940, the Gestapo had established its headquarters in the Villa Pauly in Luxembourg City, with field offices in
2580-651: The German ambassador in Paris and of the Sicherheitsdient headquarters in Berlin. The Bishop's primary concern was to maintain pastoral care. In order to preserve this, he was prepared to give way on individual points. Thus, he made no official protest against the measures of the Zivilverwaltung , and tried to keep members of the clergy from "ill-considered" actions. Many priests felt differently from
2666-605: The German economic area and its economic union with Belgium dissolved. On 29 January 1941 the Reichsmark became the only legal payment method, and the Cdz ordered all Luxembourgish curency to be handed in. The most important of the German tax laws were gradually rolled out in Luxembourg. The Luxembourgish resistance was carried out by only a small fraction of the population. Its formation was spontaneous and slow at first. The first groups were formed from autumn 1940 to summer 1941. In
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2752-516: The German fold; these films were accompanied by aggressive advertising. In spite of this, they were rejected by most Luxembourgish cinema-goers, and German propaganda cinema did not succeed in putting a stop to the Luxembourgish public's pro-American and pro-British sympathies. Yet at the same time, the public's majority anti-German attitude did not prevent it from becoming infatuated with a certain number of film productions that were fiercely conservative, if not explicitly Nazi. In Luxembourg, even among
2838-463: The German nation, the will to be independent must disappear. The general public were slow to react at first, still feeling shock from the invasion of 1914–1918. Furthermore, the royal family and the government had silently fled into exile. The majority of the population kept their heads low to avoid any conflict with the authorities; others participated in acts of passive resistance. The administration of Simon arrived in Luxembourg fully persuaded that
2924-404: The German occupiers to be null and void, which it re-affirmed in 1944. However, it also stated that "[n]ot all is bad in the German system, we would do well to conserve some of the institutions that they have introduced." Hence, when the exiled government returned, it retained certain German regulations and dispositions in the areas of employment law, tax law and social legislation. After the war
3010-462: The Germans started resettling families whose sons evaded conscription into the Wehrmacht or who had deserted from their units. Out of these resettled people, 73 died in the camps, including 9 children, mostly due to malnutrition and the lack of medical facilities. After a short period of boycott, from 1941 cinemas became a place to escape and forget everyday life, in this generally dark period for
3096-599: The Luxembourgish people as just another Germanic ethnic group and the Grand Duchy a German territory. The military authorities were withdrawn from Luxembourg by 31 July 1940, to be replaced by a civil administration under Gustav Simon . Gustav Simon was appointed Chef der Zivilverwaltung ( CdZ ; "Chief of the Civil Administration") by the Oberkommando des Heeres on 21 July 1940. Luxembourg
3182-546: The Soviet Union) but in other cases it is an active policy of the country concerned to respond to a geopolitical situation ( Ireland in the Second World War ). For the country concerned, the policy is usually codified beyond the treaty itself. Austria and Japan codify their neutrality in their constitutions, but they do so with different levels of detail. Some details of neutrality are left to be interpreted by
3268-664: The Swedes each have a long history of neutrality: they have not been in a state of war internationally since 1815 and 1814, respectively. Switzerland continues to pursue, however, an active foreign policy and is frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world. According to Edwin Reischauer , "To be neutral you must be ready to be highly militarized, like Switzerland or Sweden." Sweden ended its policy of neutrality when it joined NATO in 2024. In contrast, some neutral states may heavily reduce their military and use it for
3354-681: The US pretense of neutrality. Sweden also made concessions to the German Reich during the war to maintain its neutrality, the biggest concession was to let the 163rd German Infantry Division to be transferred from Norway to Finland by Swedish trains, to aid the Finns in the Continuation War . The decision caused a political " Midsummer Crisis " of 1941, about Sweden's neutrality . Equally, Vatican City made various diplomatic concessions to
3440-880: The Villa Seligmann in Esch and the Villa Conter in Diekirch. On 9 September 1942, the Gauleiter announced a "Resettlement operation for Luxembourg. From then until 1944, more than 1,410 families (4,200 individuals) were resettled to the East, the Sudetenland and Upper Silesia. Their property was stolen and they were to be educated into becoming "good Germans", being forbidden from returning to Luxembourg. From 1943, in addition to families deported for political reasons,
