[35] This number is also backed up by testimonies from veterans and eyewitnesses, including the veteran Frode Jensen, who after the battle was over, was told by the Germans, that they had lost 18 men while his unit had only suffered 2 casualties. Decision To Invade Norway and Denmark - U.S. Army Center of Military Which side were Norway on in ww2? As the possibility of opposing sides planning an invasion in Norway became apparent, both felt growing pressure to gain control first. [46], Following the reported peaceful occupation of Denmark, Allied views on Denmark were contemptuous. The Lesson of Hitlers Unlikely Rise to Power, How Black Filmmakers Are Reclaiming Their History Onscreen, 2023 TIME USA, LLC. [19] Two German tanks lined up adjacent to one another and opened fire. Their efforts to reshape occupied Norway, including everyday spaces where people lived and worked, give us a preview of the deeply ideological environments Hitler foresaw emerging in the wake of his ultimate victory, even in those nations he considered potential allies. The attack was a prelude to the invasion of Norway ( German: Weserbung Nord, 9 April - 10 June 1940). Eventually the anti-tank platoon was forced to withdraw to Aabenraa (benr). These broadcasts made Haakon a clear, national symbol for the Norwegian resistance. Displacement and fleeing caused additional stress to the already unsatisfactory rationing and housing system. The adversity that was collectively faced during the war resulted in a strengthened Norwegian identity. Many German marines were rescued and equipped with the uniforms of the Norwegian forces that were killed during the battles. Crown Princess Mrtha with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt as he gives his famous speech "Look to Norway" (Photo: Scanpix). Peace in the Scandinavian region, and with their European neighbors to the south, brought about prosperity at the end of the 20th century. Among the attractions of this location was the neighboring city of Trondheim and its association with the Vikings, a legacy the Germans wanted to appropriate for themselves. [22] The landing opened the way for a battalion of the 198. Photo: Johan Wilhelm Clver, the Royal Collections. [26], To secure Denmark's quick surrender, the capture of the capital city was considered essential. Another German column reached Hokkerup a few kilometers east of Lundtoftbjerg at 05:30. Immediately, the royal family left the estate heading towards the town of Elverum. Finland, Norways Scandinavian neighbor, was invaded on November 30, 1939, just three months after the outbreak of the war. The German invasion of Denmark ( German: Operation Weserbung - Sd ), was the German attack on Denmark on 9 April 1940, during the Second World War. The Norway Campaign in World War Two. By the end of May 1940, the British government and military withdrew from Norway completely. Universal Images Group / Getty By Despina Stratigakos Updated: September 2, 2020 12:31 PM EDT | Originally published: September 2, 2020 12:00 PM EDT T he German occupation of Norway from 1940 to. My interest in war history is fairly mild but nevertheless I was fascinated by the stories and perspectives. It's about 1km from the cruise ship port, uphill some of the way. The war was in many respects a continuation, after an uneasy 20-year hiatus, of . [14] With air support, the 100 or so Germans managed to surround and capture the Danish unit at 06:15. It was alleged that a boxing commentator had said "without fightinglike a Dane" concerning a first-round knockout. They destroyed 11 aircraft and badly damaged another 14 as they taxied to take-off, wiping out most of the Danish Army Air Service in one action. Dr Gary Sheffield considers the . (Also see Why Are Houses in Norway Painted Red?). A 'Stuka' in a Norwegian Fjord The museum does a fantastic job of telling the story through real objects and some emotional stories told on film. He overtook leadership of the Norwegian armed forces and cooperated with the Allied Powers. They were met by cheering crowds in Oslo. Are Norwegians and Swedes the Same People? World War II - The Royal House of Norway - Monarchy of Norway The Germans demanded that the Government headed by Johan Nygaardsvold, which had refused to capitulate, step down, and that the King appoint a government headed by Nazi sympathiser Vidkun Quisling. [13], Although the Royal Danish Army was warned of the attack, it was denied permission to deploy or prepare defensive positions as the Danish government did not want to give the Germans any provocation for their actions. For all these reasons, the occupying Nazis invested enormous resources in the effort to remodel Norway. [14], The Danish border was breached at Sd, Rens, Padborg, and Krusaa (Krus) at 04:15 on the 9th. As the second month of battling continued, it seemed as though Norway would be victorious. April 1940 Nilausens minder fra A-borg", "Opgret med myten: S f tyskere slog danskerne ihjel", "Besttelsen af Danmark den 9. april 1940 var ikke fredelig", "The German Decision to Invade Norway and Denmark", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=German_invasion_of_Denmark_(1940)&oldid=1162079975, Battles and operations of World War II involving Denmark, Battles of World War II involving Germany, Military history of Denmark during World War II, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Denmark articles missing geocoordinate data, Articles missing coordinates without coordinates on Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, Weapons and helmets of the disarmed Danish soldiers, Danish position on the southern outskirts of, 24th Railroad Construction Engineer Company, 676th Military Government Commandment Regiment, 436th Military Government Commandment Regiment, 633rd Military Government Commandment Regiment, 716th Military Government Commandment Regiment, 2nd Heavy Reconnaissance Squadron, 10th Reconnaissance Regiment, 1st Mixed Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Gruft Group, 1st Mixed Anti-Aircraft Battalion, 8th Regiment, 2nd Mixed Anti-Aircraft Battalion, 19th Regiment, This page was last edited on 26 June 2023, at 21:57. The royal family met the government and boarded a train headed to Hamar. Gaming Piece with Runes Found in Trondheim, Plura Cave Disaster: When Cave Diving Went Wrong. The Germans set up a 37mm gun 300 meters (yards) away, but it managed to fire only one round before being knocked out by two rounds from a 20mm gun. [8], The attack on Denmark was part of Operation Weserbung Sd, Germany's plan for the invasion of Norway. Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter. It splits the town in two and has driven the town's economy for more than 100 years. They encountered a roadblock made with farm equipment, set up only 20 minutes earlier by 34 Danish soldiers. World War II - Wikipedia In this, the first mass incarceration of Jewish Norwegian citizens took place in the Northern part of Norway. Faced with the explicit threat of Luftwaffe bombing Copenhagen's civilian population, all but General Prior favoured surrender. Norwegian coast defenses were able to sink the German ship, Blcher, using artillery and torpedoes. Queen Maud died in 1938. German troops invaded Norway on 9 April 1940, planning to capture the King and the Government in order to force the country to surrender. World War II With the outbreak of hostilities in 1939, Norway again declared itself neutral. The next month, October of 1939, he stated that the neutrality of the Nordic States was to be assumed going forward and that Germanys trade with these countries was to continue through the duration of the war. While lying in wait, they managed to capture two German dispatch riders. [14] Hand-to hand combat ensued in which one Dane was killed and three wounded, one fatally. I joined an excursion called Narvik War History to learn more about the town's war history and in particular the famous battles. The situation then quickly escalated as reinforcements swiftly arrived from Rosenborg Barracks, bringing with them multiple Madsen machine guns. Hitler had issued the order for the invasion of Norway on March 1st under the code word "Weserbung". King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav seek cover as German planes attack Nybergsund 11 April 1940. Four days into the invasion, the German army had advanced over seventy miles from the capital. In anticipation of an aggravated German response following the mining, British troops were planned to land at four important Norwegian ports: The timeline of Operation Wilfred would greatly impact Norways fate in the war. See Are There Mosquitoes in Norway? The King stated that he would not attempt to influence the decision of the Government in this matter, but that he could not comply with the German ultimatum. The Danes capitulated within six hours, resulting in a uniquely lenient occupation, as the Germans were content to leave the Aryan Danes to manage their own affairs. Of course, it's also possible to visit the museum independently. From there, it is shipped to its final destination. In March of 1940, the United Kingdom prepared a plan to invade Norway. The invasion's primary purpose was to use Denmark as a staging ground for operations against Norway, and to secure supply lines to the forces about to be deployed there. Between 1940 and 1945, the number of Jewish Norwegian citizens who faced deportation was over 750, and tragically, only an estimated 25 returned to the country after the war. With ambitious architecture and infrastructure projects, Hitler sought to literally and figuratively build bridges to Norways citizens, bringing them into the fold of his Greater German Reich. King Haakon and the government-in-exile stood firm in their resolve to fight until Norway was liberated. Originally from the UK, David now lives in Trondheim and was the original founder of Life in Norway back in 2011. 7. juni 1945: Kong Haakon og Kronprinsfamilien kommer tilbake til Norge etter 2. verdenskrig. 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 traditional neutrality policy was abandoned, and Norway even became a founding member of NATO in 1949, and the country adopted a new commitment to maintaining armed forces. The land now known as Norway emerged from the last Ice Age thanks to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream. [23], Two hours later, a platoon of paratroopers from the 4th battalion of Fallschirmjger Regiment I landed in Aalborg (lborg), the main city of northern Jutland (Jylland), to secure Weserbung Sd's primary target: the airfield at Aalborg (lborg),[23] to be used as a stepping-stone for the invasion of Norway. Here is a timeline of major events during the war. The invasion of Norway 1940 - History Learning Site The conflict that erupted in Norwegian waters became a major strain on Norways neutrality. The primary reasons included: As the conflict developed, Norway held firm to its commitment to observe and not participate. Sugar, coffee, and flour were among the first foods to be rationed, with imported food following. Prime Minister Nygaardsvold arrived there to tell the king that parliament was split and had yet to make a decision. In the end, all the prisoners were freed, eight German seamen were killed, and ten others were wounded. 5, 2023, 11:03 AM ET (AP) (Also see Is Scandinavia a Race?). Countries on both sides were now clouded with doubt about Norways non-combative stance. (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. Intending to harvest the Norwegians supposedly superior genes to improve the racial health of the German population, the Nazis established more maternity centers in Norway than in any other country, including Germany. On the night of April 8, the royal family was warned that the Germans were on their way to Norway. [3]. Magazines, Digital The Norway Campaign in World War Two by Dr Eric Grove; WW2 Movies: Dunkirk; France, 1940: 1 Squadron by Christopher Shores; The Fall of France by Dr Gary Sheffield; Animated Map: The Fall of . 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. 