The Norway Campaign, April-June, 1940

The Germans wanted to control Norway and Denmark in order to prevent the Allies from interfering with iron-ore shipments from neutral Sweden across the Baltic Sea. Control of these two countries would also give Germany additional air bases from which to attack the British Isles, and would provide a protected route to the Atlantic for submarines and surface raiders. The immediate cause of the attack on Norway, however, was apparently Hitler's irritation over the Altmark incident of February 16, 1940. Three hundred British prisoners aboard this German ship were rescued by a British destroyer that attacked the Altmark in neutral Norwegian waters.

In attacking Norway, Hitler made extensive use of local Nazi sympathizers called fifth columnists. (This term had come into use during the Spanish Civil War when General Emilio Mola, leading four columns of troops against Madrid, said that his sympathizers within the city amounted to a "fifth column" that would aid his troops.) The fifth column in Norway was led by Vidkun Quisling, an army officer and former defense minister whose name became synonymous with traitor. After the Germans occupied Norway, Quisling was rewarded for his treason by being made the puppet head of state.

The attack began on April 9. German troops were concealed in the holds of ships that sailed into Norwegian ports. Airplanes were used to land troops at all airports, and the German navy struck with full force. The Germans quickly seized Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, and Narvik. Three German cruisers were sunk in this action.

On the same day, April 9, Denmark was overwhelmed by strong German forces and surrendered without resisting.

The Norwegian government fled to Hamar and later to Elverum. British landings were made at Namsos on April 14, and at Andalsnes on April 17 in an attempt to flank and recapture Trondheim. The Germans' rapid advance up the Osterdal and Gudbrandsdal valleys and heavy German air attacks forced the expedition to be withdrawn on May 5.

Only at Narvik in the far North were the Allies successful. Five British destroyers entered that port in a snowstorm on April 10 and sank two German destroyers and damaged several other ships. Three days later, the battleship Warspite and nine destroyers sank the rest of the German naval forces at Narvik. British and French troops took Narvik on May 29, but by this time events in France made it inadvisable to continue the campaign. Norway was abandoned by the Allies on June 10. During the withdrawal, the British lost the aircraft carrier Glorious.

The campaign caused loss of prestige for the British, who had been mining Norwegian waters when the attack opened and who had had troops ready when the Germans struck. At the start of the campaign, Chamberlain, confident of victory, boasted that Hitler had "missed the bus," but Allied efforts were described by David Lloyd George as "too little and too late." Chamberlain was given a vote of confidence on May 8 but, realizing that many of his own party had deserted him, resigned.

Chamberlain was succeeded by Winston Churchill, who became prime minister on May 10, 1940, the day that the Germans attacked France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. In a speech before the House of Commons, Churchill said, "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat."