Did Germany attack Norway in World War 2?

Answer 1

Immediately after the outbreak of war in September 1939, Norway, jointly with Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, announced its neutrality. In that action the Scandinavian states were following a policy they had adhered to consistently, if not always with complete success, since the middle of the nineteenth century. Germany, for its part, on 2 September 1939 presented a note in Oslo in which it declared its intention to respect the territorial integrity of Norway under all circumstances but warned that it expected the Norwegian Government to maintain an irreproachable neutrality and that it would not tolerate an infringement of that neutrality by a third power. A month later, on 9 October, in a secret memorandum on the conduct of the war, Hitler stated that the neutrality of the "Nordic States" was to be assumed for the future and that a continuation of German trade with those countries appeared possible even in a war of long duration. [2]

With due allowance for Hitler's tendency to play by ear, it can be said that the German interest in Norwegian neutrality at the beginning of the war was sincere. For Germany the advantages were substantial. Of the approximately six million tons of Swedish magnetite iron ore which Germany imported annually, about half passed through the Norwegian ice-free port of Narvik. (See Map 1.) From Narvik, as long as Norway remained neutral, ore ships could travel safely in the Leads, the passage inside the numberless islands fringing the Norwegian west coast. The Leads also made it much more costly and difficult to blockade Germany since blockade runners could steam up the long Norwegian coast and break out above the Arctic Circle in waters difficult to patrol. Consequently, in wartime the neutrality of Norway was a significant German asset, one which the British could be trusted not to overlook.

Passive exploitation of Norway's neutrality did not exhaust the German strategic interests in the Norwegian area. After World War I an opinion had developed in the German naval command which held that if the German Fleet had had bases in Norway and had not been bottled up in the North Sea that war might have gone differently for the Navy. It was a return to this line of thought which brought forward a proposal for a shift to more aggressive action in Norway.

In the last week of September 1939, with the campaign against Poland drawing rapidly to a successful conclusion, Hitler and the Commander in Chief, Navy, Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, began casting about for measures to be adopted in case the war against Great.

So yes, I think that is why.

For the minerals - iron and ports for their ships. Also to prevent the British obtaining them.

Answer 2

Yes, the Red Army did enter Norway in the northern most region of Finnmark during October of 1944. The Soviets were relieved of command in Finnmark during November of 44 by the Norwegian Army.

Before you or anyone else asks the obvious question of how did Norway field troops while occupied? They trained exiled Norwegians in both neutral Sweden and Great Britain for this scenario.

Answer 3

Denmark: The invasion of Denmark would create a staging area for operations in Norway. Furthermore, having control of Denmark would secure the Baltic Sea for Germany and the Soviet Union (Germany had an alliance with the Soviet Union). Plus, Denmark was a Nordic country and was meant to show the benefits of being a German protectorate.

Norway: Hitler was worried that Britain would intrude on Norwegian neutrality to mine the North Sea and control of Norway would create an easy route for Swedish iron ore.

Answer 4

Norway was invaded in April 1940. Fighting continued till June 1940.
Yes.

Answer 5

Germany invaded both Denmark and Norway on April 9th 1940.

Denmark surrendered immediately, while Norway fought for two months, finally having to give in for Germany's superior force.

Answer 6

Yes in 1940