3526-587: The armed resistance in France . Additionally around 300 men from Luxembourg left their country to fight in the Ardennes section of the Witte Brigade , where they formed the so-called Red Lion Brigade . Several well-known Catholic and Communist households, and many parishes and priories, also kept a number of Jewish Luxembourgish civilians and foreign Jews hidden and safe. Non-violent passive resistance
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3612-462: The beginning they worked without coordination and from different motivations, for instance Liberals opposed to the anti-Jewish policies and in favour of democracy as well as conservative Roman Catholics with sometimes more or less anti- national socialist tendencies. Some of the latter category also were at the same time opposed to the Soviet Union and " Bolshevism ", hoping that the generals of
3698-686: The benefit to a belligerent of entering the country by force not worth the cost. This may include: The term derives from the historic maritime neutrality of the First League of Armed Neutrality of the Nordic countries and Russia under the leadership of Catherine the Great , which was invented in the late 18th century but has since been used only to refer to countries' neutralities. Sweden and Switzerland are independently of each other famed for their armed neutralities, which they maintained throughout both World War I and World War II . The Swiss and
3784-416: The collaborators. On average, the collaborators were younger than the general population. In early September 1944, approximately 10,000 people left Luxembourg with the German civil administration: it is generally assumed that this consisted of 3,500 collaborators and their families. In 1945, 5,101 Luxembourgers, including 2,857 men and 2,244 women were in prison for political activities, constituting 1.79% of
3870-468: The country was occupied, German heavy industry declared its interest in the Luxembourgish iron/steel mills. They let their wishes be known in Berlin and staked their claims. The Vereinigte Stahlwerke requested to take over Hadir; both the Reichswerke and Hoesch AG wanted to take over ARBED. On 15 August 1940 the German currency and customers border was extended, so that Luxembourg was brought into
3956-447: The country. Alongside the increadingly tough repression of the German apparatus from 1941/42, the public's passion for cinema increased. In a time of war, occupation and repression, cinema was one of few means of distraction available to the wider public. Audiences eagerly consumed comedies, love films, high-spectacle productions and musical films. Aside from numerous reactions of disapproval in cinemas when films of explicit propaganda or
4042-412: The express purpose of home defense and the maintenance of their neutrality, while other neutral states may abandon military power altogether (examples of states doing this include Liechtenstein ). However, the lack of a military does not always result in neutrality: Countries such as Costa Rica and Iceland replaced their standing army with a military guarantee from a stronger power or participation in
4128-516: The extent to which they are, or should be, neutral is debated. For example, Ireland, which sought guarantees for its neutrality in EU treaties, argues that its neutrality does not mean that Ireland should avoid engagement in international affairs such as peacekeeping operations. Since the enactment of the Lisbon Treaty , EU members are bound by TEU, Article 42.7 , which obliges states to assist
4214-409: The fiercest opponents of the occupation, some were characterised by ideological convictions that were aggressively conservative, in some cases reactionary and authoritarian. This may explain the (relative) success of films such as the antisemitic Jud Süß , or Die goldene Stadt , a melodrama with racist undertones celebrating Germanic virtues and imbued with the " blood and soul " ideology. Before
4300-490: The government while others are explicitly stated; for example, Austria may not host any foreign bases, and Japan cannot participate in foreign wars. Yet Sweden, lacking formal codification, was more flexible during the Second World War in allowing troops to pass through its territory. Armed neutrality is the posture of a state or group of states that has no alliance with either side of a war but asserts that it will defend itself against resulting incursions from any party, making
4386-453: The government. Neutrality (international relations) A neutral country is a state that is neutral towards belligerents in a specific war or holds itself as permanently neutral in all future conflicts (including avoiding entering into military alliances such as NATO , CSTO or the SCO ). As a type of non-combatant status, nationals of neutral countries enjoy protection under
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#17327834965964472-433: The invasion, 3,900 Jews lived in Luxembourg, many of them refugees from Germany and Austria. On the night of 10 May 1940, about 1,600 of them left the country. After Simon introduced the Nuremberg Laws, life became unbearable for the Jewish population. Their shops, possessions and money were confiscated and all Jewish employees were fired. They were not allowed inside public buildings or to keep pets. Up until 15 October 1941,
