Wereldoorlog in de West - Liesbeth van der Horst

WERELDOORLOG IN DE WEST
Suriname, de Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba 1940-1945
Liesbeth van der Horst

HISTORY
Suriname, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba were not occupied during World War II, but became involved in the war. Refined oil from Curaçao and Aruba and bauxite from Suriname-a raw material for aluminium- were essential for the allied war industry. English and American soldiers came to protect these industries. Their presence brought new prosperity and a new, looser lifestyle, but also stimulated the pursuit of independence. This process was enhanced in that the contacts with the mother country were broken. Nevertheless, the population passionately lived along with the events in Europe. There were collections and relief operations organized and many Surinamese and Antilleans fought in allied service. The few Surinamese, Antilleans and Arubans in The Netherlands had a relatively large share in the resistance. Wereldoorlog in de West [World War in the West] gives a vivid picture of this forgotten history.

AUTHOR
LIESBETH VAN DER HORST is director of the Verzetsmuseum [resistance museum] in Amsterdam. She has several publications on the history of the Second World War.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATION
Dutch | paperback | 160 pages | Uitgeverij Verloren | Hilversum | 2004