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. At the same time, German forces occupy Copenhagen . Their task was to arrest the King and the members of the Government to compel Norway to capitulate immediately. [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. World War II | Facts, Summary, History, Dates, Combatants, & Causes For the next five years the government-in-exile led and coordinated Norwegian war efforts from its base in London. If the German occupiers, despite their ideology of Nordic brotherhood, kept themselves spatially and culturally apart as rulers, they promoted fraternization of another sort. The newly appointed Danish commander ordered a warning shot to be fired, but the recently arrived recruits could not operate the gun. The heavy cruiser Blcher sailed into the Oslofjord in the . Following the visit to the museum, we rejoined the bus and took another tour through Narvik before arriving at the war cemetery. Bennike and his unit boarded the ferry in Elsinore to Sweden and went into exile. What are Reindeer Used for in Norway? Iron ore was mined in Sweden and was shipped out of the Norwegian ports of Narvik. An extensive network of radar systems was built in Denmark to detect British bombers bound for Germany. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital The Germans invested considerable resources to create physical environments that would support a new social order in occupied Norway. Narvik was one of several landing sites during the operation, alongside the likes of Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim. Before this date, any incarcerations had occurred sporadically. When World War 2 began, Norway was determined to be politically neutral for the duration of the conflict. The German invasion of Denmark (German: Operation Weserbung Sd), was the German attack on Denmark on 9 April 1940, during the Second World War. On October 26 and 27, 260 male Jews were arrested in Oslo, Norway's capital. King Haakon, Crown Princess Mrtha and the children returned on 7 June, five years to the day that the King and Crown Prince had been forced to leave the country. The war cemetery is farther uphill, a total of about 2.5km from the port. The organized arrest of the Jewish population intensified in the fall of 1942. World War II - Invasion of Norway, 1940 | Britannica But not all stories are as well known. Germany's Invasion of Norway On 9 April 1940, German forces invaded Norway. While they had the correct location, the king had managed to escape when the sound of bombers was heard. There was the informal transport system between Scotland and the west cost known as the Shetland Bus. CNN . In the resulting battle, the Germans lost over 1,000 men, a U-boat, and eight destroyers. Scarcity quickly became a general problem in Norway, especially in urban areas. The German occupation of Norway from 1940 to 1945 witnessed a remarkable building campaign to align this northern land with Hitlers New Order. The unprepared government gave unclear orders for mobilization, and all parties were fogged with shock from the strong German surprise attack. They utilized the local ferry from Warnemnde, which they crammed with troops. The glacial land became habitable from around 12,000 BC. While most of the Danish Army followed the order to surrender, one unit refused. Germany invaded Denmark and Norway around the same time and had the same goals in both countries, one of which was to capture the king. Crown Prince Olav returned first on May 14, 1945. The alarm was sounded at 04:17, and the first Danish troops were dispatched at 04:35.[14]. As Prince Harald was the heir to the throne, the family decided it best that they split up during their travels. Both were sunk, with a great loss of life. The Royal Family was headed for the estate of Slid. Many civilians were killed or traumatized and displaced. Norwegian trade specifically was a major asset to Germany. When the misunderstanding was later cleared up, most of the Danish soldiers stayed in Sweden and would form the core of the Danish Brigade in Sweden in 1943. On June 10, 1940, Norway surrendered. Adolf Hitler visiting the Norwegian fjords abord a war ship, in 1934. Do Norwegians get along with their Scandinavian neighbors? [28] After landing a battalion of the 198th Infantry at 05:18, German forces captured the 70-strong garrison of Kastellet, the headquarters of the Danish Army, without a single shot. Upon their arrival at Amalienborg, the German infantry encountered fierce resistance from the on-duty company of the King's Royal Guard. Nevertheless, several hundred Norwegians disobeyed the government and did so. Narvik in 1940: The Battle for Northern Norway - Life in Norway However, the number is considered an exaggeration by many historians. Above all, the power of racial ideology in these reconstructed Norwegian towns derived from Nazi values becoming embedded into everyday spaces and everyday lives. The second gun malfunctioned. At 04:20[27] the 2,430 ton minelayer Hansestadt Danzig, with an escort of the icebreaker Stettin and two patrol boats, entered Copenhagen (Kbenhavn) harbour with battle flags flying. The dogged resistance of the Royal Guard gave King Christian X and his ministers time to confer with the Danish commander-in-chief General Prior. If Britain were to gain control of Norway, they could cut the supply of iron ore to Germany and control what was at the time, neutral waters. See Are Norwegians and Swedes the Same People? Up to 50,000 Norwegian women are thought to have had intimate relationships with German soldiers. It was relatively free of conflict and became economically stable. We exists to inform people about the people, culture, and history of Northern Europe. The H7 monogram, the royal cipher of the Norwegian head of state, became a symbol of resistance. The damage to German ships was a success, but there was nothing the British Navy could do about the German troops who had already landed in Narvik. The Altmark incident, and others like it, weakened Norways commitment to neutrality. Most were neutral at the beginning, but only a relatively few nations remained neutral to the end. World War II - Casualties and losses of World War II | Britannica