Operation Weserübung

April 9, 1940 marked the beginning of Germany's assault on Norway during World War II. Norway was important to the Germans for a few reasons. First, the long coastlines were ideal for German launching naval units and U-boats that could weaken the Allied shipping in the North Atlantic. Second, this strategic location would also help Germany secure shipments of iron ore from Sweden, a raw material that Germany was dependent on. The initial invasion of Norway happened in waves. The first group of mountain infantry went to Narvik in Northern Norway. This was an important port since it was the place to secure the shipments of iron ore. The other groups went to Trondheim, Bergen, Kristiansand, Arendal, Egersund, and Oslo. 

Early in the morning on April 9, the leading German ship Blucher reached Oscarsborg Fortress. After two hours of fighting, the ship was unable to make it through Drøbak and sank. With a delayed naval invasion after the sinking, the Norwegian Royal Family, the Cabinet and members of Parliament, along with the national treasury were able to be evacuated. Since the Norwegian king and his legitimate government were never captured, Norway never surrendered to the Germans. This left the Norwegian government-in-exile (based in London) an Allied nation throughout the war. 

The towns of Nybergsund, Elverum, Åndalsnes, Molde, Kristiansund, Steinkjer, Namsos, Bodø, and Narvik were devastated by German bombing with the main German campaign advancing northward from Oslo. On June 7, King Haakon, Crown Prince Olav, and the Cabinet left Tromsø for London. After being denied asylum in her native Sweden, Crown Princess Märtha and her children left Petsamo, Finland to live in exile in the United States. The two months that Norway fought the German invasion was the longest a country has withstood before succumbing. 

Norwegian Resistance Movement, 1940-1945

The Norwegian resistance to the occupation of Norway surfaced in several forms. The first was asserting the legitimacy of the Norwegian government-in-exile and implicating the lack of legitimacy of the Vidkun Quisling (Pro-Nazi regime) and Josef Terboven’s military administration. Another form was armed resistance in forms of sabotage, raids, assassinations, and other operations during occupation. The last form of resistance was civil disobedience and unarmed resistance. 

Asserting Legitimacy of Norwegian Government-in-exile
Anticipating German efforts to capture the government, the Storting and Royal family left Oslo for Hamar, and eventually Elverum where an emergency measure was passed to give full authority to the king and cabinet until the Storting could convene again. This gave King Haakon VII constitutional authority to reject Germany's ultimatum. This also undermined Vidkun Quisling's attempt to claim the Norwegian government for himself. 

Armed Resistance
Norwegian spotters aided in the destruction of numerous German warships. Throughout the war, they also smuggled people in and out of the country. To assist with the sabotage campaign, the US sent the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) forces. It was later revealed that Sweden aided the resistance movement with training and equipment in camps along the Norwegian border.