Invasion of Denmark

A harbor in Copenhagen, Denmark, with German ships, troops, and military vehicles. Troops raise a German flag atop a citadel. Germany invaded Denmark on April 9, 1940, meeting almost no resistance from the ill-prepared Danes. German planes fly overhead and drop leaflets stating that the Danish population should view the Germans "not as enemies, but as friends" and that the Germans are only occupying Denmark to protect Danish neutrality. This was the official reason given by the Germans for the invasion; they claimed they were protecting Denmark from an imminent British attack. An expanse of grass covered in leaflets, and a shot of hands holding the leaflet and turning it over. German troops light cigarettes for Danish troops to illustrate the friendly relations. The amicable relations between the two governments is also shown. Minister Cecil von Renthe-Fink, the German ambassador to Denmark who would serve as minister until 1942, stands with a German general outside the German embassy. German and Danish officials shake hands, agreeing, according to the narrator, that the Danish military would offer no resistance to the Germans. Views showing how "normal" Copenhagen appears, including a wide plaza or town square with people going about their business, and King Christian X taking his daily horseback ride down the street. The King is saluted both by Danish civilians and by a German officer in uniform. Germans direct automobile and bicycle traffic. Smiling crowds of "curious" Copenhagen residents watch the German troops. Crowds of people, including German troops, at the harbor.