1 February 1942 was appointed Vidkun Quisling as Minister-President of Norway. For many decades, the name of this man has become synonymous with collaborationism, betrayal of his own people and their interests. Meanwhile, the activities of Quisling, who headed the Norwegian government during the Nazi occupation, became a logical consequence of its ideological evolution. Quisling was at the highest state posts in Norway long before the country was occupied by the Wehrmacht, and even then he did not hesitate to express sympathy for the Nazi ideology, and then for Adolf Hitler.
As is known, in the second half of the XIX century, the Scandinavian countries came to the conclusion that it was desirable to maintain neutrality during the conflicts of world powers. Denmark, Sweden and Norway did not take part in the First World War, which made it possible to avoid negative consequences for the economy and demography. After World War I, Norway also focused on maintaining neutrality. Even immediately before the start of World War II, the Norwegian leadership hoped that the country would be able to maintain neutrality. Although among the part of the Norwegian elite Germanophile sentiments were strong, but in spite of them, the country hoped to avoid participation in the war. Moreover, Norway also had developed economic and political relations with Great Britain.
Norway was of strategic interest to Germany. Firstly, Berlin hoped to gain access to the country's non-freezing ports, which would allow it to enter the Arctic Ocean. For a war against Great Britain, and in the long run the Soviet Union, this would be an invaluable gain. Secondly, Germany would have the opportunity to freely export iron ore from Sweden, demanded by the military industry of the Third Reich.
Hitler feared that if Germany did not send troops into the territory of Norway, then sooner or later the forces of the Anglo-French coalition would land in this northern country - and then plans to ensure access to the northern ports would not be accomplished. In addition, at the end of 1939, the United Kingdom began to put pressure on Norway to practically close the channels of Norwegian exports to Germany. The Norwegian government, forced to submit to British pressure, thus questioned the neutrality of Norway - it turned out that the country is fulfilling the will of one of the participants in the anti-Hitler coalition.
Adolf Hitler decided on an armed invasion of Scandinavia with the aim of capturing Denmark and Norway. One of the decisive roles in persuading the Führer to send the German armed forces to the Scandinavian countries was played by the Commander-in-Chief Kriegsmarine, Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, who was well aware that access to the Norwegian ports would greatly enhance the power of the German fleet. On April 9, 1940, the Danish-Norwegian operation or Operation Weserubung began. Despite the fierce resistance that the Norwegian army and Allied forces showed to the Germans - British, French and Polish formations aimed at helping Norway, Germany won. Between June 3 and 8, 1940, the last units of the Allies were evacuated from Norway, and on June 16, 1940, the Germans occupied the entire territory of Norway.
Another 19 on April 1940 was created by the Reichskommissariat Norway, headed by Obergruppenführer SA Joseph Terbovin (1898-1945), the former chief president of the Rhine Province, a veteran of the First World War and a member of the Nazi Party from 1923 of the year. The occupation of the country by the Nazis caused a negative reaction from the vast majority of Norwegians. After the war, historians will be able to get a rough idea of how many Norwegians still supported the occupation. It was possible to establish that the Nazis supported no more than 10% of the Norwegian population. Anti-Hitler demonstrations periodically took place in the country, ending with the intervention of the police; there were underground groups operating. Nevertheless, the Hitlerite leadership did not lose hope for the "pacification" of the Norwegians. The main instrument of this “pacification” was the Norwegian collaborators, primarily concentrated in the National Unity party. She was created in 1933 by the Norwegian politician Vidkun Quisling.
Despite the negative image that remained forever in the European stories, Vidkun Quisling was an outstanding man with an interesting biography. He was born on July 18 1887 in the family of pastor and writer Young Quisling. The Quisling family was very wealthy and enjoyed great influence in the Telemark district. Then the family moved to Skien, where Quisling - the father took the position of senior pastor of the city. Vidkun Quisling did well in school and would probably associate himself with scientific activities, but then the young man’s priorities changed. In 1905, he entered the Norwegian Military Academy, deciding to become a professional military. In 1906, Quisling transferred to the Norwegian Military College and graduated from this educational institution in 1911, with the best results for the entire nearly century-long history of the college. After completing his studies, Quisling, as the best graduate, was assigned to the General Headquarters of the Norwegian Army. In March 1918, he was assigned to Soviet Russia - to Petrograd, as a military attache of the Norwegian diplomatic mission. Such an appointment was not an accident. By this time, Quisling had specialized in the study of Russia for five years. However, his stay in Russia was not very long - already in December 1918, Quisling, together with the diplomatic mission, returned to Norway, where he continued to serve in headquarters as a military expert on Russia. In 1919, Quisling, as an intelligence officer, was assigned to a diplomatic mission in Finland, where he served until the 1921 year. Then Quisling again visited Russia - this time as part of the humanitarian mission of the League of Nations in Kharkov. In August 1922, he married a Russian girl, Alexander Andreyevna Voronina. However, a year later, during the next business trip to Russia, the 35-year-old Norwegian officer found a new passion - 25-year-old Maria Vasilyevna Pasechnikova.
Returning to Norway, Quisling engaged in revolutionary activities, which was very atypical for a man of his social status, especially a military intelligence officer. However, most likely, in that period of life, the communist ideas most closely corresponded to the personal ideological position of Quisling himself, who was impressed by the successes of Soviet Russia. At this time, Quisling even suggested that the Norwegian socialists take the lead in creating the "workers' guard" detachments. However, the leaders of the Workers' Party of Norway reacted to the strange officer with great concern. They found him a provocateur and accused of working for British intelligence, refusing to cooperate with Quisling.
