Академический Документы
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Культура Документы
2 Scandinavian Neutrality
3 Norway prior to World War 1
4 Norwegians in World War 1
5 The term "The Neutral Ally"
6 Neutral Norway is offered German East Africa in the treaty of Versailles
7 Conditions in Norway during the War
8 Bergen Fire of 1916
9 Fridjof Nansen
10 What Professor Aarebrot had to say
11 The Norwegian Merchant Fleet and the Great War
12 More general information Norway&WW1
13 Norwegian Volunteers
14 Labour time / working time (Jobbetid on norwegian)
15 Drbak sound mined under World War 1
16 From the book History of Norway
17 The Defense of Norway anno WW1
18 Norwegian press during the Great War
1) Kaiser Wilhelm in Norway [source: the book KEISER WILHELM I NORGE by Svein Skotheim]
For 23 years the German Kaiser Wilhelm II visited Norway with his stately kaiser yacht
"Hohenzollern", often in the tip of a great german fleet. Wilhelm was deepy fascinated by Vikings
and the Norse Culture. When he became emperor, the North Germanic world and the saga heroes
homeland was a natural destination. The Kaiser loved the tranquility and the life of the simple
norwegian people, and the excursions to the Norwegian fjords was a dear break from the duties of a
Kaiser which loved art and culture, social life and nature.
German War ships were always with him on the "Nordlandfahrt" trips to Norway, and could be up to
25 ships. With a staff of 300 people and up to 1,000 naval sailors arrayed when they were in the land
visiting villages, it made a indelible impression on the local population. Under Kaiser Wilhelms four
days long visit to Christiania (Today called Oslo) in 1890 there was a huge parade through the city, a
simmilar parade has only been matched in 1945 when King Haakon VII returned after Norway was
liberated. Back then people would gladly pay a month's sallary just to watch from the window.
But the Kaiser ment more to the people then just fancy cool and imperial stuff. The many visits also
caused that the Norwegians became better known with the Kaiser then the union king, Oscar. Little
Norway received distinguished visits, and in a time of growing national consciousness, the Kaisers
visit created great excitement and a happy combination of entertainment and national feeling: It
was their country the German Kaiser visited. With highlighting Norway as a own country and with it's
own capital and a proud people, Wilhelm played a part Probably without knowing it himself in
Norway's liberation from Sweden in 1905.
Wilhelm also showed himself as a true friend of Norway when the city lesund burned to the ground
in 1904. One day after the fire started, 3 ships was on their way from Germany with doctors,
blankets, food and medicines. The Kaiser himself came to the city the next summer, he was recieved
as a hero. And if there were more who participated with help and rebuilding the city, the city still
bares a mark from former actionable benefactors with their Keiser Wilhelms street, Imperial Control,
Imperial Bar and imperial rolls.
The stately Nordlandfahrt trips to Norway reached a dramatic stop when Hohenzollern weighed
anchor the 25. July in 1941 in Balestrand in the Sogne fjord, it was only 30 minutes before Serbia
answered Austria's ultimatum. The Great War had begun. Wilhem never came back to Norway. In
total he spent over four years on board.
From his visit to Oslo in 1890:
http://dms04.dimu.org/image/022sAXqwXegS?dimension=1200x1200
http://dms01.dimu.org/image/032sC2NwjxjZ
http://dms04.dimu.org/image/042sAYQgfnkc
Kaiser Wilhem II of Germany and King Haakon VII of Norway in the last picture the third person is
Queen Maud:
http://learnlearn.net/Europa2/res/Default/ESS_PasteBitmap0014115.png
https://gfx.nrk.no/erVLri5erHE6KkR-IDAclwSt6tPgDwY-0zjQD16mTC-Q
http://fosse-hohenzollern.no/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Keiser-Wilhelm-II-and-King-Haakon-VIIof-Norway.jpg
http://img.nrk.no/img/181137.jpeg
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2505/3983534464_4ff33eec24_b.jpg
From the unveiling of the statue of the Viking Hero Fridjof which the Kaiser had built:
https://gfx.nrk.no/OzlJRLxL_duw5EQq6rQFCwmSrQtCkUw0Vj9LuosnoPcg
http://www.sffarkiv.no/webdb/fileStream.aspx?fileName=dbfoto%5CSFFf1994296%5Ckvalitet2%5CSFFf-1994296.0021.jpg
It was organized boat race competition when Kaiser Wilhelm II visited, and it doesn't seem like he
mind at all, hehe.
https://gfx.nrk.no/ApPx1uEK0ooz4aIbEM0c9g0zkniFTZiMFu5GDcku4WlQ
The only video footage i found:
https://www.nrk.no/sognogfjordane/fann-biletskatt-i-gamle-album-1.8018074
Other pictures from his trips:
https://gfx.nrk.no/964WzpjDEPo49Z9GcfQb5gelTIhBUi7fFIASvVxAu5Yw
http://img.nrk.no/img/181207.jpeg
http://img.nrk.no/img/181346.jpeg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t8oS45uHcpM/Tt_pTbs6RI/AAAAAAAACYg/KqFpNUPYzIM/s1600/Wilhelm+i+sognefjorden.jpg
http://www.hansakontoret.no/arkiv/pages/artikkelbilder/puddefj_hohenz.jpg
http://forskning.no/sites/forskning.no/files/keiser-wilhelm.jpg
http://g.api.no/obscura/API/dynamic/r1/escenic/tr_800_487_l_f/0000/archive/04074/3049641422
_4074236a.jpg?chk=F36CBE
http://www.smp.no/frapapir/article9001273.ece/ALTERNATES/w980-default/nyh10keiserwilhelm1904.jpg
http://fosse-hohenzollern.no/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/cropped-800pxYacht_Hohenzollern_1906.jpg
lesund before the fire:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%85lesund_Fire#/media/File:General_view,_Alesund,_Norway.jp
g
2)
The meeting between the 3 scandinavian monarchs which paved the way for a common
scandinavian politic about neutrality that you mentioned in the video about Sweden is also relevant.
3) Norway prior to World War 1 [Source: mainly the Norwegian wikipedia article "Norge under frste
verdenskrig"]
Norway was once again independent after over 500 years of Union in 1905, but even in the following
years the country didn't really promote any independent foreign policy. First and foremost aim was
to ensure Norway's independence and avoid foreign policy difficulties. for example, the norwegian
government decided to stay out of the North Sea Treaty, even when this directly concerned
Norway's interests. But during the second Morocco crisis in 1911 it was clear that even secluded
Norway could be drawn into great power politics. When Britain's Finance Minister Lloyd George
during the crisis directed a powerful warning against Germany, the German high sea fleet
unexpectedly drew into the Norwegian fjords. These events made it clear that Norway's neutrality
could come to be violated if war broke out. Moreover, it became clear that one could risk that
supplies from abroad could be interrupted. Norway was in fact extremely dependent on supplies
from abroad, especially grain and coal. The Norwegian military thus explained the necessity of
upgrading the Norwegian defense. In the last years before the outbreak of war there were also
driven some agitation in the press for a strengthening of the defense. Parliament allocated money
for the purchase of two new armored ships, and in spring 1914 the term of service for conscripts
extended from six months to one year. Although certain voices warned of a coming war between the
great powers in Europe, the mood among most people were pretty optimistic until just days before
the war. Also Prime Minister Gunnar Knudsen, who had formed his second government in 1913,
meant that the foreign sky was cloudless, as he pointed out in a famous speech in February 1914
and when the war first broke out, most people tought that it could impossibly come to last long.
"Currently, the political sky world is cloudless to a degree that has not been the case for many years"
-Prime Minister Gunnar Knudsen, Feb. 1914. He would be the prime minister of Norway for the
entire War.
On the other hand, Norway also did rather well echonomicly there was a 4% continual economic
increase. in 1917 the production of norway was 80% more then in 1905. due to "Norsk Hydro"
foreign capital, and power development among other things. One of the individuals in norway who
also found fortune due to world war 1 was Nils Waltersen Aasens, the inventor of the modern hand
grenade and land mine. He made a fortune during World War 1 and even managaed to sell
grenades to the Pope [source:
http://www.klikk.no/produkthjemmesider/vimenn/article924445.ece]
Nils Waltersen Aasens:
http://www.klikk.no/incoming/img-1316479/ALTERNATES/LANDSCAPE_2_1_960/img-6191136300001.jpg
http://www.klikk.no/incoming/img-1316491/alternates/FREE_320/img673%20copy.jpg
http://www.lexpev.nl/images/schrapnellminea.jpg
http://www.lexpev.nl/images/mle1915aasendoorsnede.jpg
The summer of 1914 was mostly remembered for the good weather. and the 100 year anniversery of
the Norwegian constitution, a jubleum which was celebrated with a major exhibition at Frogner in
Christiania (Oslo). In July there was a great regatta on Christiania Fjord.
The constitutional anniversery of 1914 and the first bananas arriving in Norway in 1905:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSuxBR6TtwI
http://ap.mnocdn.no/images/b5fa6b6b-0c0e-4e23-b1eed4e039017584?fit=crop&h=810&q=80&w=1440
Prime Minister Knudsen and neutrality guards on duty in Trndelag during the great war:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Gunnar_Knudsen_02.jpg/220pxGunnar_Knudsen_02.jpg
http://www.kildenett.no/portal/imagearchive/FTTF.041335.jpg
A simmilar neutrality guard stationed in Kristiansand:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/SAKR-D0826-008.jpg
4) Norwegians in World War 1 [source norgeshistorie.no a branch of the university in oslo and
https://deukjentekrigerne.wordpress.com/]
The state Norway did not participate in World War 1. However thousands of Norwegians did.
Between 14 000 and 16 000 Norwegian born men and woman, mostly norwegian-americans,
participated in world war 1, most of them on the allied side. How many of them died, is uncertain,
but it is most likely somewhere between 1000 and 2000 deaths. As thousands of Norwegians took
contact with the government in a pledge for help and since many of them were apart of a bigger
migrant group it became hard for the norwegian government to actually know who were fully
norwegian and born in Norway, both the ability and desire to help norwegians at the front was
variable, due to norway officaly beeing neutral. The consequences were also dire for countless
norwegian families and local communities. Death telegrams from the front came to cities and towns
all over the country. After the war, war pensions and compensation also became apart of the
Norwegian economy. Norwegian hospitals had to treat physical and mentaly injured soldiers, and
also in Norwegian churches lay the graves of fallen soldiers. The norwegian veterans, or
"Frontkjempere" (roughly translated to Front fighters) as they called themselves, were not very
visible in the norwegian society after the war. Alltough the first years the press and media, mostly
local papers were interested in their war experiencies. But that did not last long. The last Norwegian
soldier, Abraham Norin from Krager died in 1986 and the last norwegian participant, the doctor
Henrik Sommerchild, which participated in a field ambulanse died in 1992.
Of these mentioned over 100 were woman, roughly half of them healthcare personel at the
frontline. But many were also in the field, were woman usualy werent allowed they were allowed to
treat woundeds and one in particualar, Arnbjrg Dorphmuus Evjen was highlighted as a hero in a
norwegian-american newspaper. This was not very highlighted because it was not the traditional
"silent" feminine works and tasks. This was before most woman even had the right to vote, in
norway they recieved it in 1913.
