Germany invades Denmark and Norway

March 1940. Hitler orders his generals to plan an invasion of Denmark and Norway. The name of this military operation is Operation Weserübung, and the main objective is to invade Norway. The Norwegian coast has good ports for submarines. If Germany controls these ports, it will be easier to sink British ships in the North Sea and the Atlantic.

This port, Narvik, is vital for Germany's weapons industry. The Germans rely on Swedish iron ore, which is shipped to Germany from here. But.. the seas around it are patrolled by British warships. And Norway is far from Germany.

So Hitler’s plan is to invade Denmark first, mainly to control the airport in Aalborg, which is needed as a halfway stop for German aircraft on their way to invade Norway. Four-fifteen AM, Tuesday, April 9th. German soldiers attack Denmark. Paratroopers are used - for the first time in world history - to take control of Aalborg Airport. Battles erupt in several locations across Denmark, but Denmark's military is inferior to the modern German invasion force.

Germany tells the Danes that the purpose of the operation is to save Denmark.. from being attacked by the British. The Nazis call it a ‘peace occupation’.. ..but they threaten to bomb the capital Copenhagen, unless Denmark surrenders. The Danes immediately realize that they cannot defend themselves. At 6 o'clock the same morning..

the Danish government, military, and royal family announce that Denmark is giving up: they surrender. The short battle lasts 2 hours. 26 Danes die, and Denmark is now occupied by Nazis. The same day, Germany attacks Norway. Early in the morning, German warships enter Norwegian ports, from Oslo in the south to Narvik in the north.

Several cities are bombed. Aircraft drop paratroopers into Norway’s interior. Now the Nazis do as they did in Denmark: They contact the Norwegian Foreign Minister, and demand that Norway immediately surrenders. They expect the resistance to break down in a few hours, as it did in Denmark. But the Norwegian government refuses to surrender.

The Norwegians intend to defend their country - and their independence. They declare war on Germany. The Germans do not expect any greater resistance, but they are mistaken. The Norwegians, like the Danes, are not accustomed to combat. But they manage to sink an important warship, The Blücher, in the Oslo Fjord.

It’s a big loss for the Germans. The Norwegians sink another vessel, and the Germans' attack on Oslo is hindered. Norwegian forces fight the Nazis desperately, and are now being assisted by Britain and France. The British attack German ships bringing soldiers to Norway, and both countries have their own soldiers in the country. The Norwegian government and royal family manage to escape to the UK, and form a government there in exile.

They hope to return to Norway before long to rule the country once the Germans are defeated. For two months, the Norwegians manage to defend themselves against the Germans. But on the 10th of June, Norway is forced to surrender. The soldiers put down their weapons. But the war against the Germans continues in another way.

In Norway, organizations are formed to resist the occupation: resistance movements. They hinder the Germans by sabotaging factories, railways, important locations. The resistance movement also helps refugees escape from Norway. They spy on the Germans, providing strategic information to the British and the French, their allies. The Norwegian resistance movement will play an important role in the fight against Nazism during the Second World War.