In the Spring of 1945, a starving Europe welcomed the news of Nazi surrender after more than five years of brutal occupation. Somehow, amidst the desolation, the tulips still burst into bloom foreshadowing better days to come.

Victory in Europe. Millions of people dancing in the streets. Allied soldiers handing out chocolates to children, strangers kissing in the boulevards, royalty and exiled heads of state returning to their parliaments and castles. We’ve heard the stories so many times. We love a narrative of liberation.