One of the most notable Norwegian volunteers of the War was Per Freng Petersen who served in a
australian uniform. After the war, he would be a leader of the Norwegian War Veterans 1914-1918;
Apparently the only War Veterans in the world who accepted members from both sides. the key
members were, according to Petersen, the large community that they had experienced at the front "We are comrades"
Other notable norwegian volunteers were Ivan Holmsen The russian general lieutnant who was born
in Norway, raised in Finland and served in the imperial Russian Army. He came to Norway as a
german prisoner of war in 1917.
https://s1.haugenbok.no/var/forlagshuset_site/storage/images/4/9/7/2/1652794-23-norNO/9788282330169_product_full.jpg
And Tryggve Gran who was the first man to fly over the north sea. and the skiing expert on the
1910-13 Scott Antartic Expedition and a cunning pilot in ww1 in british service (source: all quoted
from english wikipedia article of Tryggve Gran);
When he tried to volunteered for service with the Royal Flying Corps. He was rejected because of
Norway's neutrality. However, the rejection did not stop Gran. Under the identity of "Captain Teddy
Grant" of Canada, he was admitted to the RFC, serving in 1916 with No. 39 Squadron on Home
Defence.
Gran was commissioned into the Royal Flying Corps under his own name as a probationary
temporary second lieutenant on 1 January 1917, confirmed in the rank and appointed a flying officer
on 1 March 1917, and was posted to No. 70 Squadron, flying the Sopwith Camel on the Western
Front.
He was appointed a flight commander on 1 January 1918 with the rank of acting-captain, and in
March his seniority as second lieutenant was backdated to 1 January 1917. Soon after he was
awarded the Military Cross. His citation reading:
T./Capt. Tryggve Gran, Gen. List and R.F.C.
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He bombed enemy aerodromes with great success,
and engaged enemy searchlights, transport and other targets with machine-gun fire. He invariably
showed the greatest determination and resource.
He was promoted to acting-major on 10 September 1918. and commanded various Royal Air Force
units in Arkhangelsk and North Russia During the Allied intervention in 1919. Gran was temporarily
transferred to unemployed list on 26 April 1919, but on 1 August was granted a permanent
commission in the RAF with the rank of captain, however, this was then cancelled on 2 December
1919. Gran finally relinquished his commission on 6 August 1921.
Gran himself claimed to have shot down German ace Hermann Gring in a dogfight on 8 or 9
September 1917. He discovered this when he became acquainted with Gring after the war, and
compared his flight logs with Gring's. It could however not be verified that it was Gran who shot
down Gring's plane.
Tryggve Gran:
http://dms05.dimu.org/image/042sAXjQ3BDM
http://www.forlagsliv.no/generalisten/files/2013/11/Tryggve-Gran-omslag1.jpg
https://gfx.nrk.no/qR7BQx1mTW_tni0HgSUSQANNQTMWRJQbYgPtl0WJk2rg
http://tidsskriftet.no/image/2000/fig200017014.jpg
http://ap.mnocdn.no/images/492a8519-f2c5-4afe-9e00ad8adfa0bb81?fit=crop&h=810&q=80&w=1440
Norwegian health personel during the war
https://www.norgeshistorie.no/bilder/16-forste-verdenskrig-og-mellomkrigstid/1624_b_1.jpg
Translated to "Christiania boy killed under battles in France" this particular man ended up in a
Scottish-Canadian battalion
https://www.norgeshistorie.no/bilder/16-forste-verdenskrig-og-mellomkrigstid/1624_b_3.jpg
Translated to "Norwegian sportsman killed in Belgium"
Footages from Joakim Sveder Bang album about the Norwegian volunteers at the front:
https://deukjentekrigerne.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/aftenposten.png
https://deukjentekrigerne.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/aagot-magnussen.jpg
https://deukjentekrigerne.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/hotell-balkan.png
https://deukjentekrigerne.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/morgenbladet-1929.png
https://deukjentekrigerne.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/dagbladet-werswick.png?w=939&h=813
https://deukjentekrigerne.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/rafa-5032_u1_3-1b.jpg
5) the term "The Neutral Ally"
Norway is at times referred to as "The Neutral Ally". During World War I, while theoretically a
neutral country, British pressure and anti-German sentiment in the population enabled the
government to highly favour Britain in matters concerning the large Norwegian shipping fleet and
vast fish supplies. The term was coined by Norwegian historian Olav Riste in the 1960s.
In 1905, when Norway gained independence, the nation's politicians agreed that in matters of
international conflict, Norway should remain neutral. Since the Great Powers had no desire for
unrest in Scandinavia, they signed an agreement respecting Norway's neutrality. Still, the political
direction was clear: fearing Russian ambition in the north, the sentiment was that Norway should be
neutral if war broke out, and rely on help from Great Britain if attacked.
This affinity westwards was substantiated by international trade. In the early 1900s, Norway's
merchant fleet was one of the largest in the world, and the country required vast supplies of oil, coal
and steel to build and operate it. When war broke out in 1914, Norway was exporting great amounts
of fish to Germans and British alike, much to the dismay of the British Government. The Allies
started preventing the Germans from purchasing these fish stocks by overbidding them, but trade in
other areas continued. Imports of Norwegian copper ore, nickel and pyrite were vital to the German
war industry, and by the end of 1916, Norway's Government was put under heavy pressure. Several
agreements were made, none completely satisfying to the British.
On Christmas Eve 1916, the British issued an ultimatum, informing the Norwegian Foreign Minister,
Nils Claus Ihlen, that British exports of coal to Norway would cease unless trade with Germany
stopped. The Norwegian Government felt they had no option but to comply with the demand. This
coincided with Germany's expansion of unrestricted submarine warfare in the beginning of 1917. In
total, 436 Norwegian ships were sunk in the period 19141917, out of 847 in the course of the whole
war. More than 1150 sailors died during this period, creating an increasingly anti-German sentiment
throughout the shipping nation of Norway.
Thus, both commerce and political sympathies tied Norway and Britain together during World War I
even though Norway would officially remain neutral.
This is stated from the English wikipedia article "The Nuetral Ally" i will g0 more into this in part two.
http://www.mennesket.net/filer/2013/12/Britenes-syn-p%C3%A5-norsk-n%C3%B8ytralitetAftenposten-21.10.1914.png
Norwegian newspaper regarding the british view about norwegian neutrality.
6) Neutral Norway is offered German East Africa in the treaty of Versailles [Source: english wikipedia
article called "German East Africa"]
Baron Fritz Wedel Jarlsberg, Norwegian ambassador to Paris, enjoyed a high level of popularity and
influence in the French capital. Through diplomacy, he had originally intended for The Treaty of
Versailles to have Germany cede German East Africa to Norway for the loss of men and ships in WWI
during which Norway had declared itself neutral. The liberal political party Venstre which was
elected for government in Norway, opposed the conservative view on colonization and denied the
offer which Jarlsberg had successfully secured in France. Instead, the treaty broke up the colony,
giving the north-western area to Belgium as Ruanda-Urundi, the small Kionga-Triangle south of the
Rovuma River to Portugal to become part of Mozambique, and the remainder to Britain, which
named it Tanganyika.
6) Conditions in Norway during the war
Many norwegians particulary those in the shipping industry made crazy money during WW1,
espesially due to the fishing politics; Western Powers blockade led to food shortages in Germany.
The Germans were therefore very interested in buying Norwegian fish. In the first year of the war,
they bought all the fish they could find in Norway, so it was booming for the Norwegian fishery. But
Britain tried soon to prevent this sale, primarily by threatening to halt the supply of coal and oil. The
Norwegian authorities then agreed to let the British buying fish instead of Germans. Spring 1916
they bought up 70-80% of the Norwegian production. But in the long runthe British did not want to
buy fish they did not need to market. And on august 5th they made a secret fish deal with norway,
which demanded that the Norwegian government imposed export ban for Norwegian fish. In return,
the United Kingdom purchase all Norwegian fish production at fixed prices. When the deal leaked
out, it caused great indignation in Germany. The releations with germany was further soured by
several major spy cases, which also helped to turn public opinion against the Central Powers. The
largest of these was Rautenfels affair in 1917, when it was discovered a large bomb stock at
Grnerlkka in Christiania (Oslo), and the German diplomat courier Baron von Rautenfels was
revealed as responsible. German agents were suspected of spying on German merchant ships or for
outright sabotage. German intelligence services used the neutral Norway as a channel for spies and
messages in and out of Britain. On several occasions Norwegians also recruited as a spy, the most
famous case was the painter Alfred Hagn. The Germans also had agents who kept an eye on shipping
in Norwegian ports, especially after Germany declared unrestricted submarine war in 1917. The
British had also agents in Norway, which led control with Norwegian firms Norway was also sceptical
towards Russia due to the fear of a invasion of Finnmark to secure the ice free ports there.
Even from 1914 the war led the prices to raise in a number of goods, mostly due to lack of inport and
expensive shipping rates. It became a expensive time, even if the government tried to enforce
maximum prices. From 1916 the lasting defect really started to make itself felt, and it was particulary
bad during the coal ban in January 1917. they then seized all the proviant of private shops regarding
coal and it was also introduced restrictions on shopping hours. In february, the rationing of oil. the
fuel situation improved over the summer, but at the same time the food situation was worse.
Norway began to buy back some of the fish that were sold to the UK. in April 1917 scarcity of goods
led to the stablishment of an industrial supply department, which in a few months achieved a
stronger state control and centralization of supplies. for fear of food shortages, the america
kommision, with Fridjoft Nansen as chairman was appoined in june 1917 to try to negotiate an
agreement for supplies with the USA. while negotiations continued, it was prepared for rationing of
grain and flour from 1 february 1918 in America the negotiations kept going with no result. because
USA had now joined the war and did not want to sell Norway commodities that could benefit
Germany. Norway pratcticaly then seized the neutrality guard, and in april 1917 nansen signed an
agreement which earned the country large supplies of grain, corn, sugar, coffee, oil, copper, iron ore
and meat on the permision that norway's trade with the central powrs would be limited and norway
provided the allies commodities such as nitrates, aluminum, zinc, pyrite, lumber and paper. in this
way, food shortages were avoided, and rationing was less noticable.
A great disaster, unrelated to the war hit the major norwegian city Bergen which had between
104,224 (in 1910) and 118,490 (in 1920) citizens during the war. Second to Oslo which in 1890 had
151,239 citizens in 1890 (could't find updated demographics for oslo between 1891-1950 but in
1951 the population of the city was 434,365)
Bergen Fire 15 16 January 1916
At five pm on Saturday, January 15, 1916, some workers were taking inventory of stock for the
Berstad scrap-iron dealer in a shed at Murallmenningen (Mur Commons). There was a strong storm
outside with hurricane-force gusts. One of the workers accidentally ignited a ball of black oakum
with a light. He opened the door to throw it into the sea. There was a gust of wind, and soon the
entire shed was burning.
The wind quickly spread the fire inward along Strandgaten towards Torget (Market Square), and the
warehouses burned like tinder. The fire also burned upward alongMarkeveien towards the Engen
district. It was soon realized that Strandgaten could not be saved, and so efforts were made to stop
the fire at torgallmenningen (Market Commons). Spraying focused on keeping the Stock Exchange
Building and Bank Building wet; this managed to rescue them and to prevent the fire from spreading
to the Vgsbunnen district. The situation was worse to the west. The firemen were unable to stop
the fire before it reached the fire station. To the south, the fire was stopped at the art museum
largely due to assistance from the military, which kept the building wet all night using tarpaulins.
