After the outbreak of hostilities in 1939, Norway declared itself neutral. Motorcade led by the Royal Familys 1939 Buick Roadmaster on Torggata in Oslo en route to the Royal Palace. While Norway was optimistic that they could win alone, they eventually surrendered a few days later. The Danes landed all three of their shotsone in a tank's tracksbut two of the gun crew were killed and the rest wounded. Many people stayed quiet throughout the visit. Just days later, the British navy chose to double-down on their efforts in Narvik and dealt one of the biggest blows to German forces in the early years of the war. [14] The following day, the island of Bornholm was occupied without incident. I highly recommend a visit to the museum for anyone with a few hours to spare in Narvik. However, as the war expanded, different forces, and relationships with other countries, tested their pledge of peace. Occupied Norway became a locus of the Lebensborn program, initiated in Germany by SS leader Heinrich Himmler in 1935 to encourage the birth of Aryan babies. World War II. The harbour was covered by the coastal artillery guns of Fort Middelgrund. people who secretly helped vulnerable people to hide and escape. Norway had much to overcome in World War 2, but today is one of the wealthiest countries globally and recognized for its social equality and high standard of living. [8], The attack on Denmark was part of Operation Weserbung Sd, Germany's plan for the invasion of Norway. 20:03:14 Artillery fired on the frontline Operation Alphabet saw the coordinated withdrawal of Allied troops from Norway over a period of four days. Treating these children like other natural resources in Norway that could benefit the Fatherland, the Nazis devised a pipeline that sent hundreds of babies from Norway to Germany during the war years. He decided it would be best to leave the country, together with Crown Prince Olav and the Government. Three days later, the Royal Navy returned one last time, with its largest fleet yet and one aircraft carrier. Still, Norway managed to maintain trade treaties with the United Kingdom and Germany even after the Altmark incident. The long coastline of Norway would also provide ample opportunities for launching attacks against Great Britain. Many civilians were killed or traumatized and displaced. . Operation Wilfred was a British Naval Operation that planned to place mines in the Norwegian waters that Germany relied on for the transportation of iron ore. After more than five years of German occupation, on May 8 of 1945, German forces withdrew from Norway, and World War 2 had officially come to an end. After this, the incarceration and deportation of Norwegian Jews continued sporadically. Countries on both sides were now clouded with doubt about Norways non-combative stance. [47] Danes have since adopted the saying "Aldrig mere 9 April" (transl. In the end, 25 Norwegians were sentenced to death, and roughly 19,000 received time in prison. By Dr Eric Grove. Many of those who managed to flee or hide did so with help from the underground, i.e. Although the occupiers did plan monumental projects, their broader strategy for intervening in Norwegian towns focused more on coopting existing environments rather than on erecting edifices that stood apart from their sites. Soldiers were under orders to behave properly towards the civilian population of Norway, given that Hitler considered Norwegians a part of the Arian race. When World War 2 began, Norway was determined to be politically neutral for the duration of the conflict. Eventually the anti-tank platoon was forced to withdraw to Aabenraa (benr). The king refused to let the government step down or to approve a surrender. As British ships left, the German relief force attacked, sinking two ships and causing the rest to flee. Outbreak of the Second World War Britain and France had signed military assistance treaties with Poland and two days after the German Invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939, both declared war on Nazi Germany. A 'Stuka' in a Norwegian Fjord Their task was to arrest the King and the members of the Government to compel Norway to capitulate immediately. [36][37], In 2015, the Journal of Military History, Krigshistorisk Tidsskrift, published an article for the Royal Danish Defence College (RDDC), in which military correspondent Lt. Col Jrgensen H.J. to learn more. Norway anticipated that their trade agreements would provide additional protection against invasion, but interest in claiming Norways coastline, among other assets, was growing on both German and British sides. Broadcasts were made possible through the BBC World Service and Saint Olavs Norwegian Church, the church that the Royal Family regularly attended in Norway. He would rather abdicate than appoint Quisling prime minister. The 6-3 majority was solidified in former President Donald Trump's term, but its roots go back to the Bushes and the political circumstances of 1991 and 2005. They viewed these