Denmark
spent little on defence during the 1930s and when the German
Army invaded
on 9th April 1940 the armed forces were defeated on the first day.
Most of the Danish merchant fleet escaped and sailed to Allied ports.
Over the next four years 60 per cent of these ships were sunk by the
German
Navy and
around 600 Danish sailors were killed transporting Allied supplies.
Unlike
other occupied countries Denmark was able retain its monarchy. The
Danish government expelled Allied diplomats, imposed strict press
censorship, and in November 1941 signed the Anti-Comintern
Pact.
Denmark
was forced to supply Germany with food and
raw materials. This created problems for the Danish economy and the
country suffered from price inflation and the government was forced
to impose food rationing.
Opposition
to the German occupation grew and anti-Nazi newspapers began to appear
in Denmark. The resistance helped
nearly all Denmark's 8,000 Jews were helped to escape to Sweden
and in 1943 the Freedom Council, an underground government, was established.
Denmark
was liberated by Allied forces on 5th May 1945.
(1)
William Shirer, CBS Broadcast from Berlin
(9th April, 1939)
The German occupation of
Norway and Denmark, which the German newspapers tell us was done to
safeguard their freedom and security, continues according to schedule,
according to military circles in Berlin.
Denmark, which offered
no resistance at all, was said to have been almost completely occupied
by night-fall, that is - about two hours ago.
The situation in Norway
is more obscure. The Germans admit that the Norwegians put up quite
a little resistance at two places on the south coast - at Kristiansand
and Oslo, the capital. Late in the afternoon, however, Berlin announced
that Nazi troops had entered the Norwegian capital.
Incidentally, most of the
Americans still in Berlin, especially our diplomats, had their families
in Oslo. But there was no communication with the capital today, and
their fate is unknown.
It's emphasized in Berlin
that the German air force, which broke the back of Poland in less
than a week, took a prominent part in today's action. What the navies
are doing - the German and British - we don't know yet in Berlin.
There is no news of any engagement, nor have the Germans had anything
to say about the report that one of their transports, the Rio de
Janeiro, was sunk.
Incidentally, the Wilhelmstrasse
denies that Germany intends to make protectorates out of Denmark and
Norway. The official contention here is, as I've said, that Germany
had saved the freedom and the independence of these two neutral countries,
and that's what the press drums on tonight.
(2)
Manchester Guardian (10th April,
1940)
Almost within twelve hours of the invasion of
Denmark and Norway yesterday the Germans had overrun the whole
of Denmark and Oslo, the Norwegian capital, had fallen.
Late last night the Germans
claimed that all points of military importance in Norway had been
occupied. A German High Command communiqué said:
At the end of the day all
bases of military importance in Norway are in German hands. Narvik,
Trondhjem, Bergen, Stavanger, Kristiansamd, and Oslo are especially
strongly occupied.
Where serious resistance
was encountered - for instance, at Oslo and Kristlandsand - it was
broken.
Norway's coastal fortifications,
which were taken in close co-operation between the Navy Air Force,
and Army shock troops, are now ready to repel any enemy attack.
There are, however, reports
from other sources of Norwegian resistance. A Berlin broadcast last
night admitted that the German High Command "has found it necessary"
to bomb severely several cities and towns in Northern Norway.
Oslo was occupied by the
Germans in the afternoon. They at once set up a "puppet"
Government, under the leader of the Norwegian Nazi party, "to
protect Norway's interests."
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