They were also able to save the east side of Ole Bulls plass (Ole Bull Square). The Hotell Norge caught
fire, but was saved from burning down. The National Theatre was also saved through the efforts of
the actors.
The fire destroyed the entire area between Torgallminningen and Murallmenningen. The area
between Torgallminningen and the fire station, which was built after the 1855 city fire, was also
destroyed. In one night the city center, with buildings going back to the Middle Ages, was reduced to
ashes.
The rebuilding
After the fire it was only 17 buildings or building ruins left. Among other things the
Telefonkompaniets new house in Veiten which still stands to this day. Altogether, 380 buildings
were burned and 2,700 people were left homeless. The losses suffered during the 10 hours of the
fire included 612 apartments, 388 shops, 242 workshops, 42 factories, 219 offices, and 288 storage
rooms; the fire also affected three newspaper companies, four hotels, six insurance companies, and
two schools, and it resulted in the loss of 1,000 jobs.
The destroyed area was fenced off, and then ruins that posed a threat were dynamited. Still standing
were 17 buildings or parts of buildings, including the new Telephone Company building on Veiten,
which stands there to this day. Then roads were cleared to provide connections to the Nordnes and
Engen neighborhoods. To provide housing for many of those left homeless after the fire, the
municipality built a shanty town in the Gyldenpris area. The shantytown was nicknamed Blodbyen
(Blood Town) because of the crimson color of the buildings and the later violence there. Some
histoians argue that the Bergen Fire was a "neccecery catastrophy" before the fire it was a latemedievall chaos in the road network, houses in many houses from 1600 century was clashed
together wherever it was possible, without any plan and feel that nobody needed to obtain a
building permit to erect buildings. This settlement hampered development. The fire provided a
development opportunity. The street in today Bergen is the same that was added after the fire in
1916, and the buildings also stems from this time. The so-called 1916 area was Bergen's main
business district.
The source used is the wikipedia article about the event, it also includes a neet collection of pictures
from the event: https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergensbrannen_1916
Side note:
Fridjof Nansen won the nobel peace prize in 1922 The citation referred to "his work for the
repatriation of the prisoners of war, his work for the Russian refugees, his work to bring succour to
the millions of Russians afflicted by famine, and finally his present work for the refugees in Asia
Minor and Thrace" and helped to have more than 400 000 prisoners of wars released to their
homelands and a succesfull food program in russia which saved houndreds of thousands. Nansen
was also known as the first man to cross the greenlandic ice and at the time he was the man who
was closest to the north pole. The book Encyclopedia of the Neurological Sciences states the
following:
"Nansen gathered and distribueted sufficent supplies to save, by various estimates, from 7 to 22
million people."
And also:
"At the request of the Greek government and with the approval of the League of Nations, Nansen
faciliated the exhange of 1.8 million Greeks and Turks"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiOok-T6ctM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkPYytql5RM
Quoted from professor Frank Aarebrot in the documentary / tv show "200 Years in 200 Minutes" :
as was the case during World War 2, norwegian ships were vital in supplying britain with fuel and
war material from the united states. So it is in some way a masterpiece that Norway manages to
make Germany think that we are neutal when the case is that we, with our merchant fleet are a
significant key in the british warfare against germany. But Nils Claus Ihlen manages that (the foreign
ministre) but the only problem is that in 1940 we dont manage to fool the germans again. the
wellfare state was not developed at this time either and there were none who knew anything about
PTSD. so these poor sailors who were torpedoed didn't really get proper treatment after modern
standards but what the war sailors recieved, which the war sailors from WW2 did not recive, was
honor. one built a gigantic monument in Stavern (Minnehallen) with all their names of the fallen
engraved. In bergen there was a mine monument were one could put coins on it to pray for the
womans who lost their men at sea. Why sailors from WW1 recieved so much more honor then those
in WW2, are for me one of histories great paradox. Maybe it was because it was seen as a disgrace
to kill neutral countrymen? But nevertheless, even more important for this period was the progress.
Katti anker mller plays a leading role in the equality of men and woman and cooperates with
castberg and gives him the idea in what was to become the castbergske barnelover (castbergske
child laws) and with this law norway become one of the first, if not the first country in the world to
remove bastard chld / whoreson / illegitimate child, they now recieved the same inheritance if the
mother knows what his father is, and says who the father is, the chidlren illegitimate or not has the
same inheritance right as other children of the father borin within marriage. the carsbergske child
law makes children born outside of marriage equal with children born in marriage when it comes to
inheritance from the father and that is as we know a really important juridical thing. and in 1919 she
also holds a speech where she promotes the idea of allowance for woman, what is strange is why
Sigrid Undset attacks this suggestion and says its a bad idea, why it should be a bad idea i do not
know she also establish the first mothers hygiene office and if there are anyone from this period that
are my heroes, it is these womans who worked at the mothers hygiene offices. we lived in a country
were it was allowed to sell contraceptives it was allowed to sell equipment but it was stricly
prohibited to tell about it. this also led to prental care so that child mortality became less and less of,
the safety in connection with birth came all this happend in this period. these mothers hygiene
offices, its impossible to underestimate how important they were and the respect we need to have
for these. that this was allowed in a time where it was norm to not talk about stuff like this is also
incredible. when even up until 1950-1960 it was so hard to talk about it in public, for these woman
to do this in the 1920s it needed real guts. but katti also does a lot more, she starts the fight to
decriminalize abortion. we often talk about how saudi arabia threats woman like in the medieval
times, but did they mention that woman when abortion was illegal, people that strangled that were
poor and strangled their children in secrecy, they were beheaded even after the constitution was
put in place in 1814. In the same way that they behead woman in saudi arabia today, they beheaded
sad woman who had a little accident, in norway in the 1800s.
https://gfx.nrk.no/SaAVNVzZDSdScihr1_TCxQcOkEI4scHmW867Pk_FHINw
"Berlin" was built iin Bremen in 1909 as a passangership, but was confiscated by the German
Imperial fleet and made a cruiser when the first world war broke out. the ship was used to place
mines in british shores, but was forced to dock at Trondheim in november 1914. "Berlin" was
thereafter detained and put under guard in Hommelvik.
The Norwegian Merchant fleet during The Great War [Source: the book "Norway's Wars - From
Hafsfjord to Afghanistan"]
Under World War 1 Norway was neutral and avoided hostilities. But the country had, at the
outbreak of the war the world's fourth biggest merchant fleet, and norwegian sailors overseas were
thus war participants for four years. 889 Norwegian ships with 1 296 226 gross ton sunk, and 2123
sailors were killed. This was a tonnage loss of 49,6% of the fleets size in the beggining of the war.
Relatively speaking no other country had a bigger loss.
The sailing pattern for the Norwegian Merchant fleet changed during the War.the pace at the Baltic
and Black seas deviated and died out, whilst the coal transportation from the UK to France became
important after many mining areas in France was occupied by the Germans. The war front made
Arkhangelsk the new port for trade with Russia. German U-boats began sinking merchant ships in
february 1915, but mines laid out had been a problem since the wars start. Norwegian shipping was
particulary vulnurabler for sinking in the seas around the british isles, in the coal transport to france,
on the way to Arkhangelsk and in the seabased export and import to Norway. Despite the fact that it
had been common to let merchant fleets in convoys under previous wars, the brits choose not to do
that at the outbreak of world war 1. At this time the german U-boats were small and simple vessels
which were used to attack marine ships. Until the automn 1916 Norwegian sailors had lost 200
merchant ships and 150 men. the tonnage loss was so far able to be replaced, and the numbers of
killed limited. The sea transport to Norway were routed through the English chanel and north along
the coast of England and over to Lindesnes in Norway. And was the subject of time consuming
british goods controll which led to the blockade of Germany. The automn 1916 Germany stepped
up the submarine war by adopting more and better submarines and go over to attack merchant
ships in earnest. Simoultanously the laid mines were a constant threat. Warwaging and neutral
country now got their merchant ships sunk without warning. Thus the crew could not escape into
the rescue ships before the sinking happend. this effected Norway seriously. None of the Norwegian
Merchant fleets sailed in convoy, and the losses were huge. In september and in the beggining of
October Norway first lost 9 ships in the British-French Coal transportion and thereafter 11 merchant
ships when the germans attacked the north sea and barents sea. These merchant ships were
heading for Arkhangelsk or between Norway and Great Britain. From Norwegian side it was pointed
out that they did not receive the allied reports or threats and sailing routes. Further the Norges
rederiforbund (norwegian shipping federation) demanded relief as a result of the heavy losses of
Norwegian ship in the automn 1916. In november Norwegian sailors threatened with holding
hhemselves to land due to lack of protection at the sea. The Norwegian initiative contribuated to
convoys increasingly becoming more relevant. Convoys were gradualy put in use. A limited convoy
trafic between England and the Netherlands alredy came in use from june 1916. Furthermore the
majority of the neutral ships on this route were norwegian. The norwegian merchant fleet continued
to sail after the unresrticted u-boat war was implemented from 1. february 1917, while other
neutral shipping nations vacillated. The british attitude towards Norway was therefore more positive
then earlier in the war when the british didnt have full confidence that the norwegian merchant fleet
would serve their interest to the utermost.
this sceptism likely partly orginated from the Gunboat War 100 years earlier from 1807-1814 which
the dano-norwegian government aproved piracy against the brits and between april and october
1810 danish and norwegian privateers made a combined sum of 15 000 000 Riksdalers. the usual
price one could get for a boarded ship was between 40 000 to 130 000. the most expensive one as
"Flora" which was boarded by the norwegian ship "Kristiansand" and was sold for 491 000 riksdaler.
the Swedish ship "Oskr" also made good money and was captured by "Flekkefjord" also a
norwegian ship and sold for 200 000 riksdaler. Conquered or captured ships was first towed to land
to be treated by a price ethene which decided if the ship was a so-called "Good price" which enabled
the ship to be sold at a public auction. the government recieved 1% of the sum. the es shipowner
half of rest, and the excess profits was then divided among the crew after a fixed formula. The
skipper should have a share which was 8 times higher than the proportion of a sailor and first mate's
share would be half of the skipper. Skip boy had to settle for 1/16 of the ship's gain. This made
british opinion about norway bad. When Norway tried to regain independence in the 1814 war and
asked for British support it was answered to Peder Ankers in the parlament that Norway was a piracy
nation. the blockade of Norway was from british side justified because of this.