In 1926-1927 He again worked in Russia - this time, in Moscow. Since Norway at that time represented the interests of Great Britain in Soviet Russia, Quisling performed intermediary functions between the Soviet authorities and the British. He returned to his homeland only in the 1929 year - in complete disillusion with the changed policy of the Soviet authorities. However, from Russia Quisling brought conviction in the need for fundamental changes in the political system of Norway. He decided to establish his own political party, the organizational structure of which largely used the experience of the Bolsheviks. This is how the Norwegian Action appeared - Norsk Aktion. In addition, Quisling participated in meetings of a group of senior officers of the Norwegian army and businessmen who were in right-wing positions. In 1930, Quisling and his long-time acquaintance, entrepreneur Frederick Pryts, organized the Nordisk folkereisning i Norge movement - “The Scandinavian People's Sunrise in Norway”. In May 1931, Vidkun Quisling was appointed Minister of Defense of Norway in the government of Peder Kolstad. In this post, Quisling actively intervened in matters of domestic policy, in particular, he organized the persecution of leaders of the Norwegian radical trade unions. After the death of Kolstad, Quisling retained the post of minister of war in the government of Jens Hundesade. Only in 1933, he resigned, taking up the issues of building the National Unity party.
The party, created by Quisling, shared nationalist ideas and tried to reproduce ideology of German Nazism on Norwegian soil, speculating on Norse mythology and Aryan identity of Norse people. However, these ideas never became popular in Norwegian society. In the parliamentary elections in October 1933, the National Unity suffered a crushing defeat, receiving an 2,2% vote. The party could not even join the Norwegian parliament. Even more impressive was the failure in the communal elections of 1937 of the year, where the “National Unity” received 0,06% of the vote.
However, Quisling himself, despite the political failures of his party, continued to work on the formation of Norwegian nationalist ideology, which he saw as a synthesis of Italian fascism and German Nazism. But, unlike the Italian fascists, Quisling was distinguished by extreme anti-Semitism and tried to interpret all the events of world politics on the basis of Judeophobic conspiracy theory. Quisling's similar views caused rejection even in the more or less sensible part of the Norwegian far right. In the 1939 year, on the eve of the start of World War II, Quisling called for an increase in defense spending, explaining this by the need to "defend neutrality." At the same time, he argued that if the USSR and Great Britain oppose Germany and would not leave Norway with the possibility of maintaining neutrality, Oslo should take the side of Berlin. When German troops invaded Norway, Quisling on the Norwegian radio announced the transfer of power in the country into their own hands and formed a pro-German government, which existed, however, only five days.
Moreover, the decision to dissolve the Quisling government was then made by Adolf Hitler himself - for reasons of preserving the prestige of the occupation authorities, since Quisling did not enjoy the support of even a small part of the Norwegian population. Nevertheless, Quisling did not get tired of demonstrating full loyalty to the Nazis. In the end, 1 February 1942, he was appointed to the post of Minister-President of Norway. So Quisling became the "förr" of Norway. In fact, the Reichskommissar Joseph Terboven (in the photo) had real power in the country, and Quisling personified the imaginary solidarity of the Norwegian people with the Nazi occupiers. Quisling’s three-year rule was accompanied by the following decisions, which caused real hatred on the part of the Norwegians. First, concentration camps were established, in which the oppositionists were imprisoned, primarily from among the Communists and Socialists, as well as Jews. Secondly, “National Unity” was proclaimed the only political party in Norway. In October 1942, Quisling banned the entry of people of Jewish nationality into Norway. During the autumn - winter 1942-1943. almost half of Norwegian Jews were deported to concentration camps. Since anti-Semitism before Quisling was practically not developed in Norway, even Norwegians far from politics perceived this decision of Quisling and his supporters as a real crime. The country began acts of disobedience and civil contempt towards members of the Quisling Party.
In August, 1943, the Quisling government declared war on the Soviet Union. More than 70 of thousands of Norwegian citizens were mobilized on the Eastern Front, however, mobilization turned out to be torn down - there was a massive desertion in the Norwegian parts, and draftees evaded mobilization. However, about 6 thousands of Norwegians participated in the war against the USSR. It should be noted that there were also volunteers who were part of the 1 of the Legion of the SS “Norway” created by 1941 August XNUMX.
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany ended on May 8 of the year 1945. On the same day, the Reich Commissar of Norway, Obergruppenführer Joseph Terboven, and the Supreme Leader of the SS and the Norwegian Police, Obergruppenführer, the SS and Police General Wilhelm Radis, were blown up by a grenade to avoid arrest. The next day, 9 May 1945, Vidkun Quisling was arrested at his residence in Oslo. Unlike Hitler’s officers, Quisling did not commit suicide — obviously, he believed that he could survive. But the former minister-president was accused of treason and put in jail. October 24 1945 of the year 58-year-old Vidkun Quisling was shot at Akershus Fortress.
After the liberation of Norway, a real campaign against traitors and collaborators began in the country. In total, over 28 thousand people were arrested. Among those arrested were thousands of Norwegian women cohabiting with Nazi soldiers and officers during the occupation years. Despite the fact that most of the women were soon released, they were subjected to the strongest public censure. A difficult fate awaited children born from such marriages. At the same time, the minimum number of Norwegians was sentenced to death - only 25 people from among collaborators who collaborated with the Germans.