The reconquest of narvik was the first time that the third reich war machine had to be removed from a captured city. Between april and june 1940, german forces totalling less than 20,000 men seized norway, a state of 3 million people, for minimal losses. Since neutrons traveling through heavy water split atoms more efficiently, less uranium should be needed to achieve a critical mass. These forces would break through enemy defenses along a narrow front. On april 9, 1940, german troops invaded the country and quickly occupied oslo, bergen, trondheim, and narvik. How jan baalsrud escaped the nazis and became a norwegian folk hero. Scandinavia wwii books on the war in norway, denmark. Hm sm oxley, lost september 1939 navy photos, click to enlarge return to campaigns of world war 2. Australians in the great war provides a strong insight into both australias role in world war one and life on the home front. The first thing to praise is the great wealth of material and differing viewpoints that faulks and wolf provide. Yes, these two countries did see norway as a strategic stopping place from which they could open up a northern german front. Fiction all the light we cannot see by anthony doerr all the light we cannot see is about a blind french girl and a german boy whose paths collide in occupied france as both try to survive the devastation of world war ii. Norway has both administrative and political subdivisions on two levels. Yet this way of looking at norways world war ii past has in fact persisted well into our time.
There are many interesting stories from norway during the second world war, from the successful sabotage known as the heavy water war to the destruction of most cities in northern norway this article provides the basic information on norway s role as an occupied country that fought back and rebuilt their nation to become one of the wealthiest and most socially equal countries today. These books are for anybody interested in these time periods whether you are a beginner, an avid reader, or a history buff like myself. From actionpacked eyewitness accounts such as guadalcanal diary to devastating holocaust memoirs like the diary of anne frank and night to the thrilling espionage tale of operation mincemeat, world war ii is the subject of some of the most fascinating and influential nonfiction books ever written each year, seemingly dozens of new titles emerge to offer fresh. See more ideas about world war two, wwii and norway. The novel contains several references to the occupation of oslo, the battles at narvik and. Norway in the first world war 45 by the military that germanys war strategy included an attack on norway. A world war ii story of survival, resilience, and redemption is a 2010 nonfiction book by laura hillenbrand.
Norway has been involved in several wars, and its first military force is as old as the country itself. It made me think about what its like to be evacuated and i. Norway military records genealogy familysearch wiki. The norwegian government rejected the german ultimatum regarding immediate capitulation. Children of shame norways dark secret culture arts. It appears to have been occupied in world war 2, maybe by a member of the milorg resistance. The norwegian army, which received help from an allied. He begins wwii as a courier between stockholm and oslo, gets caught by the swedes, imprisoned, and. World war ii was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. From brutal battle of the world war ii to present day fascinating world history episode by historyepisode 6 sep 2019 2. This brand new book, covering an area of world war 2 seldom looked at in detail before, is a study of the campaign waged by the german army on the northern periphery of europe between 1940 and 1945. The danish king christian iv decided in 1628 that a norwegian army was to be reestablished.
Claim your free wwii commemorative silver medal here. Two of americas leading defence experts, p w singer and august cole, turned to science fiction to explore the prospect of a future war, and how existing technology might be used in one. Half the norwegian fleet was sunk and 2,000 seamen were killed by the german atlantic uboat campaign. The german occupation of norway during world war ii began on 9 april 1940 after german forces invaded the neutral scandinavian country of norway. The campaign in norway by tk derry imperial war museum, 1985 narvik, battles in the fjords by.
The norwegian campaign was an attempted allied occupation of northern norway, during the early stages of world war ii. Quotes went on to become an important part of the war in the years following, particularly to those of us today who have become students of the conflict, for they give us a glimpse of the characters within. In the late middle ages the military was dissolved. On april 9, 1940, germany simultaneously invaded norway and occupied denmark. With the german invaders in norway, and the countrys government in exile in britain, many thousands of valiant norwegians refused. Recalling the day that war broke out this week marks the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of world war ii on september 3 1939, when britain and france declared war on germany. Unfortunately, things go horribly awry, and baalsrud, the only surviving member of. Letters, diaries and memories of the great war is a collection of writings edited by sebastian faulks and hope wolf that focus on personal experiences of those who lived through and endured world war i. Incredible secret world war 2 room found in norway house. British plans for landings on the norwegian coast in the third week of march 1940 were temporarily postponed. World war ii historical fiction, historical fiction.
The battle of narvik saw norways toughest fight in world war ii. With the outbreak of hostilities in 1939, norway again declared itself neutral. A world war ii mystery billy boyle world war ii mystery book 1 by james r. During world war ii, william would join the united states navy and earned a purple heart while serving his new country. Broken angels tells the story of three individuals elsi, willam, and mathilde possibly spelled wrong because i listened to this so im not sure brought together by circumstances of wwii. Battles in the fjords classics of naval literature.
