I am a retired American librarian over here in Norway for my younger Norwegian-American children. I am also a World War 2 historian and boardgame designer who had never heard of President Roosevelt's "Look to Norway" speech before I moved over.
In it, FDR showcased Norway as a classic example of an innocent, neutral country attacked and occupied by the Nazis ... and fighting back. Free Norway sailors and ships - especially merchant marine as well as naval - airmen, and commandos and other soldiers were fighting tooth and nail to get their country back.
Just one example: the British-built Norwegian destroyer Stord was the one that got in closest to the cornered German battle cruiser Scharnhorst off the North Cape/Nord Kapp in Dec43 to get the most torpedo hits on it and sink it. After VE-Day Stord was then fitting out for the Pacific, when our atom bombs finally ended the horror there.
Norway's neutrality had been compromised by the Altmark Affair, where British Captain Vian took destroyer Cossack into a fjord to free from the German tanker Altmark British merchant seamen captured by German raiders in the North and South Atlantic. Knowing Germany's navy - even u-boats - could be bottled up with an Allied-controlled Norway, Hitler risked his entire navy in a desperate Northern invasion gamble, high-lighted by the first airborne invasion of a country, against which both Norway and Britain were completely unprepared.
The film shows a confused Norwegian Parliament and aging and distraught King Håkon coming to grips with the reality of Norway's situation, strongly and decisively urged by younger Prince Olav. It also shows the German ambassador pushed by Hitler to get the Norwegians to surrender as Denmark - being hopelessly flat - had soon done.
The unexpectedly sharp resistance of the young trainees and their reserve officers on Oscarsborg Festning/Fortress island - now a beautiful national family park with the Krupp guns still there and an excellent museum - is unforgettably realistic and vivid ... one of the greatest film segments I have seen.
Their prevention of the quick taking of capital Oslo and the capture of not just the royal family and Parliament but Norway's considerable gold reserve - I've met the grand niece of the fellow who got that out, called a "bank robber" by the traitor Quisling - gave Norway time to rally.
The depiction of a young Norwegian soldier's experience - another true story - helps the viewer understand the distraught confusion being felt by all Norwegians, who were in for 5 years of hard Nazi occupation.
But it is Prince Olav's wife, Princess Margaret - the mother of today's King Harald - who is especially interesting. She was very intelligent and immediately realized the importance of 3 year old Crown Prince Harald getting to safety to ensure the government's legitimacy and free survival.
She and the children were spirited out of Norway and then with the help of her Swedish royal relatives up to Petsamo Finland to board the American transport American Legion and get to safety in America.
The Roosevelts actually let them stay in the White House for a time - imagine little Harald running up and down its halls :-) - and FDR so impressed by Margaret that he gave that speech.
And this (2020) fall, there is to be a TV series about all this, titled Atlantic Crossing.
In any case, Norway coming to its decision to fight - for war - and coming of international age, is compellingly portrayed in this.
And it is pertinent to note that now-internationally-focused Norway has been elected to be on the UN Security Council for a term starting next year.
GREAT film and an interesting comparison to the Danish 9 April 1940 experience, depicted in a movie with that date for its title.
In it, FDR showcased Norway as a classic example of an innocent, neutral country attacked and occupied by the Nazis ... and fighting back. Free Norway sailors and ships - especially merchant marine as well as naval - airmen, and commandos and other soldiers were fighting tooth and nail to get their country back.
Just one example: the British-built Norwegian destroyer Stord was the one that got in closest to the cornered German battle cruiser Scharnhorst off the North Cape/Nord Kapp in Dec43 to get the most torpedo hits on it and sink it. After VE-Day Stord was then fitting out for the Pacific, when our atom bombs finally ended the horror there.
Norway's neutrality had been compromised by the Altmark Affair, where British Captain Vian took destroyer Cossack into a fjord to free from the German tanker Altmark British merchant seamen captured by German raiders in the North and South Atlantic. Knowing Germany's navy - even u-boats - could be bottled up with an Allied-controlled Norway, Hitler risked his entire navy in a desperate Northern invasion gamble, high-lighted by the first airborne invasion of a country, against which both Norway and Britain were completely unprepared.
The film shows a confused Norwegian Parliament and aging and distraught King Håkon coming to grips with the reality of Norway's situation, strongly and decisively urged by younger Prince Olav. It also shows the German ambassador pushed by Hitler to get the Norwegians to surrender as Denmark - being hopelessly flat - had soon done.
The unexpectedly sharp resistance of the young trainees and their reserve officers on Oscarsborg Festning/Fortress island - now a beautiful national family park with the Krupp guns still there and an excellent museum - is unforgettably realistic and vivid ... one of the greatest film segments I have seen.
Their prevention of the quick taking of capital Oslo and the capture of not just the royal family and Parliament but Norway's considerable gold reserve - I've met the grand niece of the fellow who got that out, called a "bank robber" by the traitor Quisling - gave Norway time to rally.
The depiction of a young Norwegian soldier's experience - another true story - helps the viewer understand the distraught confusion being felt by all Norwegians, who were in for 5 years of hard Nazi occupation.
But it is Prince Olav's wife, Princess Margaret - the mother of today's King Harald - who is especially interesting. She was very intelligent and immediately realized the importance of 3 year old Crown Prince Harald getting to safety to ensure the government's legitimacy and free survival.
She and the children were spirited out of Norway and then with the help of her Swedish royal relatives up to Petsamo Finland to board the American transport American Legion and get to safety in America.
The Roosevelts actually let them stay in the White House for a time - imagine little Harald running up and down its halls :-) - and FDR so impressed by Margaret that he gave that speech.
And this (2020) fall, there is to be a TV series about all this, titled Atlantic Crossing.
In any case, Norway coming to its decision to fight - for war - and coming of international age, is compellingly portrayed in this.
And it is pertinent to note that now-internationally-focused Norway has been elected to be on the UN Security Council for a term starting next year.
GREAT film and an interesting comparison to the Danish 9 April 1940 experience, depicted in a movie with that date for its title.