Figure 1.-- |
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Norwegian officials were intent on maintaining the country's neutrality as they had done in World War I. Norway had no professional army and only a poorly trained militia. Officals had seen the German newsreels of what had happened in Poland and were intent on maintaining the country's neutrality. In fact they persued this course even after the NAZI invasion was underway (April 1940). Control of Norway ptoved useful to the NAZIs as naval and air bases made it difficult for the Royal Navy to bottle up the U-boats in the North Sea. Norway was also an important source of raw materials. Later after the invasion of the Soviet Union, the Germans were able to launch devestating raids on Allied convoys delivering war materials to Murmansk and Archangel. The NAZIs much admired Norway as a rich source of Nordic Aryan breeding stock. The Resistance was active in Norway. The resistance aided by the British staged some important raids and kept the Allies informed of German military movements. They also saved about half of Norway's small Jewish population from the Holocaust. The Germans maintained a substantial army of occupation. Later in the War, the Allies tried to convince the Germans that they were planning an invasion, to discouraging the Germans from drawing down the occupation force to strengthen the Atlantic wall in northern France.
Norway declared its independence from after a referendum (1905). This was a reflection of the rising nationalism in Europe. The kings of the three Scandinavian countries met in Malmö to make a joint declaration of absolute neutrality (December 1914). Norway like the other Scndinavian countriesc remained neutral in World War I. The Royal family had ties to the British royal family, but there was some public sympathy for the Germans. Norway being the most westerly Scandinavian countr with a North Sea coast was most exposed to the War. Norway was an important maritime nation and its shipping industry was heavily damaged.
Hitler launched World War II with the invasion of Poland (September 1939). Norwegian officials were intent on maintaining the country's neutrality as they had done in World War I. Norway had no professional army and only a poorly trained militia. Officals had seen the German newsreels of what had happened in Poland and were intent on maintaining the country's neutrality.
Norwegian officials persued the policy of persuing neutrality even after the German invasion was underway (April 1940). The one Allied offensive in the first year of the War was planned to secure Norway. The Germans responded with an offensive north on April 9, invading Denmark and Norway. It was a rapidly organized invasion to counter a planned British attempt to move into Norway to cut off iron shipments. The German Krriegsmarine suffered severe losses, especilly of destroyers. The British fough on in northern Norway for 3 weeks, but the superiority of the Luftwaffe finally forced them to withdraw. The loss of Norway not only provided access to raw material, but meant that the U-boats could not br bottled up as they were in World war I. It also mean later in the War that supplying Russia would be very difficult.
Hitler established the post of Reich-commissar to govern his newest conquest. Reichskommissar Josef Terboven took over the legal administration of the country (1940). Hitler chose Terboven who was the NAZI Gauleiter of Essen because of his reputation for toughness. Reich-commissar Terboven dissolved all Norwegian political parties except the pro-NAZI Nasjonal-Samling (NS) (September 25). The occupation regime was run administered by 13 commissars. The NAZIs installed a puppet Government under Vidkun Quisling. The name Quisling became synonamous with "traitor". Quisling as leader of the NS had tried to convince Hitler that he could form a government which would support a German occupation. Hitler was not at first interested. Quisling attempt to fom a government immediately after the invasion. The German occupation authorities did allow him to become the nominal leader. The actual authority was in the hands of Reichskommissar Terboven. He attempted to negotiate with members of parliament that had not fled the country and form a governmental cabinent that might have some legitamcy. This effort failed as the parlimentarians showed little interest in colaboration. As a result, Reichskommissar Terboven turned to Quisling who was appointed head of state. Quisling while head of state had to rely almost entirely on the Germans.
While Reichskommissar Terboven appointed Vidkun Quisling to serve as head of state. Quisling had very little public support. The NS itself was very small. Some additiojal members joined after the occupation, but not very many and membership tapered off when the War turned against the Germans. And the NS did not have a substantial party militia. Any substantial act of force required the German security forces. Quisling was well aware of the limited support for him and the NS. He was convinced that the Germans would win the War and thus Norway's future lay in his relationship with Hitler and the NAZIs. Quisling believed that by overseeing a degree of economic stability and by persuing Norwegian interests with the Germans that he and te NS would gradyally be accepted by the Norwegian people. Quisling remained in power until the German surrender (May 1945) after which the Germans withdrew from the country.
The NAZI occupation authorties banned all political parties except the NS. They appointed leaders and local officals. NS leaders were appointed to head labor unions and other organizations.
Reichskommissar Terboven ordered several important security operations. He imposed martial law on Trondheim in the north. He destroyed the village of Telavåg.