The vital coal transport which the brits agreed on with Norway in february 1917, was decided to be
effectuated. the 24. february 1916 the first convoys sailed from Leirwick to Bergen. This was
temporary action continued in march, but as limited to escorting few ships in the bright parts of the
day. These limited actions could not betther the situation totaly. The unlimited u-boat war hit the
north sea alredy in march 1917, and Norway lost the same month 27 ships in these seas. the
norwegians complained that they didnt see british warships except for at the ports. these big losses
on the trafic to norway contribuated decisively to an agreement that new measoures had to be
tested as soon as possible. The sea military conferanse at the orkney islands in march-april 1917 led
to the establishment of scandinavian convoys perminantly. the fact that 1/4 of the ships were lost,
made the chief of the Royal Navy, admiral John Rushworth Jellicoe, order convoys temporary, this
was later made permanent. From 11. to 15. april "U 30" sunk 8 norwegian sgips, and another
norwegian ship was sunk shortly before. these horrifying losses confirmed that it was neccicary with
convoys. before the convoys begun sailing for the most part, before the spring 1917 was the worst
period for the norwegian merchant fleet under world war 1. those 6 months 300 ships and 439
sailors were lost. the convoy trafic between norway and the british isles was implemented the spring
1917 and got the name "The Scandinavian convoys" Leiwick was normaly the start for the convoys
the first half year. the british escort was for the first two months limited to two destoyers and 4 to 6
armed trawlers which followed the convoy from and until the norwegian sea border. from 22. april
1917 new convoys arrived from leirwick norwegian coast. it consisted of 6 merchant ships and 2
destroyers as escort. Thereafter it arrived and docked new convoys with 3 to 5 days space until the
end of the war. Utvr, Gsvr, Sognefjorden, Marsteinen og Holmengr were the positions were
the convoys arrived in norway, and where the escort took wit him new merchant ships back to
Leirwick og Eidenburg area. The loss percentage proved how succesfull the convoysand the limited
esort was. during may 25 konvoys sailed with a total of 1871 ships. only 5 ships were lost. which
equivalent to a loss of 0.3%. the scandinavian convoys totaled at a 7653 ships throughout the war.
and in total 55 ships were lost. a loss-rate of 0.72%. the nordic countries - and norway specialy - had
also low self sufficancy and was therefore dependant on the scandinavian convoys to survive. the
brits decition to escort the scandinavian convoys can also be justified from the countries own
intrests and maybe also a feeling of duty to help neutral countries. there are also other reasions why
neutral convoys were so important for the ententen. because it first of all was important to sustain
the blockade of germany to avoid that the country got trade and supply benefits. secondly the
neutral countries merchant fleet wasso important for the ententens trade that the big norwegian
and swedish ship losses gave reason for worrying. thirdly they were in the situation that it was
needed t give something back to the neutral. it was also a little bit uncertainly if sweden and norway
would join Britain. 4th; great britain also neded resources from scandinavia. These were among
other things, malm ore, timber, nitrates and agricultural products. through the convoy trafic norway
was supported. this was important for both parties because norway was the neutral country which
contribuated most with its merchant fleet, and the country which suffered the biggest losses. in
october and december 19117 there were two serious german sufrace attacks on convoys to great
britain. 9 merchant fleets, 4 trawlers and 3 british destroyers were sunk. the british repriorisation
to secure the scandinavian convoys happend fast. as a result of the threat of german surface vessels
the convoys began from before christmas 1917 to sail with espesially strong escort. 20 . december
there came convoys from the east with 30 merchant fleets from fedje with one escort and 10
cruisers, 8 destroyers and 11 whaling boats. the escort took with him 37 merchant fleets back. 10
.dec 1917 the brits decided to sail from methil in firth of forth instead of to leirwick. easier access to
escorts from the more close by marine bases and operations areas. the convoys was controlled by
the brits, even if most of the vessels often were norwegian and swedish. extensive cooperation was
needed to unite convoys in the right position and the right time with the coast, something the
norwegian marine contribuated to help with. this was a important reason to the development of
the reletions between norway and great britain. the norwegian marine also established a limited
convoy system within terriotiral borders. which brought merchant ships to and from the meeting
places for the scandinavian convoys. the convoys were at the end of world war 1 were very effective.
after the establishment of convoys te norwegian merchant fleet could continue to sail for the
ententen, but with considerablly less loss og hips and sailors. the convoys between norway and the
uk securred the supply lines at the sea between norway and the uk which was totaly needed until
the end of the war.
More general information about Norway&WW1 from the Norwegian Defense museum and the
newspaper Mennesket:
Norway and other smaller countries were unable to keep up with the large-scale arms race at sea in
the period before the outbreak of war in 1914. The major powers Britain and Germany built one
battleship bigger than the other. An important point in this race is the launching of the battleship
HMS Dreadnought in 1906. The ship was called a "all big gun ship." Earlier battleships usually had
four main guns of 28-30 cm placed in two turret. In addition a number of smaller guns and cannons.
HMS Dreadnought was no less one ten 30.5 cm guns for five armored turrets. Eight of these could be
used simultaneously in broadside. The range was also increased.
Norway had in the years after the union only weakly spent money on military defense and in
particular the navy. We had a marine who was unprepared to perform the neutrality it had even
envisaged. Sure enough the Norwegian navy experienced little of the war that took place in many
parts of Europe. But if neutrality was to be maintained the Navy had to take care of a number of
episodes that could easily develop into diplomatic crises. It was only through military actions and
responsiveness that the fragile neutrality could be maintained. This was a daunting task for a navy
that was built without a continuous seagoing marine and experience prolonged neutrality service.
Norway was also quick to declare its neutrality. Meanwhile dishes Norway and Sweden hands
together and declare peace among themselves already four days after krigsrklringen. This was
important because the relationship after 1905 had been tense. These quick reactions were justified
by a real fear of being mixed into the conflict.
The government under Gunnar Knudsen showed vigor and got through the necessary emergency
legislation. But no one expected the war would take a long time. Therefore, the policy of adding up
stocks of food, coal and petroleum products based on the premise. Where Norway stood in the
conflict between British and German authorities? The British were keen to ensure that the
Norwegian Merchant vessels could be used in their favor. On the other side, they would attempt to
influence so that the Germans got so small deliveries from Norway as possible. The British showed
that Norway was essentially probritisk. They had persuasive arguments in the Navy, in coal deliveries
to Norway and bunkers to the merchant fleet. For Germany primarily Norwegian fish, minerals and
nitrate in addition to being used in agriculture also used in ammunition manufacturing. Despite the
fact that trade with Germany was great before the outbreak of war was the goods they now offer
back of less strategic importance than, say, the British coal.
It was constantly linked stress to whetever the two warring parties would seek a military thrust
against Norway. For both parties would a fleet base on the southern coast be strategically
important. It would obviously significance violating Norwegian neutrality. For both wanted an attack
against Norway tie up a fleet strength of the Norwegian coast. For Germany, which was already
inferior despite its fleet upgrading, this would put them in an even more difficult situation at sea.
The British for their part were careful because a commitment in Norway could draw both Sweden
and Germany into the war on the opposite side. And why attack a country where they have largely
succeeded in their interests?
Roughly speaking, the period from spring 1915 to November 1918 can be divided into two. First
period until autumn 1916 was marked by the negotiations that led to much of the Norwegian foreign
trade coming under British control. The final period was characterized by stronger demarcation in
relation to Germany, new diplomatic negotiations with the United States and a military association
with the Western powers. It was not without problems for a neutral Norway that we participated in
the British-led convoys with arms shipments from France and Britain, weapons transit to Russia via
North Norway and prolongation of the British-American mine barrier across the North Sea.
navy mobilizes
When Germany declared war Russia 1 August 1914 the Norwegian government decided to
immediately mobilize the Navy. Sunday August 2 1914 slammed five shots at the naval station at
Horten. It was the notification of mobilization. The government had given the order to put the entire
navy and coastal fortifications in readiness. The order had reached a naval base already the evening
before. Efforts were under pressure to get everything ready. They summoned conscripts came from
the first moment in large numbers. Already on Tuesday afternoon, the entire Naval materiel
practically fully equipped and combat ready. There were hardly many who beforehand had imagined
our navy as rapidly mobilized. Not least was the readiness of the two obvious "hood" speed over
themselves. Aboard the "King Sverre was charged approximately with 1000 men.
vessels Developments
In 1912 many argued ', and in particular the Norwegian Defence Association, that the threat to
Norway was increasing. They believed that, particularly in relation to the defense of northern
Norway, was in need for more armored ships. In July the same year there were also a new defense
plan from Admiral Staff presented to the Stortinget. it was in some ways a compromise between
those who believed our navy had scaled according to a major European conflict, and those who
thought it was a war against Sweden and operations in the Skagerrak who had applied. The result
was an additional allocation of 16.5 million to two new armored ships. Also this time we ordered
them with Armstrong in Newcastle. They should get the names Bjrgvin and Nidaros, and they
should have been delivered in autumn 1914. But when World War I broke out, the Britons decided
to take them back for their own use.
Berlin Affair
On the morning of 17 November 1914 the german aid cruiser Berlin docked at Trondheim war
harbor. Torpedo boat Cod was once in place and did note that tarnished were not authorized by the
rules of war harbors and demanded that the 17,300 tonne ship had to leave the port within 24
hours. Boss at Berlin invoked when breakdown to extend your stay. The incident caused a sensation
and it presented itself dramatically when ironclad Harald by chance arrived the morning after.
Spanish flu under 1. II.
Spanish Flu ravaged Horten, as it did everywhere else in the country in autumn 1918. It was
particularly bad board "King Sverre," that housed hundreds in command
Unrestricted submarine warfare
Spring 1916 the Germans to touch on his big battleship fleet, which had long lies at rest at
Heligoland. It led up to the historically large Jyllands teams from 31 May to 1 June. Although Britain
suffered the greatest material losses, the result was that the German fleet again went into hiding.
demining
demining
One of the important and dangerous tasks of naval vessels during the war were defusing mines that
had worn from the many minefields. The mines would by law be secured if they floated up, but
bitter experiences showed that one could not rely on it. There is still, in our time a number of mines
from World War 1. annually are found and defused.
Norway during World War I
After the Norwegian independence from Sweden in 1905 it was decided that Norway should be a
neutral state, without military affiliation or obligations to any other country. Such neutrality could
best be assured if we got the European powers to promise that they would respect it, and preferably
underwrite it. A guarantee was enough in many people's eyes the same as a one-sided defense
agreement where major powers agreed to protect the country against attack from another country.
A guarantee was obtained thus never agreed. Instead there was obtained in 1907 a looser
agreement with Britain, France, Russia and Germany where they accepted Norwegian integrity and
were willing to support Norway if the country asked for it. Particularly important was it to have a
good and stable relationship with Britain that was our most important trading partner in Europe.
So why did none of the warring parties attempt to take control of Norway when the war started?
The country had after all no significant military force to speak of. But an attack on a neutral country
was still considered violations of international ethics and morality, it was something one did without
losing face and reputation internationally, and perhaps most of all in America's eyes also were
neutral on an equal footing with Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark. It is also
important to remember that an occupation would take substantial resources away from the
battlefields of the continent and would require an entire fleet just to make parts of the coast.
Moreover, it would perhaps pushed the country's neighboring states Denmark and Sweden to take
sides in the matter, and it was something no one wanted. The First World War did, despite
neutrality, major implications for Norway because they were so closely associated with the
international trade and because of war created increased demand for certain Norwegian goods
abroad and a greater need to produce goods they needed even as offer from Europe plunged.
Although Norway managed to stay away from the war the weakened foreign policy the trade in grain
and consumer goods led to a widespread lack of common consumer goods in Norway while demand
was the same. Thus, the prices of goods and claimed a far larger share of workers' wages. Such
periods we call often for "Dyrtiden" (the expensive time). The frenzied inflation and demand for
Norwegian fish and transport ships led to wild speculation in equities trading and shipping shares.
