9 APRIL

Denmark's fight against Germany in the Second World War was, in reality, a minor skirmish. The Germans crossed the border early in the morning of 9 April; six hours later, it was all over and the Danes had capitulated. Danish losses amounted to 16 killed and 20 wounded; German losses were higher, but still minimal.

Germany was not really interested in Denmark, it was a stepping stone towards the strategic prize of Norway, which they took later in the year. Still, it provided a useful base, particularly with regard to food, and the occupation of the country lasted until 1945.

The Second World War has undergone a bit of a renaissance in Denmark the past few years, with films about the resistance movement proving a big hit. This evening I watched at the local cinema a new film, 9 April, which traces the events of those 6 hours. Almost documentary like, it follows a bicycle unit charged with defending the border area. The main thing I got from it was that the fight was a hopeless mismatch; in order to last even six hours, the Danes had to fight pretty well.

As I said earlier, what is now needed is a film about collaboration during those five years. Not everyone in Denmark thought that the Germans were a bad thing, But perhaps that remains a touchy subject.

Walter Blotscher