Norway was the most heavily occupied country during World War II. The Germans commited severl hundred thousand men to occupying Norway. The ratio was an incredible one German soldier for every eight Norwegians. It was a huge strategic miscalculation. There were several important advatages to hilding Norway. NAZI Germany was, however, heavily outnumbered by the Soviets and Allies. It simply did not have the manpower reserves to garison a country like Norway that did not play a central role in the war. World war II was lgargely decided on the Eastern Front. his meant that the substantial Norwegian garison played no important role in the War. Nor did they play a role when the Allies invaded France af began the drive toward the Reich. As part of the planning for Overlord, the Allies tried to convince the Germans that an invasion of Norway was being planned. This was not very convincing, but it apparently helped prevent the Germans from drawing down the Norwegin garrison. That garison included 6,000 SS troops commanded by Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Rediess.
Control of Norway at first was useful to the NAZIs for naval and air bases. The air bases proved of little use in the Battle of Britain because of the liited range of German fighters. These bases did make it difficult for the Royal Navy to bottle up the U-boats and other commerce raiders in the North Sea as they had to an extent done in World War I. The occupation of France, however, made this advantage moot as the U-boats began operating from French Atlntic ports.
Norway was also an important source of raw materials for the German war effort. .
Norway after the invasion of the Soviet Union (June 1941) took on greater importance. The British and than the Americans attempted to ger war material to the Soviet Union. The first convoys were dispatched to the northern ports of Murmansk and Archangel. The Germans were able to launch devestating raids on these convoys from naval and airbases in northern Norway.
NAZI authorities considered Norway to be a rich source of Nordic breeding stock. There were no organized kidnappings that we know of, but some sources say that Norway was not imune to occasional NAZI kidnappings. More importantly, there were extensive liasons between German soldiers and Norwegian girls. More than 0.5 million German soldiers were stationed in Norway during the War. Virtually all the off-spring would be racially acceptable. Himmler regarded as direct descendants of the Wikinger, and therefore German soldiers were incouraged to have affairs with Norwegian womem. Lenensborn homes were established throughout Norway. One source suggests that there were nine homes set up, almost as many as in Germany. The homes were very attractive. The women got excellent care and good food. Conditions were very difficult during the occupation and the community would have been very hostile to women having the children of the German soldiers.
The Resistance was active in Norway. The resistance aided by the British staged some important raids and kept the Allies informed of German military movements.
Terboven was not just disliked in Norway. He encountered disapproval from Berlin as well. Terboven despite his reputation for toughness soon proved to be a disappointment to Hitler. This can be seen in Goebbel's diary. He writes, "Terboven intends to deliver a radio address bitterly attacking the Bishop of Norway, who has acquired notiriety because of a number of stupid remarks. I advised him most urgently to keep hands off. I consider it beneath our dignity and harmful to our authority for a Reich commissioner in an area occupied by us to attack a public personage without, at the same time, saying how we will punish him. You attack without punishing only when you have no power. If you have power, you arrest and ounish and give the reason why." [January 27, 1942--Goebbels, p. 52.] Goebbels becomes increasingly critical as time goes on, referring to him as "the most hated man in Norway" and "a bull in a China shop". THe cleric they were talking about was Dr. Eivind Josef Berggraf (1884- ) who was the Luthern Bishop of Oslo. He eventually resined to protest NAZI actions against Norwegian churches (1942). The Gestapo arrested him (March 1943)
Norway is a small country. It also had a small Jewish population. The Jewish population in 1940 totaled about 2,100 people, about 1,500-1,600 were Norwegian citizens. The Norwegian Jews were largely concentrated in Oslo and to a lesser extent Trondheim. The NAZIs after conquering Norway intalled Vidkun Quisling to head a puppet Government. Quisling also confiscated Jewish property and immediatey ordered the Norwegian police to begin arresting male Jews over 15 years old. The police took the male Jews of Oslo to Bredveit prison. They were then sent to the Berg internment camp near Tonsberg over the next 2 weeks. The women and children were arrested soon after (November 25). Virtuallyall those transported were killed, mostly at Auschwitz. About half of Norway's Jews were saved by the Norwegian underground, which helped them reach neutral Sweden which took them in. This saved about 900 Jews. The underground operation was conducted at great danger.
The Germans maintained a substantial army of occupation. Later in the War, the Allies tried to convince the Germans that they were planning an invasion, to discouraging the Germans from drawing down the occupation force to strengthen the Atlantic wall in northern France.
Goebbels, Joseph. ed, Louis B. Lochner, The Goebbels Diaries, 1942-1943 (Doubleday: New York, 1948), 566p.
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