During the war some shares boomedsix-fold in value. This period and this behavior is often referred
to as "work time".
seafaring
Great britain wanted to cordon the entire North sea from german shipping alredy in november 1914.
this would force all norwegian ships on the route through the north sea to take a long and
dangerous detour through the English channel where the British could inspect ships for war material
and other stuff to avoid the possibilty of anything og use going to Germany. the norwegian
government could not accept that the brits forced this upon norwegian ships and immediatly started
negotiations with the brits. the result was that they officialy accepted that the norwegian ships could
sail a shorter route through a bay in scotland for the ships to be inspected there instead. Many
norwegian shps still took little account of this agreement and sailed off both to avoid inspections and
the cost of the detour. The Norwegian shipping industry experienced an influx from both sides in the
first half of the war in Europe. In Norway, it was invested heavily on producing and providing goods
that increased demand on the continent. Particulary popular were norwegian fish, both on the box,
like mackerel and sardines which were both easy to transport and store, stockfish and fish oil. The
germans were also very interested in buying minerals and nitrat which was used as fertilizer, but
they also wanted ammunisjon production. In Norway we were very dependant on the supply of
British coal and raffined oil, also called bunkerrs, which were used as fuel in many ships. The
Germans had on their side little to offer of of equivalent vital goods, which helped to turn the
balance of trade in Britain's favor. With increased demand of goods there were also increased prices
as the Norwegian shipowners and sippers could take most of the transportations. transportation
increased both due to demand and due to german u-boats began to make inroads also in the
neutral shipping as the war went ahead. in 1914 it costed 4,60 kroner to to trnsport 1 ton of goods
over the North Sea; 3 years later the price har rise nto an average of 260 kronner per tonn! ship
shares also rose to six-fold and many took out loans to buy stocks andi nvest in trade and shipping.
This period has subsequently gone down in Norwegian history as the so-called boom where
everything from teachers to carphenters pinpointed savings and took out loans to attend the
farytale rise in shipping shares andtrade. In shor term there were many who earned good money,
especially among Norwegian fishermen. As long as war raged in Europe, it was little indicating that
the demand would decease. But many lost both inheritance and savings when the ship they had paid
for was sunk.
"The Neutral Ally"
The submarine war would also prove to be a growing challenge for the Norwegian foreign trade and
thereby also the Norwegian foreign policy, from 1915 there were by the birts put more and more
effort into stoping the eneemy from getting supplies from other countries. From the autumn 1916
the brits and french demanded that norwegian fishers and shipowners signed a secret agreement
that fish caught with gear or nets or ship driven by oil and coal that had its orgin in the UK did not
get to sell to Germany. if ships from the British North Sea blockade stopped norwegian merchant
vessels or fishing vessels on their way to germany the crew had to prove that they did not use
british equipment to make their catch. the high price still made many norwegian fishermen take the
chance and sail to german ports with what they had until the british seriously threatened to halt all
coal export to Norway in the winter months 1916-1917 when the german navy once again decided
to go to unrestricted submarine warfare in january 1917 the norwegian merchant fleet had so big
losses that they in the end agreed to lend out most of the norwegian hips to transport for the brits if
they were promised to be secured deliveries of coal to norway thoughout the war.
When the Americans joined the war they threatened to cut important merchandising unless
Norwegians restricted trade with the Germans even further. During the wars last summer the brits
layd out a belt of mines from the north coast of scotland and to Norways territorial border where
norway had difficulties preventing german submarines from dropping through and out into the
North Sea. When the british threatened to violate Norwegian soverignty and patrol the coast the
tension forced norwegian authorities to mine the shores. it has been said that norway with its
increasingly west facing policy was gradually drawn into the war on the Entente powers page. The
historian Olav Riste have characterized Norway's role as being the neutral ally; "The Neutral Ally". for
the germans there were little they could do. they dependend on all the fish they could get from
Norway and they could not start lowering Norwegian vessels everywhere as it most likely would
push both Norway and other Scandinavian countries over the British side.
"Dyretiden" (translated high cost time) and "Work Time" increased social contradictions of Norway
during World War I, and in the growing working class it increased organization of trade unions and
labor movements. The Russian revolution during World War I helped to radicalize forces within the
Norwegian labor movement and led to the Labour party joining the Communist International and a
little later a serous internal division between the revolutionaries and those who wanted change
through reforms.
The lenght of the war also created supply problems within Norway. the limitation in foreign trade
made it necessary to focus more on developing agriculture and increase their level of self-sufficency.
The supply of ordinary consumer goods was low and since the demand was high, the prices rose
significantly. such periods we call "Dyretid" because the prices of common commodities skyrocketed
without wages rising. thus, the simple things that everyone usualy could take for granted such as
butter, cheese and other benefits were very much more expensive. This laid the foundations for an
extensive black market in basic commodities like grain and especialy butter. those would could not
afford paid in animal judges to be able to continue their lives as before, all others lived in scarcity
and sometimes hunger. Affter encouragement from the government many farmers took big loans to
invest in machinery and equipment which could increase both efficency and productivity of the soil.
in the cities there was a rumor that farmers and merchants mst on the high prices and witheld grain
to push prices further up. finally the norwegian government under Gunnar Knudsen imposed price
controls and set maximum prices for various commodities. in January 1918 it was introduced
rationing of sugar, coffee and corn and restaurants to introduce rationing of sugar, coffee and corn
and resturants had to introduce days without meat. in addition it was prohibited to use corn or
potatoes to brew beer stronger than 2.5 percent alcohol. this was the start of what after the war
was known as the vine monpoly in Norway. the farmers were also equiered to grow more grain and
clear more land, while in reality getting paid less for the grain in addition to the tools costing more.
During the war, over 700,000 new acres of land was put under the plow. the high prices and
revenues that shipowners and fishermen sourced abroad gave a false impression of a rich state. in
reality the norwegian state grew in both size and cost. the neutrality guard was costly and largely
paid for with loans that also went to manage the supplies that ensured the population basic needs.
cooperation with busnies organizations and trade unions also increased sharply, and many conflicts
were long exposed thanks to mediation and a shared understanding of the war in Europe took its
toll, also in Norway. wages fell or remained firm for most workers during the war. meanwhile, the
prices of most goods and didnt change after the war was over. after a few years of good profits from
trade with european countries in a rebuilding phase, the trade noramlized and gradually more and
the great demand for norwegian fish, chalcopyrite and fertilizers fell back to normal levels as
European agriculture began producing normal levels again. Conflicts between workers and
employers increased in numbers and ideologies like communism and fasicm led to cries of both
revolution and a strong man that could "save" Norway. Farmers were left with large loans for
equipment and cleanup of soil which many struggled to pay off. Neither would it become better
when the world trade went into its biggest crisis during the stock market crash in 1929.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Minnehallen-stavern.jpg
Minnehallen or The hall of remembrance was commissioned by the Norwegian parliament after
World War I to commemorate the fallen Norwegian sailors of the war. It was unveiled by king
Haakon VII and was later converted to the national monument commemorating fallen sailors of both
World War I and World War II
Pictures of the Norwegian Merchant Fleet from WW1:
http://digitaltmuseum.no/folder/C78F5D96-EF97-4519-B2B7-B04FE96E5729
http://bt.mnocdn.no/incoming/article3238879.ece/ALTERNATES/w1440c169/MT%20Arne%20Kj%C
3%B8de%201938.jpeg%20copy
http://dms09.dimu.org/image/042sA3kPp4KT
https://www.google.no/search?espv=2&tbm=isch&q=ds+hestmanden&spell=1&sa=X&ved=0ahUKE
wiB-o3P7rvNAhWBKJoKHYllBDoQvwUIGigA&dpr=1.25&biw=1536&bih=778
http://api.ning.com/files/bgWZynVz*oVxTgS78mVk14GceyXrmj7ApjOWTYCzVJSb6PtAwL7Mc0ltPCy
09vNMzA6me6NetSPz2rDY9uOFr79sl17PJtEv/ForbundetKystensLandsstevneiOslo2014.FotoHaraldSt
re1590013872x2592.FotoHaraldStre159001.JPG
DS "Hestmanden" she is the last surviving ship of the Norwegian Merchant fleet from WW1 and
WW2
This link also provides a lot of great information:
http://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/norway
The Molde incident (Source: the book "1914 Into the disaster" by Roy Andersen)
The summer of 1914 was cloudless and warm. In the city of Horten the sailing elite from all over
Europe united for a litle amicable rivalry, and in Balestrand Kaiser Wilhelm took his time off along
with the local population. but the idyll was a deception. the Game of the great powers which had
laid dormant for a while, escalated quickly after Franz Ferdinand was killed. We will follow the
Norwegian government's struggle to defend neutrality - also against King Haakon, as he was acting
more and more in favour of the Brits, along with Fridjof Nansen, he worked to remove the prime
minister and go into a alliance with Britain. Meanwhile the German war machine rolled through
Belgium and Northern France and was also involved in fierce battles on the Eastern Front.
Apart from small interventions in connections with the election of King Haakon in 1905, Norway had
little feel for the rivalry of the great powers. The country lived it's peaceful life on the northern side
of the North Sea, safe in the belief that neutrality and the great powers promise to respect it would
keep peace in the foreseeable time. and in reserve there was the British guarantee that Queen
Maud had brought with her. It was never officially declared or confirmed, but always present, as
Prime Minister Knudsen came in damage to admit under a British fleet visit in 1908: In a bowl speech
to the British naval officers expressing his hope that the peaceful conditions that had characterized
the new century would continue. But this is not going to strike and Norway would be threatened,
"we put trust in the British ation, thanks to the new tape our queen has attached". It was an
embarrassing slip of the tongue that made headlines. But it was quickly hushed up and forgotten.
None, and least of all the government, was inter announced that it was raised doubts about the
country's neutrality. Relations with the other superpower was just as well and effortlessly. Kaiser
Wilhelm let the annoyance of 1905 behind them. The following year he resumed his regular summer
visits to the west coast of the country, and the ties between Norway and Germany increased with
trade growth. Obviously there was some friction: In 1908, France threatened with trade war to stop
a proposal to increase the Norwegian liquor tariffs by ten percent: Norwegian banks should be
denied access to the French credit market, Norwegian fish should be boycotted and trade and
shipping agreements would be terminated if the proposal was adopted. The threats appeared: The
proposed liquor tariffs were removed, and the amicable relationship restored. There had also been
feuds with the British. The British government had protested when licensing laws were adopted in
1909 and prevented British companies to invest in Norwegian hydroelectric power. The Norwegian
fishery limit of four nautical mil was also the subject of controversy. The British believed that
Norway had to limit it to three, as the other nations had, and refused to recognize it. British trawlers
neither respected the borders, and to widespread protests from Norwegian coastal fishing, that
wanted the rich fishing banks for themselves. in the spring 1911 the issue was brought to a head
when the Norwegian surveillance ship "Heimdal" arrested a British trawler in the Varanger Fjord. It
was not taken gracious up by the British, who threatened harsh sanctoin unless Norway took to their
senses. The controversy, however, was resolved by a compromise. British fishermen would get fish
into three nautical mil from land, but not in the fjords. More serious was another episode that
occurred later in the year. The horrors were perpetrated in Norwegian waters, but had its rise a
completely different place: Morocco. As during the first Morocco crisis in 1905 triggered by the
French invasion, full confrontation asured between the great powers. In the Summer 1911 both the
German and British navy was put on alert and war rumors circulated in both countries. In that
compound Norway was given a reminder of Jrgen Lvland warning 1906 that the country was in
the intersection line between the two great powers, in what was known as The Molde Incident in
the British foreign chronicles. In early July 1911 it was announced that Germany would send a large
German fleet to Norwegian waters to conduct a exercise. It was in itself not sensational, German
fleet visits and German naval exercises off the west coast was an annual phenomenon. the worrying
part was that the brits had also planned excercies in the same waters. It made the alarm bells ring,
both in Berlin and London.
The German Foreign Minister Alfred von kinderlen-Wachter came with a pledege to London "if this
was possible, could the British squadrons perhaps arrive bit by bit - if the admiral arrived before its
squadron, a quiet dinner at the "Hohenzollern" would not create problems." what he, if possible,
wanted to avoid was that the two empires should make time to rig a large "tra-la-la" (as he called it)
and give every gossip bitch throughout Europe more than enough to ramble. The wish from Berlin
increased the unrest in London. The attempt to portray this as an appeal of help to prevent the
emperor from lamering himself, was not believed. there were probably other reasons why the
germans didn't want the british naval presesience in the area where the germans paractised. The
unrest was not eazed when the german fleet strenght, consisting of 16 battleships, 5 major panzer
cruisers, 6 smaller cruisers, 11 destroyers and a number of helping ships embarked from
Wilhelmshafen heading for Norway on 20. July. the situation was so serious that the british foreign
minister Edward Grey asked the admirality to cancel all scheduled cruises to Norwegian waters to
prevent the two fleets from meeting. the admirality however declined the wishes of the foreign
ministers and let a squadron set sail. It wold for safety sake track what the German fleet undertook.
If they planed a strike against the British Home fleet, the Norwegian waters would be a good starting
point. The admirality warned:
The fact that the German fleet, crossing squadron and torpedo fleet all are gathered near and
around Norway's coast and is in a good position to launch a surprise attack, a situation the defense
committee regards as highly unlikely, but still should be investigated in silencenin order to preclude
How unrealistic it may seem that the German fleet planned an attack against Great Britain from
Norwegian shores, it could still not be overlooked. And even if it was only meant as a threat to make
great britain withdraw their support to France, the germans had to get a clear feedback.
week the newspaper reported about new ships beeing sunk after encountering these floating
bombs. Norwegian ships was also hit and Norwegian lives were lost. On 25. September Afternposten
reported that the steamship "Hesvik" had hit a mine near Tyne. The first engineer and a mate was
killed, while the rest of the crew, 14 men, were saved by a British warship after spending a day in an
open lifeboat. A few days later the steamship "Troms" reached the same fate while she was on her
way to Hull with lumber from Porsgrunn when the accident occured. During the lowering of the
lifeboats two man fell in the sea and drowned. the rest of th crew of 16 manage to gain access to the
shore and was rescued. the danger of the mines and the submarine attacks sparked demands from
the admiralty to tighten control of the ship traffic in the north sea and declear thearea as a war
zone. But Foreign minister Grey hesitated again. he knew that such an intervention would cause
protest among the united states and other neutral states. In mid-October an episode occured on
Scalpalow and this got Grey to give in. As mentioned earlier the naval bases lacked proper protection
when the home fleet moved over there shortly before the war broke out. On october 17th the
periscope on a submarine was observed completely inside in the sea pool. A hectic search of the
invaders ensured, however with no result. It was never confirmed if it was a submairne that had
managed to gain access. Anyhow this episode was a reminder of how vulnerable the base at orkney
was againt German submarines, and it caused Adimral Jellicope to decide to move the entire Home
Fleet to safer bases in the Irish Sea. but even there it was not completely safe. And after the Navy's
pride, "Audacious hit a mine and sunk the demand for blockading the North Sea was raised. The
blocking of the North Sea was a violation of the basic principle in all shipping having the freedom of
navigation on the high seas. countries could condutt fuses at their own territorial waters but outside
the ships should be allowed to shooce the route it wanted without encountering minefields, be fired
on or be forced to land for inspection. The british decision triggered fierce protests among
Norwegian shipping companies. they argued that the measure was not aimed at protectiong neutral
merchant vessels, but to force them closer to the british coast to further control of what they had in
stock. Forcing ships into the English channel would neither improve the safety the shipowners
claimed, rather the opposite: It was bigger danger to hit ines there then in the seas west and north
of the british isles. Otherwise, to sail huge ships along the British East coast, where it was shallow
and untidy waters were all beacons were extunquished, was dangerous enough in itself, they
believed. Gong through the channel would also lead to delays and extra expenditures for ships
heading to America, especially sailing ships. The Norwegian American line sparheaded for protests: It
was simply not easible to let the company's two largest passanger ships, "Bergensfjord" and
Kristianiafjord", follow the admiralities preface projections. The company would let the two vessels
continue to sail the usual route north of shetland, "That we thus in all respects deem as safe" as it
was called in the complaint from the company. Also the Norwegian government protested the
decision. In a unusually sharp condemnation it was stated that:
The measures that is foreshadowed in the announcemend, would inhibit Norwegian shipping and
trade and would threaten to halt all passanger traffic between Norway and America, and what more:
It would in fact violate the principle that all nations to this day have varified among the biggest
benefits that international law ensures, namely the principle of the high seas. The British admirality's
injunction will lead to nothing less than to shut down a large sea for peaceful shipping and trade by
laying mines and subjecting neutral vessels to the great threat of mines, vessels that only intend to
pass outside a simple and limited way now faces the gravest danger from British war ships.
Prime Minister Gunnar Knudsen also intervened personally. as a shipowner, he had great
understanding of the issue blockading the north sea created. in a letter to the British Prime minister,
he requested that the Norwegian ships recieved dispensation to sail north of the British Isles. If it
were desirable, the ships could also transit through the Minch strait to the west of Sotland and be
inspected there, he stated. The Answer from Asquilth was friendly but dismissive. The british prime
minister didn ot dare to challenge the admiralty in such a case. Because the norwegian reaction was
badly welcomed there "The admirality (is) greatly angered over your protest, whilst (it are) no
protest against accidents by German Mines" reported minister Vogt from London after the
Norwegian protests were conveyed. Irritations also seem to spread to the British government, he
noted: "British government would like to know about the Norwegian governments protest
presented against Germany aswell" In this case King Haakon was once again in collision course with
his own government. The protest against the North Sea corodn was passed by the cabinet without
him present. Only after the meetings was finished, he was notified by Foreign minister Ihlen, who
told him that the protest alredy was submitted to the British. "The foreign minister telephoned me
tonight that there had been dispatched protests to the English government due to the admiralities
precaution of closing the North Sea. Upon request, i learned that it was kept in a polite tone, and
that i should receive it so that i knew the wording before it appeared in the newspaper tommorow"
he wrote laconically in his diary, referring to another case where the government had kept him off: it
concerned the decision to convene garrison departments to relive the crew that had been on
neutrality guard from the beginning of August. He had first been informed about this through the
newspaper the day after. "Read in the newspaper that the Council of state (statsrd) consorting with
the idea of convening the parliament, that garrison departments should be mobilised from
november 1, one month school and then after that they were to relive the others. None of the
councils found it reasonable to inform me beforehand. I take it as a proof of the superflous one is
seen to be even under these conditions," he concluded. The day after the Norwegian protest was
sent to the British, the king took the matter up with the government: "Until after the council
meeting (statrd) i found it regrettable that we only protest against England and not simultaneousl
against Germany. The prime minister announced that a protest to both parts would happend shortly
from a united Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands, besides Norway. I felt that it did not concern
my question, (since) what i reggreted, was that we did not complain to both sides" The only thing
the brits had done was to warn Norwegian shipowners against a dangerous route across the North,
the King belived: "... if we do not, we expose ourselves for mines and other foolishness, but we have
no one to blame. The germans have laid mines in the North Sea, without anyone noticing, and they
have put mines north of Ireland, likewise without saying it, so it seems to me that the protest must
almost be said to be hollow-eyed against Germany. now they go completely free and have expressed
that they are as innocent as lambs" The governments protest were initially rejected by the brits. but
repeated complains from Norwegian shipping companies made a compromise with the brits:
Norwegian ships that were heading for America could sail north of Britain through the Minch start to
be inspected there. But the brits also demonstrated what punishment they had for the men who did
not do this: The shipping companies that did not allow themself to be inspired in britain, would the
black listed at all British coal stations worldwide. The argeeement was obviously voluntarily, but the
threat of running out of coal if they did not do what the brits said, meant that in reality the
shipowners had no choice.
Also in this case King Haakon defended the British decision and acted ore and more like "their man"
by the time war broke out he had urged the gvernment to break the neutrality and go into an
alliance with Britain, in the line of the admiralities desire. since he had defended the british
measures through thick and think, encouraged by Minister Findlay, who constantly was invited to
royal lunch or dinner. The king was convinced that Norway would not manage to maintain neutrality
and that we had to "be prpeared to take the shoice for or against, what day that would be. The War
was a worl war, and in 1801 and 1807 (he reffers to the capture of the dano-norwegian fleet by
Horatio Nelson in 1801 and bombardment of Copenhagen in 1807) it led to nobody beeing allowed
to be outside, or neutral, then you either took a decided enemy than a friend who was undecleared"
In the King's eyes Britain had joined the war with a mission: to rescue countries like Norway from
going under. "England had begun teh war so that small countries could continue their exsitence. We
should not forget that in this war, and it is our duty to help this side to win" he stressed in a meeting
with the minister of defense, Holtfoldt. to know what the government was doing regarding the new
rumors that german submarines attacked british warships from bases in Norway. There were several
episodes that had fueled such suspicons. After the attack on the cruiser "Antrim 9th october. the
british warships sailed into the archipelago of Utsira to see if the German submarine had hidden
there. The suspicion was boosted by the sinking of "Hawke" in the same sease a few days later, and
was no less when the British freighter "Glita" was hailed by a german submarine a few nautical miles
off Skudenshavn the 20th october. After the crew were forced into lifeboats, the germans curled out
the bottom vents on the ship and let it sink. The brits were later picked up by the Norwegian navy
and brought to shore. In mid-November, it looked like the King's hopes of a German defeat would be
realized. French, British and Belgian forces had driven the Germans further north of Aisne, and a
breakthrough in Flanders could be imminent. Perhaps there could be a imminent end to the war.
King Haakon VII is by many regarded as one of the greatest Norwegians of the twentieth century and
is particularly revered for his courage during the German invasionhe threatened abdication if the
government cooperated with the invading Germansand for his leadership and preservation of
Norwegian unity during the Nazi occupation. He died at the age of 85 on 21 September 1957, after
having reigned for nearly 52 years. (wikipedia)
https://www.epla.no/media/u/shops/6468/products/779349/b84f7c81-1663-45a2-b3a81b4e4fe74260_org_medium.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7733/17769873135_7c9804a4b6_b.jpg
Pictures from the coronation of King Haakon VII 22 June 1906
http://cache4.asset-cache.net/gc/537571407-coronation-of-king-haakon-vii-on-june-22gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=X7WJLa88Cweo9HktRLaNXqjePc3s4OeM0pz5TazLvr5IwF
koBoLLm3ENhMO27Mok6XGMW7X0wBrctVn%2FOEJHHg%3D%3D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US4vvUAVyQ0
http://cache3.asset-cache.net/gc/152240107-coronation-of-king-haakon-vii-and-queen-maudgettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=GkZZ8bf5zL1ZiijUmxa7QXWdzHBu5deEES4nVTiOIIwfo9K
eeT3Cg3uHujK99MfeAGJ2JHH16kq5G4ID9b8qSQ%3D%3D
http://images.npg.org.uk/264_325/4/8/mw168248.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Kroningen_i_Trondhjem_1906.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Queen_Maud_and_King_Haakon_VII,_1906.
jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/King_Haakon_VII_and_Queen_Maud.jpg
http://www.royalcourt.no/aim/kongehuset2/files/f/4/a/35c4bae03b19a6c2a304d8d5a006e509299
8c91cab/f4a35c4bae03b19a6c2a304d8d5a006e5092998c91cab.jpg
The Royal Cariole used by King Haakon in the coronation process
https://thornews.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/kongelig-karjol.jpg
This was the last coronation in Scandinavia, the first coronation in scandinavia also took place in
Norway in 1163/1164 when King Magnus Erlingsson was crowned by the Archbishop in Bergen.