4558-451: The launch of Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) in defense at the end of 2017, the EU's activity on military matters has increased. The policy was designed to be inclusive and allows states to opt in or out of specific forms of military cooperation. That has allowed most of the neutral states to participate, but opinions still vary. Some members of the Irish Parliament considered Ireland's joining PESCO as an abandonment of neutrality. It
4644-442: The majority of the Luxembourgish Volunteer Corps stayed in their barracks. Luxembourgish police resisted the German troops, however, to little avail; the capital city being occupied before noon. Total Luxembourgish casualties amounted to 75 police and soldiers captured, six police wounded, and one soldier wounded. At 08:00, elements of the French 3rd Light Cavalry Division [ fr ] of General Robert Petiet , supported by
4730-466: The news were shown, the Luxembourg public's hostility towards Nazi German and the occupation manifested itself in other domains of social, cultural and political life (boycotting official events, the census of 10 October 1941, strike of 31 August 1942). But unlike most events organised by the occupiers (plays, concerts, public lectures), cinema was not seen as explicitly Nazi, despite most of the films being from Germany, and watching German entertainment films
4816-439: The organisation " Ons Jongen " ("Our Boys") was formed to represent Luxembourgish conscripts into the Wehrmacht . The 10,000 affected young men and their families constituted a significant force in a country of around 300,000 inhabitants; they lobbied both the Luxembourgish government and the Federal Republic of Germany; later, they were represented by the "Federation of Victims of Nazism Forcibly Conscripted". Apart from lobbying,
4902-400: The organisation also undertook commemorative work. It almost certainly contributed to slowing the normalisation of Germano-Luxembourgish relations. The Centre for Documentation and Research on the Resistance and the Centre for Documentation and Research on forced Conscription were founded in 2002 and 2005, respectively, to conduct research on the period of German occupation. They are funded by
4988-439: The population of 1940, the highest such loss in Western Europe. Additionally, 18,658 buildings were destroyed or heavily damaged, counting for 1/3 of all buildings in Luxembourg (affecting 39% the population). These numbers put into perspective how high the losses of Luxembourg actually were during World War II. (Most of the damages occurred during the Battle of the Bulge.) The government-in-exile in 1941 declared all measures by
5074-399: The population, by spreading counter-propaganda by word-of-mouth, leaflets, posters and later whole newspapers. Additionally, the Resistance helped Allied POWs and shot-down pilots, "deserters" from the Wehrmacht and other endangered Luxembourgers to cross the borders into Belgium or France. The introduction of forced labour and conscription into the Wehrmacht added to the Resistance's tasks:
5160-465: The population, while not only dissidents and critics but also teachers, officials and leading business figures were threatened with losing their jobs unless they joined Nazi organisations, which led to much increased recruitment from all professions. A central registry documented the personal opinion regarding the Nazi regime of almost every citizen. People who were openly opposed to the regime lost their jobs or were deported, mainly to eastern Germany and in
5246-414: The population. Twelve collaborators were sentenced to death and were shot in Reckenthal in Luxembourg City. 249 were sentenced to forced labour, 1366 were sentenced to prison and 645 were sent to workhouses. Faced with opposition from the general public the regime took brutal measures against any form of resistance. After the general strike of 1942, Gustav Simon proclaimed a state of emergency and introduced
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#17327834965965332-444: The remaining 800 Jews in the old monastery of Cinqfontaines (Fünfbrunnen). From here, they were deported on 7 trains from 16 October 1941 to 17 June 1943 to the ghetto of Litzmannstadt and the concentration camps of Lublin and Theresienstadt , and from 1943 directly to the extermination camp of Auschwitz . On 17 June 1943, Gustav Simon announced Luxembourg to be Judenfrei . From the 683 deported, only 43 survived. Luxembourg
5418-409: The signatories of the Congress of Vienna , Austria has its neutrality guaranteed by its four former occupying powers, and Finland by the Soviet Union during the Cold War . The form of recognition varies, often by bilateral treaty (Finland), multilateral treaty (Austria) or a UN declaration (Turkmenistan). These treaties can in some ways be forced on a country (Austria's neutrality was insisted upon by
