Form of government in which the highest authority was the German ‘civilian' administration instead of a military administration.
The pre-war Dutch system of government continued under the occupation, but was placed under a German civilian regime. After Queen Wilhelmina and the Dutch government had fled to England, governing the nation was left in the hands of the secretaries
general who were the highest-ranking officials in the ministries. Under the occupation, Reichskommissar (Reich Commissioner) Arthur Seyss-Inquart was appointed to represent Hitler as head of state. He performed all administrative duties under the
Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The system of government remained intact; only a few incumbent senior officials were replaced with Nazi sympathizers. Over three hundred mayors were replaced, together with officials with other essential
duties, such as police commissioners and public prosecutors.
In other occupied countries the military ran the government.