Dutch Farmers Engrave ‘Many Thanks’ in Tulips to Honor Allied Pilots During WWII Food Crisis
During the severe food shortages in the Netherlands, known as the “Hunger Winter,” Dutch farmers expressed their gratitude to Allied pilots who delivered vital food supplies by meticulously planting tulips in their fields to spell out “Many Thanks.” This poignant gesture served not only as a thank you but also as a way to guide future aid drops.
The Netherlands faced extreme hardship when Nazi Germany imposed a ban on food movements. International aid, including shipments of flour from neutral nations dubbed “Sweden Bread,” provided some relief. In may 1945, with the defeat of Nazi Germany, the situation began to improve. The Allied forces played a crucial role in airlifting food to alleviate the suffering of the Dutch population.
Nazi Official Responsible for Dutch Food Ban Executed for War Crimes
Arthur Seyss-Inquart, the Nazi Reichskommissar for the Netherlands, was held accountable for his role in the wartime atrocities. He was sentenced to death at the Nuremberg war criminal trials and executed on october 16, 1946.Upon receiving his sentence, Seyss-Inquart reportedly stated, “It was unpredictable other then that.” His conviction and execution underscore the severe human cost of artificial starvation, highlighting it as an anti-human crime that inflicts profound physical and psychological damage.
