Reichskommissariat Norwegen

Reichskommissariat Norwegen was the civilian occupation regime established by Nazi Germany in Norway during the Second World War. It was created following the successful Operation Weserübung in April 1940 and was headed by the fanatical Gauleiter Josef Terboven, who reported directly to Adolf Hitler. The regime existed in parallel with a German military command under Generaloberst Nikolaus von Falkenhorst and sought to integrate Norway into the Greater Germanic Reich through a combination of brutal repression and political collaboration.

Establishment and administration

The administration was formally established on 24 April 1940, with Josef Terboven appointed as Reichskommissar by Adolf Hitler, superseding the initial military authority of General Nikolaus von Falkenhorst. Terboven's headquarters were in the Royal Palace, Oslo, and he ruled through a structure of thirteen regional Kommissariats headed by German officials, while the existing Norwegian civil service was largely coerced into continuing its functions. Key supporting institutions included the collaborationist Nasjonal Samling party led by Vidkun Quisling, whose attempt to seize power in April 1940 was initially rebuffed by the Wehrmacht but who later served as Minister President from 1942. The German security apparatus, including the Gestapo, Sicherheitsdienst, and SS under Heinrich Fehlis, operated with sweeping powers to enforce Nazi rule.

German occupation policies

Policies were driven by Nazi racial ideology and strategic imperatives, treating Norwegians as Germanic and thus subject to Germanization. The SS and Reichskommissariat für die Festigung deutschen Volkstums, led by Heinrich Himmler, planned extensive colonization, while the Lebensborn program encouraged relationships between German soldiers and Norwegian women. Severe repression was meted out by the Gestapo and Sicherheitsdienst, with martial law imposed in Trondheim and other areas, and the execution of hostages following acts of resistance. The regime also enforced anti-Jewish measures, culminating in the deportation of over 700 Norwegian Jews to Auschwitz concentration camp via the SS Donau in 1942, an operation coordinated with the Norwegian police.

Collaboration and resistance

The occupation was characterized by a complex interplay between active collaboration and growing resistance. Vidkun Quisling's Nasjonal Samling party provided administrative support, and units like the Norwegian Legion fought alongside the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front. Conversely, a broad Norwegian resistance movement emerged, encompassing civil disobedience by the Church of Norway, covert intelligence networks like XU, and militant actions by the Milorg paramilitary organization, supported by the British Special Operations Executive. Key events included the Telavåg tragedy in 1942 and the Heavy water sabotage at Vemork, which significantly hampered the German nuclear weapon project. The resistance also sustained an exiled government in London under King Haakon VII and Johan Nygaardsvold.

Economic exploitation

The German war machine systematically exploited Norwegian resources and industrial capacity under the direction of the Four Year Plan office. Critical materials included iron ore from Kiruna transported via the Port of Narvik, aluminium from plants like Norsk Hydro, and ferroalloy production. The massive construction of U-boat bases and coastal fortifications as part of the Atlantic Wall consumed vast local materials and labor, the latter often supplied through compulsory work service. Agricultural and fisheries output was directed to supply the 400,000-strong Wehrmacht garrison, leading to severe shortages and the implementation of a strict rationing system for the civilian population, managed by the Norwegian administration under duress.

Dissolution and aftermath

The regime collapsed with the unconditional surrender of all German forces in Norway on 8 May 1945, following the death of Adolf Hitler and the general capitulation negotiated at Reims. Josef Terboven committed suicide by detonating explosives in his bunker at Skaugum, while Vidkun Quisling surrendered to the resistance and was later tried and executed for treason and war crimes. The legal purge in Norway after World War II saw over 90,000 cases investigated, resulting in numerous prison sentences and 25 executions for treason. The occupation left a profound legacy on Norwegian society, politics, and national identity, cementing a strong commitment to internationalism and defense, which later found expression in membership in NATO and the founding of the United Nations.

Category:Reichskommissariats Category:Norway in World War II Category:States and territories established in 1940 Category:States and territories disestablished in 1945