5504-473: The so-called Stoßtrupp Lützelburg - tried to sabotage radio broadcasting and the barricades along the German-Luxembourgish border but their attempt failed. The Royal Family was evacuated from its residence in Colmar-Berg to the Grand Ducal palace in Luxembourg City . The German invasion, made up of the 1st , 2nd , and 10th Panzer Divisions began at 04:35. They encountered no significant resistance save for some bridges destroyed and some land mines, since
5590-465: The spring of 1940, the probability of a military conflict between Germany and France grew. Germany stopped the export of coke for the Luxembourgish steel industry . The steel doors of the Schuster Line were ordered closed on 10 May 1940 at 03:15, following movements of German troops on the east side of the border rivers Our , Sauer and Mosel . In the meantime, German special forces dressed as civilians and supported by Germans living in Luxembourg -
5676-452: The steel industry until then — left the country, and Luxembourg joined the Belgium–Luxembourg Economic Union (UEBL). In the 1920s, Germany once again became Luxembourg's second-biggest economic partner, far ahead of France or Britain. As Germany was a large buyer of its heavy industry products, and provided 90% of Luxembourg's coal needs, the smaller country was dependent on Germany and susceptible to its pressures or threats. As soon as
5762-416: The steel industry. For its raw materials, and to sell its finished products it depended on the overseas market. Economically it could only survive by adhering to a wider economic area. In the 19th century it had been part of the German Confederation and the German customs union . After World War I, under Allied pressure, it re-oriented itself towards the West. German capital and companies — heavily present in
5848-441: The territorial integrity or political independence of the Grand Duchy. The following day, a military administration for Luxembourg was set up. Luxembourgish interests were represented by a governmental commission under Albert Wehrer, which consisted of senior civil servants and had been legitimated by the Chamber of Deputies. There was a good relationship between this commission and the military authorities, as Colonel Schumacher showed
5934-441: The world in UN projects. The legitimacy of whether some states are as neutral as they claim has been questioned in some circles, although this depends largely on a state's interpretation of its form of neutrality. There are three members of the European Union that still describe themselves as a neutral country in some form: Austria , Ireland , and Malta . With the development of the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy ,
6020-407: The worst cases sent to the death camps where many of them were murdered. The occupation authorities attempted to cover Luxembourg with a net of political, social and cultural organisations, such as also existed in Germany, including the Hitler Youth , the League of German Girls , the Winterhilfswerk , the NS-Frauenschaft and the Deutsche Arbeitsfront . The Catholic Church in Luxembourg
6106-416: The wounded may be. A neutral power may supply communication facilities to belligerents, but not war materiel, although it need not prevent export of such materiel. Belligerent naval vessels may use neutral ports for a maximum of 24 hours, though neutrals may impose different restrictions. Exceptions are to make repairs—only the minimum necessary to put back to sea —or if an opposing belligerent's vessel
6192-413: Was abolished, and a ban on the religious orders was put in place. At the same time, the diocese administration remained one of very few Luxembourgish institutions that stayed intact during the war, although this was in doubt for a while, and a deportation of the Bishop was considered by the occupation authorities. Plans were made to deport him to Vichy France, though this failed due to the objections of
6278-552: Was also the Gauleiter of the neighbouring Gau Trier-Koblenz, later Moselland ( Gauleiter being a title denoting the leader of a regional branch of the Nazi party), led a propaganda and later terror campaign, known as Heim ins Reich , to convince the population that they were ethnic Germans and a natural part of the Third Reich . His objective was "to win Luxembourg back over to the German nation as soon as possible." He
6364-494: Was convinced that Luxembourgers only needed a level of education and enlightenment in order to voluntarily declare their loyalty to Germany. He deduced this from his belief that they were, in fact, German "by blood and by descent". To the Gauleiter , Luxembourgish independence was an "absurd idea," which existed only because the monarchy and government had nurtured it: if the Luxembourgers were shown evidence of their belonging to
6450-570: Was heavily restricted during wartime. Bishop Philippe did, however, refuse to meet with the Nazi leadership, and made preparations in case his post should fall vacant. The Church saw its very existence threatened as it was pushed out of public life by the anti-religious policies of the Nazis : public religious events such as the Octave celebration or the dancing procession were banned, Christian organisations were dissolved, religious education in schools
