In late 1944, the Dutch government in London called upon the railway staff to strike. The intention was to prevent German military transports because the allied powers wanted to carry out airborne landings near Arnhem. The strike lasted much longer than initially expected. As a result, food transports came to a standstill and coal from the liberated south could not be transported either. The repercussion was that in the harsh winter of 1944-1945 people suffered from cold and hunger - especially in the western part of the country where the biggest cities are located. The transport of food from the east to the west was blocked and as a result supplies exhausted quickly. In homes previously owned by Jews, from which in many cases all the household goods and other properties had been stolen, everything that could burn was taken apart. Trees in parks, avenues, and streets were felled and sawn into firewood.