Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany

The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht. Civil rule was effectively assumed by the Reichskommissariat Norwegen ("Reich Commissariat of Norway"), which acted in collaboration with a pro-German puppet government, while the legitimate Norwegian king and government continued to operate in exile from London. This period of military occupation — usually referred to as the "war years" or "occupation period" in Norway — had defining significance for Norwegian society, and it is only recently that Norway considers itself as having passed out of the "post-war era".

Background

Having maintained its neutrality during World War I, Norwegian foreign and military policy since 1933 was largely influenced by three factors:

• Fiscal austerity promoted by the conservative parties;
• Pacifism promoted by the Norwegian Labour Party;
• A doctrine of neutrality, on the assumption that there would be no need to bring Norway into a war if she remained neutral.

These three factors met resistance as tensions grew in Europe in the 1930s, initially from Norwegian military staff and right-wing political groups, but increasingly also from individuals within the mainstream political establishment and, it has since come to light, by the king, behind the...
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