6536-681: Was initially neutral and bound by the Neutrality Acts of 1936 not to sell war materials to belligerents. Once war broke out, US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt persuaded Congress to replace the act with the Cash and carry program that allowed the US to provide military aid to the allies, despite opposition from non-interventionist members. The "Cash and carry" program was replaced in March 1941 by Lend-Lease , effectively ending
6622-402: Was liberated by Allied forces in September 1944, specifically U.S. Army Combat Command A (CCA), 5th Armored Division . The first U.S. forces entered Luxembourgish territory near Petange on 9 September, and liberated the capital city on 10 September 1944. The Germans retreated without fighting. By 12 September 90% of the Grand Duchy had been liberated. One month before the start of the Battle of
6708-433: Was not seen as expressing support for the occupiers. The Luxembourgish public were generally hostile towards films whose Nazi propaganda message was too conspicuous. Films such as Ohm Krüger , Cadets , or Sieg im Westen were intended to praise the German spirit, glorify heroic deaths, stigmatise Germany's enemies, appeal to unconditional submission to Nazi Germany and convince Luxembourgers that their destiny lay in
6794-742: Was officially neutral, it was situated at a strategic point at the end of the French Maginot Line . On 10 May 1940, the German Wehrmacht invaded Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands . Luxembourg was initially placed under a military administration, but later became a civilly administrated territory and finally was annexed directly into Germany. The Germans believed Luxembourg to be a Germanic state, and attempted to suppress what they perceived as alien French language and cultural influences. Although some Luxembourgers joined
6880-405: Was particularly unpopular. On 31 August 1942, shortly after the announcement that conscription would be extended to all men born between 1920 and 1927, a strike began in the northern town of Wiltz . The strike spread rapidly, paralysing the factories and industries of Luxembourg. The strike was quickly repressed and its leaders arrested. 20 were summarily tried before a special tribunal (in German,
6966-623: Was passed with the government arguing that its opt-in nature allowed Ireland to "join elements of PESCO that were beneficial such as counter-terrorism, cybersecurity and peacekeeping... what we are not going to be doing is buying aircraft carriers and fighter jets". Malta, as of December 2017, is the only neutral state not to participate in PESCO. The Maltese government argued that it was going to wait and see how PESCO develops to see whether it would compromise Maltese neutrality. Many countries made neutrality declarations during World War II . However, of
7052-515: Was relatively silent during the war, and took no public stance regarding the fate of the Jews or the Nazi regime. On the one hand, the Bishop, Joseph Laurent Philippe , was bedridden due to illness, and was therefore in no state to provide active opposition. On the other hand, the Bishop did not want to further antagonise the occupiers and endanger the already precarious religious life of the Church, which
7138-595: Was then included into the CdZ-Gebiet Luxemburg on 29 July. While initially subordinate to the military commands in Belgium and northern France, Simon was confirmed in his appointment on 2 August by Adolf Hitler himself, indicating that he reported directly to the Führer and no one else. This granted him a wide degree of autonomy with regards to the military and civil authorities of Nazi Germany. Simon, who
7224-521: Was this organisation that used the phrase Heim ins Reich . Several Deputies and high-ranking civil servants were of the opinion that Luxembourg could retain a measure of autonomy under the military administration, as had occurred in World War I, and attempts were made to come to some sort of arrangement with Germany. However, it was soon made clear by the authorities in Berlin that Luxembourg's fate would be very different this time. The Nazis considered
7310-450: Was to slow down the progress of any invading army and give time for the guarantors of Luxembourg's neutrality to take counteractions against the invaders. However, compared to the massive power of the German forces, it had only symbolic character and helped to calm down the population. Except for its small Corps des Gendarmes et Volontaires , Luxembourg did not possess an army, due to the treaty's restrictions. After several false alarms in
7396-758: Was widespread in Luxembourg during the period. From August 1940, the Spéngelskrich (the "War of Pins ") took place as Luxembourgers wore patriotic pin-badges (depicting the national colours or the Grand duchess), precipitating attacks from the VdB. In October 1941, the German occupiers took a survey of Luxembourgish civilians who were asked to state their nationality, their mother tongue and their racial group, but contrary to German expectations, 95% answered "Luxembourgish" to each question. The refusal to declare themselves as German citizens led to mass arrests. Conscription
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