changes to the physical environment as preconditions for the incorporation of Norwegians into the Greater German Reich and, importantly, also for the long-term presence of German rulers in this northern land. Beyond the cultural metropolis envisioned for themselves on the Trondheim Fjord, the creation of other exclusive German spaces indicates the occupiers attention to their own needs as rulers. The British arrived, surprising the Germans and marking the beginning of the second naval battle of Narvik. Magazines, Hitlers Northern Utopia: Building the New Order in Occupied Norway, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Nazi-Occupied Norway Offers a Glimpse of What Hitler Wanted for the Entire World. At the time of writing, museum entrance costs NOK 130. (Also see Is Scandinavia a Race?). After the outbreak of war, Norway, along with Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, announced their neutrality. At approximately 05:00, history's first paratrooper attack took place. [46], Following the reported peaceful occupation of Denmark, Allied views on Denmark were contemptuous. On the night of April 8, into April 9 of 1940, German troops invaded Norway. The conflict that erupted in Norwegian waters became a major strain on Norways neutrality. leaflets. Kong Haakon gr om bord p den britiske krysseren "Devonshire", etter beslutningen om forlate Norge. The Battles of Narvik were key events in the early years of World War II. World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945. Knowledge about the new city and naval base was tightly controlled to avoid provoking the Norwegian resistance. Terboven declared the King and the Government deposed, and outlawed all political parties other than the Nasjonal Samling (Norwegian National Socialist party). It was the start of war in Western Europe - and an end to the 'Phoney War'. German troops returned to Narvik as the occupation of Norway was completed. I joined an excursion called Narvik War History to learn more about the town's war history and in particular the famous battles. Over the two naval bottles, the Kriegsmarine was severely depleted. The King put forth the German demands in an extraordinary meeting of the Council of State in the village of Nybergsund. Even before seizing power, Hitler had begun to sketch out the architectural foundations for a new Germany, which later also shaped his ideas of empire building. Towards the end of the month, over two hundred male Jewish citizens were arrested in Norways capital city of Oslo. As the ships entered the Drbak Sound, the commander at Oscarsborg, Colonel Birger Eriksen, gave the order to open fire. At the beginning of the German occupation, the Jewish population in Germany is estimated to have been approximately 2,000, including German and Austrian Jewish refugees who had fled to Norway as a neutral country. The Norwegians were unprepared and the country soon fell to the invaders. As a result of these discussions, the Guardsmen eventually abandoned their efforts to resist the Germans.[31]. Few people without a keen interest in war history know about Narvik. Last updated 2011-03-30. The entire four squadron Danish Army Air Service was stationed at Vrlse near Copenhagen (Kbenhavn). Magazines, Digital (Jutland (Jylland), for instance, was wide open to a panzer attack from Schleswig-Holstein to the south.) The following day, the British Navy took an opportunity to attack while two German destroyers were being refuelled early in the morning. The gunner attempted to run for cover in the woods but was killed when a German aircraft strafed the road. It splits the town in two and has driven the town's economy for more than 100 years. On a recent Fred Olsen winter cruise to Northern Norway, I had a few hours to spare in Narvik. [12] On 4 April, Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, chief of the Abwehr and involved in the German resistance to Nazism, warned the Danes of an imminent invasion. Norway turned down the offer, as did Finland and Sweden. Among other infrastructure projects, Hitler commissioned a superhighway that would have stretched from Trondheim to Berlin. [14] They opened fire, killing the motorcyclist and blowing the tracks off one tank, sending it crashing into a house. [26], To secure Denmark's quick surrender, the capture of the capital city was considered essential. On October 26 and 27, 260 male Jews were arrested in Oslo, Norway's capital. As the second month of battling continued, it seemed as though Norway would be victorious. The members of the Royal Family, the Government and the Storting boarded a special train at the Oslo Eastern Railway Station and headed northwards. About 1.5km (1 mile) to the north, a bicycle platoon prepared a defence of a railway bridge, but fire from the armoured cars and strafing fighter aircraft forced them to retreat, and a third of them were captured. [2]. Norway stayed neutral during World War I, which ended in 1918. [19] After disabling a German tank, the