Gunnar Knudsens first cabinet 19 March 1908 and 2 February 1910
https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Claus_Ihlen#/media/File:Gunnar_Knudsens_regjering_2_(352784
4907).jpg
Gunnar Knudsens Second cabinet 31 January 1913 - 21 July 1920
https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunnar_Knudsen#/media/File:Gunnar_Knudsens_regjering_1_(35286
56428).jpg
NOTE: The second image is incorrectly marked as 1908-1910 but does indeed show Knudsens
second cabinet in 1913 [source: wikipedia article in norwegian "Gunnar Knudsens second cabinet"]
[quoted from the book "Insanity on the Western Front - Norwegian and Swedish soldiers in no man's
land]
Tryggve Gran
The Polar and fly hero that changed side
Prior to the Great war Gran was a norwegian national hero. He participate in the race to the south
pole, is the first to fly over the North Sea, and triumphed against "The flying circus" over the
Western Front. Then he became a traitor and a nazi collabourator.
"Komm mal hier, junge Freund!"
"Come over here, young friend" Kaiser Wihelm II says and waves to the 13-year old Tryggve Gran.
The boy is speechless. Infront of him this hot august day in 1901 stands no other then the fabled
ruler of the mighty German Empire. The Kaiser himself is in Bergen and wants to greet him. After
acouple steps the smiling monarch gives Tryggve a real hand shake. He is going to meet the kaiser
several times. These honorable meetings gives quite a lasting impression on Tryggve Gran. It
cemented a pro-german view in him. With the time he became a nazist and a personal friend of
Hermann Goering, hailed by Vidkun Quisling and the nazi party. The young boy grows up in a german
friendly overclass-enviorment in Bergen, where Kaiser wilhelm is a permanent guest of honour. The
german kaiser loved Vestlandet (west coast region of norway). (sadly this was all this book had to
give me because i read from the preview version from google books online)
Letters, diaries and memorials quoted from Norwegian volunteers on the Western front, july to
august 1916.
Interview video from 1964:
https://tv.nrk.no/program/fola64009564/tryggve-gran-og-den-foerste-flygning-over-nordsjoeen
In this video some fun fact that i did not know of was stated such as; in 1908 he was nr 11 and
played in norways first international march, which ended in 3-11 defeat against sweden, In the
norwegian national fottball team, later a english admiral described him as a robber chieftain, he was
also involved in Nygaards Battalion (one of Bergen Corps) from his childhood and until his death,
including as an officer. And additonaly it mentions that his fly over the north sea was very dramatic,
30 liters of gasoline and 10 liters of oil every hour consumption, and so little gasoline that he had to
take extra cans with him to not run empty of gasoline. He had initaly planed the trip much later, but
he had just heard that due to the war all air trafic in britain would be closed within 3 days and when
he set fly he had only hours. He also had konjakk packed for the trip. From 17:16 you can also see
video from when he crossed the north sea. "The north sea was conquered in the last time, only a
few days later the sea was turned into a war theatre" at 30:50 u can see another video with gran
from 1934.
Lyder Ramstad 1 July 1916 Vimy ridge
"Sometimes the last nights, when the breeze was from south or south-west and the artillery
stopped, we could hear a distant, rolling sound reminding me of a thunderstorm. It had to be a
devestating cannonade happening south of us. We were soon made aware that the English had
attacked with hordes of troops between Bapaume and Peronne. With a ammunition consumption
never seen early, and for that matter never exceded under the war, the english artillery tried to
hammer up a opening in the german front. The battle of Somme had begun."
him commander sergant. but "The fatty" cant stand unfriendlyness within the officers, and i dont
want to make myself enemy with Heinerich and tjokken. "The fatty" was our battalion commander,
and this disrepsectful language is only used by Belfrage and me when we talk swedish-norwegian. if
the major knew this, we would probably not remained long at a loss about where King David bought
his widely heralded beer"
Cedric Archer, 31. July 1916 Berteaucourt
"I hope you recieved my last telegram i asked cousin Toonie to send to you, with the message that i
was still alive. Well, now i was really close, and how i managed to survive will forever remain the
biggest miracle which have happend to me. Assume you have read about the battle (Pozieres) in the
newspapers, and i feel that the details are too terrible to writte about, at least now. We lay down in
the trenches in 4 days before the attack, whilst we worked us ready, and got very little sleep. And
after the attack we had to be there in 4 days more; we fought and kept looking and worked hard
without any sleep at all. you can imagine how we had it, when we at last were attached. They
compare the last days bombardements with that of Verdun, and it was as bad every time, so it is not
weird that a poor man is near collaps. We marched only a couple kilometers that night we came out,
before we death weary fell to the ground in a region full of bomb crates and recieved a couple hours
of rest. When we waked up again, we looked at eachother and wondered if we had turned mad. It
was at least 5 minutes before we pulled eachother together. we had been in the trenches for 10
days, 10 days without washing or changing clothes: the working in the mud, and black smoke which
almost strangled me, had at all times been a couple centimeters away from my face; you can
imagine how i looked. The worst parts we will have to talk about at a later point. Jack Henderson
was wounded in the knee, and Jack Blair and Percy Warner (i think i have mentioned him) were
wounded in the head. i have not heard from any of them yet. Nevertheless we managed to drive the
germans out of several lines of trenches, including a village. We also took a few prisoners. Some of
them were wounded, and had to be treated after best manners and gave them watter,
simoultanously the germans yelled "wie geht's" etc. Etc."
Lyder Ramstad, August 1916 Bazentin-Le-Petit
"When the company was divided Belfrage arrived. Nobody shoould in the narrow, springly shape
with the slippy face which shined of healthiness and a good humor, recognize the lazy,
gunpoweredsword and beardy figure as the night came over the village. As always correct andfine as
a new penny, he delivered the company. Eleventh' company with 12 underofisers and 81 men
participated, mr premiere lieutnant! with grous to the right march!
There are several other notables of this kind, if they are needed i can gladly find more of them.
The labour time [quoted from the norwegian wikiarticle "Jobbetid"]
In the shipping industry the increased risk of torpedoing and shipwrecks led to the increased growth
in freight rates - espesially after germany proclaimed unrestricted submarine warfare on 1 february
1917. fom the outbreak of war until the end of 1917 the amount of shipping over the north sea was
50 times higher. thus, it ought to fairytale profits in the shipping industry and old and new deputies
could make a fortune in a short time. Admittedly at a great risk - 900 ships were lost and 2,000
Norwegian sailors lost their lives during the war - but the ships were usually insured and shipping
companies built new ships or put money in other stocks.
The examples of fairytale profits were numerous. A merchant in Christiania (Oslo) who sat on a
bigger party copper was hospitalized at the outbreak of war, and when he was discharged a few
months afterwards, the value of the copper had increased so much that he had become a
millionaire. Something simmilar happend with a wholesaler from Vestlandet (West coast region of
norway) which had brought up large batches of fish products. By keeping his goods long enough he
managed to increase his value from . 5000 to NOK. 5000 000. both of these wholesalers newfound
fortunes disappeared in the crisis that followed in the labour time.
The money flowed from speculation gains, it was created 1 600 new stock companies between 1915
and 1920, 80 new commercial banks saw the light. Revenues were so large that shipowners and
stock speculators ("the workers") ultimately did not find it reasonable investment objects to put
them in. the new rich decayed into a hilarious lifestyle with large parties with champagne and
russian caviar. the term "lobster and canary" stems from the labour times nouveaux riches, who
gladly ordered the most expensive they could get without a thought of the food and drink fit
together.
for the rest the war led difficulties in obtaining their daily bread. supply problems led to sharply
increasing prices for consumer goods, and the cost of living tripled over the period. at the same time
wages only increased by 90% these years, and especially public employees had trouble making ends
meet. many itmes were anyway only obtainable on the black market, which meant that the situation
in practice was much worse for most people than the numbers show. from year-end 1917 to 1918
esseintial goods such as bread, sugar and coffe was rationed. In 1917 it was built warehouse
barracks in Frogner, 4 pieces, 20m wide, 60m long. some of the remaining buildings from the
anniversary exhibition was also put to use as storage.
the economic situation imrpoved when the war was over, and the demand for consumer goods rose
sharply. from 1919 there was expansion with strong economical growth and inflation. in 1920 there
came the stock crash which ended in many of the new bank and companies collapsing and
inagurated period of stagnation and mass unemployment.
Drbak sound mined under world war 1. [source stlandets blad (local newspaper in the eastern
part of norway, article made by the historian Ole Kjeldsberg Endresen) ]
Roy Andersens book about Norway and the Great War was in many ways historic. it was 87 years
since last time it was rewritten. He provides new information: Drbak sound mined in 1914.
Drbak sound mined: Historian and author Roy Andersen here next to the anchor of Blucher in
Drbak beach. Drbak sound behind him was mined in 1914 in fear that the english would establish
bases in norway under world war 1.
Roy Andersen is a historian and author which newly published the book "1914 - Into the
catastrophe) through access to king haakons archives in the royal castle, he brings new and startling
information about the king's stance the summer of 1914.
The kings battle
The norwegian government fouight to defend norwegian neutrality, whilst king haakon along with
Fridjof Nansen worked to overthrow prime minister Gunnar Knudsen and go into alliance with Great
Britain.
- What would have happend if the king had succeded ?
- then sweden would have been forced to go with Germany. both norway and scandinavian history
would have looked diffrent, Roy Andersen said, he is also known as a succesfull raspberry farmer.
Occationaly between hectic raspberry harvest in stre torp, he has the last two years done reaserch
in the castle archives, the archives of the foreign ministry and government archives in London to
form a picture of Norway's role during the 1st World War. specific British plans to establish a naval
base in Norway he found in England. but the plans were never realized.
"Forgotten" war
-There is always increasing number of books about WW2. why is there so little interest for the great
war in norway now 100 years after the outbreak of war?
-Historians in Norway have been most concerned about the Viking Age, 1814 and WW2, which is
geographically closer, and therefore these fields also recieved funding.
-What impact did the 1st world war have on norway?
-Historians agree that the war was a triggering factor for the Russian revolution and the stock
market crash on wall street was also caused by the war. the settlement after the war was also the
reason why adolf hitler was able to come to power in Germany.
-So in that sense one can say that we perhaps would not have had a WW2 if the first war didnt break
out. likewise the cold war until 1991, when russia was dissolved.
-Therefore, 1. world war affected us, both Norway and Europe, to a greater extent than we have
been aware of, says the author. it is almost 90 years since the last time it was written about Norway
and the great war. in 1927 wilhelm Keihau wrote the book "Norway and the world war"
A concidence.
The history of Norway [sourcehistorien.wiki which uses the great norwegian encylopedia as their
source.. written by K. Helle, S. Dyrvik, E. Hovland, T. Grnlie, "mainbook in norwegian history",
university 2013]
Norway was seen as the neutraly ally during the great war. For norway it was important that the
import of foodstuffs and raw materials was mainatained so people should not languish or starve and
that the productions of the country would continue. the warring nations placed demands for
imports and as the war evolved they became more and more stringent. eventually the state had to
start resorting to regulations and came with a number of prohibitons and orders to make the
Brititish, who were the masters of the oceans and controlled shipping, happy. but at the same time
try to avoid that the Germans were so angered that they would go in with military forces in the
country. USA defended the neutral countries in the world war until 1919, when they went from
defending the neutral states to aiding the brits with putting pressure on imports. for norway this
meant that poductions fell because there were major problems with supplies to the country.
