Norwegian campaign

The Norwegian campaign was the 1940 military struggle between Germany and Allied forces for control of Norway. It ended with German occupation after Allied forces withdrew.

Operation Weserübung: Germany’s April 1940 invasion of Denmark and Norway, launched to secure strategic positions and supply routes. Its seizure of Norwegian ports began the campaign and gave Germany control of key coastal bases.
Iron ore trade during World War II: The wartime movement of iron ore, especially Swedish ore shipped through the Norwegian port of Narvik. Germany sought to protect a supply route that carried Swedish iron ore through Norwegian waters.
Haakon VII: King of Norway from 1905 to 1957, who rejected German demands for a compliant government in 1940. His refusal to appoint Quisling’s government became a lasting symbol of Norwegian resistance.
German occupation of Norway: Germany’s military and political rule over Norway from 1940 until its surrender in 1945. The campaign’s outcome placed Norway under German occupation for the rest of the war.
Battle of Midtskogen: A skirmish near Elverum on 10 April 1940 in which Norwegian forces stopped a German attempt to capture King Haakon VII. The encounter helped the king and government escape the initial German advance.
Battle of Narvik: A series of land and naval battles around Narvik, Norway, from April to June 1940. The Allies briefly retook Narvik, the campaign’s clearest battlefield reversal for Germany.
Altmark incident: A February 1940 naval incident in which a British destroyer freed prisoners from the German ship Altmark in Norwegian waters. The incident heightened German concern that Britain might intervene in Norway.
Johan Nygaardsvold: Norwegian prime minister from 1935 to 1945, who led the government into exile after the invasion. His government continued the war from abroad after the Allies withdrew.
Norwegian government-in-exile: The Norwegian government that operated from London during the German occupation. The government’s escape preserved Norway’s Allied allegiance after the military campaign ended.
Battle of Dombås: A five-day battle in April 1940 between German airborne troops and Norwegian forces at Dombås. It showed how airborne landings could disrupt Norwegian mobilization far behind the front.

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