Liberation
The Netherlands was officially liberated on the occasion of the German capitulation to the Allied forces on 7 May 1945 in Reims, France. The Dutch East Indies became free on the occasion of the Japanese capitulation on 15 August 1945.
The southern part of the Netherlands was liberated as early as the autumn of 1944 (12 September- 3 December). The first major Dutch city - Maastricht - was liberated on 14 September 1944. However, after the failure of Operation Market Garden, the liberation of the rest of the Netherlands took longer. In the winter of 1944-1945, the front line stretched from the Zeeland islands, along the Meuse and Waal rivers, all the way to Germany. In April 1945, the Allies invaded the Netherlands from northern Germany and parts of the northern and eastern Netherlands were liberated. The western part of the Netherlands was liberated only after the German capitulation in western Europe came into force, and Canadian troops crossed the front line on 7 May 1945 .