Abstract

Democracy Without Police

On September 19, 1944, the Germans disbanded and disarmed the entire Danish police force, composed of 12,000 men, and shipped at large number of its members to German concentration camps. The movement stiff resistance; police headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, were defended for four hours. The Germans used a variation of their famous "innocent-tourist" trick, filling the inner rooms with men who pretended to be looking for lost articles. When the fighting began, these men suddenly brandished guns in the rear of the defenders. But even with inside assistance, the Germans had to bring up light artillery before the Danes could be subdued. It is ironical that the Germans were forced to resort to arms, for they had, themselves given guns to the Danish police.