From: arneberg@lioth.cs.adfa.oz.au (Bjorn Arne Berge)
Subject: Norwegian WWII history (Was: Re: Aaland and Finnish Independence)
Followup-To: soc.culture.nordic 
Organization: Australian Defence Force Academy
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 23:12:05 GMT

In article <1992Nov6.010700.15898@tdb.uu.se>, t88swa@tdb.uu.se (Sven Wallman) writes:
|> Martin Minow (minow@apple.com) wrote:
|> : Note that Norway was an ally of the Soviet Union during World War II. As
|> : part of NATO (or whatever preceeded it in the late 1940's), any attempt
|> : of the Soviet Union to occupy Norway directly after the war would quite
|> : possibly have led to nuclear war (with only one side having the bomb at
|> : that time).
|> 
|> Norway allied to the Soviet Union? Norway part of NATO (or some equivalent)
|> during world war II? I think the Soviet Union would have had problems occupying
|> Norway directly after the war since there were some German soldiers there.
|> I am sure some Norwegian will tell us more about this alliance.

First of all, it is really amazing to read some peoples knowledge of close history...

During World War II Norway was occupied by Germany (from 9th of April 1940 to
8th of May 1945). To claim that Norway, a totally occupied country, was allied
to the Soviet Union might be looked upon as a fact, provided that you look upon
all countries, either occupied by, or fighting against, Germany(Italy & Japan)
as allied to the Soviet Union (*after* Hitler decided to try to fight Stalin/
the Soviet Union). It is also a fact that Norwegian merchant ships were used
in the great convoys to Murmansk during the war. Does this make Norway allied
to the Soviet Union??

In the end of the war, the Red Army drove the Germans back from the Northern
part of Norway, and the German soldiers burned all the buildings and forced 
the people to move South. When the war was over, the Red Army withdrew their
forces - and Norway was still Norway. It is an opinion that the Red Army withdrew
because of the aid work of Fridtjof Nansen against the Soviets after WWI - a work
that saved a lot of Soviets from starvation and death. (Minor point: Nansen's 
"right hand/secretary" was Vidkun Quisling....). 

NATO didn't excist in 1945, and the Soviet Union didn't look upon Norway 
as an enemy, and they had no reason to claim any parts of Norway. (It is a 
fact though, that Norwegian volunteers went to Finland and fought against the
Soviet Union during the "Winter War"  - the Winter of 1939). (And I also know 
that some Norwegians fought WITH Germany on the Eastern Front (with Finland...)
- but there will always be people belonging to the wrong side during a war...)

This is written out of my memory - but I think the "lines" are correct..:-)
Hopefully others will fill in details if necessary - there are few sources
about Norwegian WWII history down here in Australia....:-)

           ========================================================
           Bjorn Arne Berge                   |  "Scouts do it    |
	   arneberg@SPARCserve.cs.adfa.oz.au  |   in the bush.."  |
           "Blant alle lande i ost og vest,   |-------------------|
	    er fedrelandet mitt hjerte nest"  | "Join the ....."  |
           ========================================================





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