rearguard pulled back to Knivsberg. Crown Princess Mrtha and her three children crossed the border into Sweden on the night of 9 April 1940. Such transportation systems would have tethered the peripheries of Hitlers European empire to its center, Berlin. Crown Prince Olav returned first on May 14, 1945. (Also see Nordic, Norse, and Norwegian: Whats the Difference?). Iron ore. Sweden's Iron Ore Line' from Lule to Kiruna was extended all the way into Norway in 1903 because of the ice-free harbour in Narvik. Norways economic standing suffered after the German occupation. Due to communication difficulties, some Danish forces continued to fight, but after a further two hours, all opposition had stopped. Johann Baptist Homann (1664-1724) was a German geographer and cartographer; map dated around 1730. Here is a timeline of major events during the war. Peace in the Scandinavian region, and with their European neighbors to the south, brought about prosperity at the end of the 20th century. Foto: NRK filmavisen, King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav seeking shelter from an air raid outside Molde. The Germans laid down heavy fire. On April 9, 1940, German warships enter major Norwegian ports, from Narvik to Oslo, deploying thousands of German troops and occupying Norway. We exists to inform people about the people, culture, and history of Northern Europe. The Blcher was hit by artillery from the fortresss cannon, nicknamed Moses and Aron, and then by torpedoes fired from the adjacent island of Northern Kaholmen. 5, 2023, 11:03 AM ET (AP) The second half was of the 20th century was good for Norway. Danish soldiers were disarmed that afternoon, and those captured were allowed to return to their units. World War II veterans shared vivid memories of D-Day and the fighting as dozens returned to Normandy beaches and key battle sites to mark the 79th anniversary of the decisive assault that led to the liberation of France and Western Europe from Nazi control Jun. Photo: Per Bratland, Nina Bratlands arkiv, King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav with General Otto Ruge, commander-in-chief of the Norwegian Army (Photo: Scanpix). German infantry attempted twice to outflank the Danish positions, but both attempts were met with heavy fire and they became bogged down. [14] The Germans lost two armoured cars and three motorcycles, while the Danes suffered one dead and one wounded. However, Narvik would remain in German hands. [14], The Danish border was breached at Sd, Rens, Padborg, and Krusaa (Krus) at 04:15 on the 9th. British forces faced nearly two thousand of their men killed or injured, and French and Polish troops suffered the death or injury of approximately five hundred men. There was the informal transport system between Scotland and the west cost known as the Shetland Bus. Both were sunk, with a great loss of life. The land now known as Norway emerged from the last Ice Age thanks to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream. The adversity that was collectively faced during the war resulted in a strengthened Norwegian identity. Based in Trondheim, we are Norway's English language publishing company. Resistance efforts took many forms, including underground newspapers and smuggling people and goods to neutral Sweden or to the United Kingdom. During World War II in Norway, German forces occupied the country from their invasion on 9 April 1940 through to 8 May 1945. The situation then quickly escalated as reinforcements swiftly arrived from Rosenborg Barracks, bringing with them multiple Madsen machine guns. Immediately, the royal family left the estate heading towards the town of Elverum. Originally from the UK, David now lives in Trondheim and was the original founder of Life in Norway back in 2011. But not all stories are as well known. It was alleged that a boxing commentator had said "without fightinglike a Dane" concerning a first-round knockout. Destruction from the German aggression, including their bombing campaigns, was drastic, but the significant effort was put into reconstructing the country. Which side were Norway on in ww2? Germany invaded Norway on April 9, 1940.To guarantee iron-ore shipments from neutral Sweden, Germany sought to secure naval bases for use against the British fleet in the North Sea.On June 10, Norway surrendered to Germany. During World War II in Norway, German forces occupied the country from their invasion on 9 April 1940 through to 8 May 1945. Armour and motorcycles followed, and rapidly advanced to and captured the Storstrm Bridge together with the paratroopers. There are many famous stories of resistance from the occupation. In the resulting battle, the Germans lost over 1,000 men, a U-boat, and eight destroyers. He overtook leadership of the Norwegian armed forces and cooperated with the Allied Powers. Hitler had issued the order for the invasion of Norway on March 1st under the code word "Weserbung".
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