The warring countries did however also have big needs of goods from Norway and shipping services
that could contribute. this was something norway could not fully expolit, because the british
controlled the norwegian ships before they could go. to keep their interests alive, they had to push
norway to reduce exports and services to germany. meanwhile, they also had to take care to
preserve norway's position as neutral to avoid us beeing dragged into the war.
The goal of norway during World War 1 was to maintain their neutrality, prevent distress in the
country, keeping production field and thus sustain employment in the country.
The Norwegian army under world war 1 [source: https://www.geni.com/projects/Det-norskeforsvaret-under-f%25C3%25B8rste-verdenskrig/17592 the site also reffers to a number of reliable
sources in the end]
The Norwegian Armed Forces did not take part in the great war but it soldified and protected the
neutrality that the Norwegian state authorities with all the powers sought to retain under difficult
and dangerous circumstances. Thanks to a systematic strenghtening of the defense over several
years, Norway had during World War 1 a significant ability to meet requierements of international
alw that a neutral state as far as possible, and if neccecery by force, oppose any attemt by
belligerent to benefit from its territory for military targets.
From 2. august 1914 the government decided to mobilise the Navy, man all coastal fortresses after
some reduced mobilizzation plans and assign the planned coverage division from the army. it was in
particular the sections around Kristiansand, Bergen and Agdenes the neutrality guards first were
assigned to protect, but also in the Oslo fjord and north of Agdenes, it was during the war struck
measures to preserve neutrality. a few days after the mobilization on August 2 the Navy took over
the guarding of territorial waters along the coast.
Besides the neutrality guard the army shouild also ensure effective security of internment camps
and in important magazines, bridges and industrial plants. conscritpion age was lowered to 21 years.
Landsvernets organization was boosted partly by hirring more permanent salaried officers. under
world war 1 the army's war strenght was raised up to 150,00 men.
the neutrality guardd was disbanded in most of Norway on the 15 november 1918. however, due to
unrest in Finland and Russia it was conitnued in Finmark until 30 June 1921.
The text above is an excerpt from Vestoppland Infantry Regiment No.. 6 of Sigmund Amundsen and
Jacob Bragstad
Defense Secretary
1913-1914 Hans William Dopp Mandallsgate Keilhau
1914-1919 Christian Theodor Holtfodt
1919 Rudolf Elias Peersen
1919-1920 Ivar Aavatsmark
1920-1921 Karl Wilhelm Wefring
1921-1923 Ivar Aavatsmark
ARMY
commanding General
I. Battalion (Hadeland)
1911-1915 Lieutenant Colonel Emil Adolf Eriksen
1915-1918 Lieutenant Colonel Axel Lyche
1918-1928 Major Ragnvald Hvoslef
II. Battalion (Valdres)
1911-1917 Major (1915) / Lieutenant Colonel (1915) Birger Fredrik Sinding-Larsen (1915-1917 nk IR
6)
1917-1918 Major Svend E. Vaage
1918-1930 Major Sven Brun Ebbell
III. Battalion (Hallingdal)
19 ?? - 1914 Lt. Col. C. A. S. Sissener
1914-1918 Major Hans Petter Jrgen Francis Gulbranson
1918-1930 Major Finn Qvale
IV. Battalion (land protection)
1911-1917 Major Oskar Hans Hjorth
1917-1928 Lieutenant Colonel Fredrik Rode (1917-1928 nk IR 6)
Norwegian Jade Wind (1918 Ranger Corps Infantry Regiment No.. 18 during 1st division)
I. Battalion
Opland The dragon regiment no. 2 (DR 2)
1917-1928 Colonel Ingvald Mareno Smith-Kielland
II. dragon corps
IV. dragon corps
Field Artillery Regiment no. 2 (AR 2), Gardermoen
1916-19 ?? Colonel Ramm
I. Field Artillery Battalion
1918-19 ?? Major Ole Kristian Kristiansen Laake
II. field artillery battalion
1915-1916 Major Jorgen Theodor Tandberg
1918-19 ?? Lt. Col. Michael Bosch Korda Landmark
III. field artillery battalion
1915-19 ?? Lieutenant Colonel A. O. Grner
I. Battalion (Trondenes)
19 ?? - 1915 Major D. E. Jackwitz
1915-1917 Major G. H. Trumpy
1918 Major J.C. Meinich
1918-1924 Major Peter Theodor Viken
II. Battalion (Bardu)
1915-19 ?? Major D. E. Jackwitz
III. Battalion (Lyngen)
1916-1922 Major Heyn van Kervel Kjerulf (1916-1922 nk IR 16)
independent battalions
Finnmark Battalion (shared in 1918 in Alta and Varanger battalions), Nyborgmoen
1914-1917 Lieutenant Colonel Alf Storm
1917 Lt. Col. Trygve Hyer
Alta Battalion (created in 1918), Altengaard
1918-1921 Major Magnus Christoffer Venaas
1921-1924 Major Olaf Petter Ilsaas
Varanger battalion (created in 1918), Nyborgmoen
1918-1919 Lieutenant Colonel Trygve Hyer
1919-1925 Lieutenant Colonel Olaf Klingenberg
Northern Norway engineer battalion (created in 1916), Harstad
1916 Major Karl Dahl
1917-1918 Major Georg Gundersen
1918-1926 Major Robert Major
field Artillery
Position Artilleribataljonen (1915 I. position artillery battalion under Field Artillery Regiment no. 1)
fortress Artillery
Oscar Borg
1912-1928 Colonel E. A. Maurtitz-Hansen
1916-1917 Major Georg Prahl Harbitz (fg. Commandant)
1917-1919 Lieutenant Colonel Carl Louis Trygve Sdring (fg. Commandant)
1919-1922 Colonel Olaf Elias Jlsen (fg. Commandant)
I. Fortress Battalion
1912-1928 Colonel E. A. Maurtitz-Hansen
II. Fortress Battalion
1915-1917 Major Georg Prahl Harbitz
?. Battalion (coverage strength)
Kristiansand befsetninger
1904-1915 Lieutenant Colonel F. K. Parr
1915-1917 Lieutenant Colonel E. G. Wang
1917-1928 Lieutenant Colonel (1917) / Colonel (1918) Ole Mathias Calmeyer
III. Fortress Battalion
1917-1928 Lieutenant Colonel (1917) / Colonel (1918) Ole Mathias Calmeyer
Bergen fortifications
1911-1916 Colonel J. Frden
1916-1917 Lieutenant Colonel M. S. Petersen
1917 Colonel E. G. Wang
1917-1931 Colonel Georg Prahl Harbitz
IV. Fortress Battalion
1917-1931 Colonel Georg Prahl Harbitz
?. Battalion (coverage strength)
1914-1927 Major Erik Johannes rstad (1914-1927 nk Berg. Bef.)
Agdenes fortifications
1912-1914 Major E. J. rstad
1914-1915 Major Ole Mathias Calmeyer
1915-1931 Major / Lieutenant Colonel Birger Kristian Eriksen
V. Fortress Battalion
1914-1915 Major Ole Mathias Calmeyer
MARINE
Commander Admiral
formulated a strong protest in which it said that the two paragraphs (...) will destroy the freedom of
speech, which is the right of the norwegian press, and it will threat the press for beeing put in a false
position towards foreign countries. one can not concession that the norwegian press during the war
acted in a improper manner. moreover the press will in particular suffer at the center of treatment"
the disuted clauses was defeated in the parliament. Urbye even had to resign. WW1 undoubtetdly
had consqecunses on journalism, Ottosen states. it was introduced telegrap censorship, and created
a censorship office in the foreign ministry.
Information is a important weapon in war, and it was a propaganda dominated war, and particulary
german press complained that german views were not allowed in norwegian press. Journalists were
arrested on suspicion of espionage, and for many years after World War I the trials against radical
press continued. Hans Christian Erlandsen tells the story of the british agent who in august 1916
took ino Victoria Hotel in Oslo. Officaly he came to Norway as a correspondent for Reuters, but in
reality he was paid by the British foreign ministry. his name was Rowland Kennedy, the revolutionary
journalist who became a great servant to his homeland when he was in norway. Kennedy had
previously lived in Norway, married a Norwegian woman, learned the language and had a large
network of contacts. Kennedy delivered detailed details about norwegian editors and their attitudes
towards the war, just as he analyzed the Norwegian newspaper coverage of the war.
1914 and the outbreak of war would also be the likely least known newspaper success in the
norwegian newspaper industry. on the big annerversary exhibition at Frogner to celebrate the 100
year old constitution the press was very much involved in. when the war broke out the war took
more and more spreas and column space in the norwegian ewspapers. on aug 3 the newspaper
could announce that yesterdays edition had been so populat that the people went to Onslaught at
the newspaper seller, and police had to be called to keep track of the crowd. at the anniversery
exhibition in Frogner there were 200 temporary buildings, which among the locals were called "the
white city" around 5000 exhibitors participated. it is estimated that around 1,5 million people visited
the exhibition, through 2.7 million individual visits. Norway at that time had a population of 2,4
million humans. During the exhibitions last day, 11 october, 110 000 people visited.
Video at the bottom:
https://www.nrk.no/kultur/slik-var-jubileumsutstillingen-1914-1.11717172
"this is how we celebrated 100 years of independence in 1914"
https://gfx.nrk.no/yRS2Gw9J6o5UxuJXdRwIag9jIdqOEbA_llzpFp1drwYg
https://gfx.nrk.no/9t6n7l5RLgblF2oHRn1vOgVcxfOd9ok13desWn_SJc5Q
https://gfx.nrk.no/q9-2MSPGVohkXansNO7V7AEmvumuzgcqHUdl_8XpE-NQ
https://gfx.nrk.no/urJE_N0RqhndcN9fpMDW7gjRKItqVpEq-TX0q706nwbA
https://gfx.nrk.no/eDV1pcpEGmVg_lwTmY6VYwRhmXBorAOsI50KjzhQsD9Q
https://gfx.nrk.no/e_ciJTdF8dIBkpyruui3uwAjT-rzvkdP02GRTZa1wnqA
https://gfx.nrk.no/nx2WcH0bTOxH5aAZ_sjEwgJglq8WlhaGoWYJLGX0gaIA
http://dms09.dimu.org/image/042sAYXBHfpP?dimension=250x250
https://gfx.nrk.no/wVMb-f4fOmDewEyxKzuQnw-HHxd6bxfbqeU9PpuTCC0A
http://www.nb.no/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/images/jubilaeumsutstillingen-1914kirstiania/80599-1-nor-NO/Jubilaeumsutstillingen-1914-Kirstiania.jpg
Postcards from the exhibition:
https://www.google.no/search?espv=2&biw=763&bih=761&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=norsk+postkort+191
4&oq=norsk+postkort+1914&gs_l=img.3...2263.4589.0.4674.14.14.0.0.0.0.182.1246.10j4.14.0....0...1
c.1.64.img..0.7.716...0j0i8i30j0i24.v3CGH9644-E#imgrc=dzqBAbuQIEFs6M%3A