THE GERMAN EMPEROR, Wilhelm II, loved to sail along the Norwegian coast before the First World War, but he did not recommend occupation as Hitler did, later. He just loved our mountains and when he came ashore with a gun it was only for grouse-shooting.

Germany planned the occupation of the Norwegian coast in order to establish airports and submarine bases against Britain and to control the important export of iron ore from Sweden through Narvik. Grossadmiral Erich Raeder convinced Hitler of the need for this as a matter of urgency. Vidkun Quisling appeared in Berlin and warned that British forces would soon enter Norway. The German Nazi ideologist, Alfred Rosenberg, had taken an interest in Quisling's movement and invited him to Berlin in June 1939 and again in December when he met Raeder, General Jodl and then Hitler (on 14 and 18 December). The British Navy boarded the German ship Altmark in Norwegian territorial waters on 16 February 1940 and liberated the British sailors held prisoners on board. This episode gave more urgency to the planning of Weserübung, the attack on Norway, led by General Niklaus von Falkenhorst, and on 1 March 1940 Hitler issued the directive for the occupation of Norway and Denmark, the aims were to forestall British action in Scandinavia, to secure the Swedish iron ore for Germany and to give German naval and air forces a favourable attack position against Great Britain.

As early as September 1939 Winston Churchill, then Minister for the Navy, had suggested mining part of the Norwegian coast, but no decision was taken. The Soviet Union's attack on Finland in November complicated the strategic picture and it was not until the beginning of April 1940 that the British navy began to mine the Ofoten Fjord. The mobilization in North Norway only started after the Finnish-Russian conflict. Germany attacked Norway just after midnight on 9 April and quickly occupied Oslo, Bergen, Arendal, Kristiansand S., Egersund, Stavanger, Trondheim and Narvik. The German Embassy in Oslo handed the Foreign Minister Halvdan Koht the ultimatum demanding acceptance of German military and administrative occupation of Norway. The request was unanimously rejected by the government. King Haakon VII was informed and agreed.