The norwegian army, which received help from an allied expeditionary force, was. Norway during world war ii the norfolk library book group. P w singer and august cole choose the best books on world war iii. When hitler invaded other territories, the leaders of those countries succumbed to hitlers rising power. University of oslo historian synne corell in a 2010 book based on her. Recently were also covering the civil war, korean and vietnam war war and more recent wars. Set in the rural french farmland and forest west of verdun, this world war ii story is filled with intrigue, action, and romance. All the light we cannot see by anthony doerr, the book thief by markus zusak, lilac girls by martha hall kelly, we. After years of keeping a lid on one of its most scandalous secrets, the norwegian government now faces a. Elsi is a halfjewish teenager living in a ghetto in poland, willam is a nazi doctor, and mathilde is a romanian child taken from her home and placed. Throughout this period, norway was continuously occupied by the wehrmacht. Against a backdrop of book recommendations, five books editor sophie roell reflects on family members lost, and those who survived. Rising to power in an unstable germany, adolf hitler and his national socialist nazi. Incredible secret world war 2 room found in norway house photos in norway, the owners of a home found a secret room.
I thought id try and write about at least one that may not be mentioned by others. But norway and great britain had been on tenuous terms for decades. Two years later, a movie based on the book, ni liv nine lives, was nominated for. Contributing to this situation was its access to a crucial ingredient, heavy water, found in great abundance at a fortresslike factory in occupied norway.
Hitlers boldest operation campaign campaign in norway history of the second world war. Nearly 7,500 norwegian soldiers participated in the battle, along with the british, french and polish troops. World war 2 produced a variety of household names, from world leaders and generals to important political players and individual soldiers. This second global conflict resulted from the rise of totalitarian, militaristic regimes in germany, italy, and japan, a phenomenon stemming in part from the great depression that swept over the world in the early 1930s and from the conditions created by the peace settlements 191920 following world war i. Assault in norway is the classic account of a legendary raid on the nazi war program. By 1942 germany had a seemingly insurmountable lead over the allies in developing an atomic bomb. Prime minister neville chamberlain, however, was by that time convinced that some aggressive action ought to be taken.
During the winter war the norwegian authorities secretly broke the countrys own. Norway was united with denmark from the 14th century until 1814 and to sweden from 1814 to 1905. The german campaigns in norway, finland, and the ussr 19401945 hitlers northern war. Descriptions come from publisher copy on goodreads. Conventional armed resistance to the german invasion ended on 10 june 1940 and nazi germany controlled norway until the capitulation of german forces in europe on 89 may 1945. Best childrens books about world war ii 19391945 young readers are fascinated with world war ii, but teachers and parents have a hard time finding books to recommend. The dark sides of norwegian history sindre bangstad. With major ports on the north sea and trade routes through the norwegian leads the country became of strategic importance during the early stages of the second world war. Inside the daring mission that thwarted a nazi atomic bomb. Books about norway in world war ii 0 norway 1940 world war ii hitlers preemptive war. Former deputy sheriff eddy craig right to travel traffic stop script washington state law duration. Norway tony romella usn wwii series book 3 by peter j. The germans invaded norway on april 9, 1940, on the pretext that the country was about to be bullied or even overrun by british and french forces.
How a sneak attack by norways skiing soldiers deprived the nazis. Broken record world war ii was the most disastrous war to date. List of books and articles about world war ii online. What are the best childrens books on the second world war. This was the beginning of a permanent norwegian army.
As any nation directly involved in the war, we have our fair share of heroes. Learn about world war ii and the norwegian campaign nazi germanys 62day invasion of norway during a fullday exploration of oslo. The luftwaffes illfated campaign, 19401945 bf 109de aces 19391941 osprey aircraft of the aces no 11. Twilight vi, site member the book that i love most on the second world war is carries war by nina bawden. Unbroken is a biography of world war ii hero louis zamperini, a former olympic track star who survived a plane crash in the pacific theater, spent 47 days drifting on a raft, and then survived more than two and a half years as a prisoner of war pow in three brutal japanese. Norway, including 1940 norwegian campaign in world war 2. By midday on 9 april 1940, the german armed forces had occupied nearly all the airfields and seaplane bases south of narvik, and most of norways semimodem fighters gloster gladiators had been destroyed in the defense of oslo on the opening day of the german invasion. When the nazis captured a heavy water facility in norway, the chemist who helped design the plant took action. Air power prevented the enemy from closing the breach. This is a list of wars involving the kingdom of norway in some capacity, both the modern polity and its predecessor states list unification of norway 860872 conflict combatant 1 combatant 2 results. Trust me this is real, i had to do a report on norway, denmark, sweden, finland, poland, and germany. George orwell s 1984 and world war ii 1178 words bartleby.