Church Resistance To Nazism In Norway 1940 1945

Church Resistance to Nazism in Norway, 1940-1945 examines the evolution of the Lutheran state Church of Norway in response to the German occupation. While German Protestant churches generally accepted Nazism and state incorporation, Norway’s churches rejected both Nazism and ideological alignment. Arne Hassing moves through the history of the Church of Norway’s relationship to the Nazi state, from its initial confused complicities to its open resistance and separation. He writes engagingly of the people at the center of this struggle and reflects on how the resistance affected the postwar church and state.

The Norwegian Resistance during the Second World War (April 1940-June 1945) was basically a peaceful set of events conducted by the civilian population as well as underground military organizations. While sabotage and other hostile resistance acts did occur, they were not great in number. It should not be overlooked the Norwegian Armed Forces did fight for 63 days before admitting defeat to Germany. This paper will answer the question “Was the Norwegian Resistance successful against the German Nazis once their country was taken over by them during the Second World War?” The Warden theory of the organization of a system is used to categorize the Resistance movement, dissecting it and placing it in categories. Centers of gravity are noted and discussed. While the Norwegians did not have the military strength to beat the Germans, they did win many battles via their Resistance to the German Rule. These victories along with German acknowledgment prove the Norwegian Resistance was successful against the German Army and its rule over Norway.

Germany invaded Norway with a massive military force in April 1940. The author describes the Norwegian resistance movement including their effort to help Jews avoid Nazi death camps. Much of the resistance movement was led by clergy from the Norwegian Lutheran church and by school teachers. Section two describes our escape from western Norway via a fishing boat to Scotland, and then on a Norwegian freighter to Canada. On each leg of our trip we experienced a military attack from either a German airplane or a submarine attack. I was four years old at the time of our escape; one of my brothers was eight years old, and our younger brother was eighteen months old. My mother made all the arrangements and experienced the brunt of the stress of our escape, because my father had already escaped previously. The final section of the book focuses on reflections by us three brothers, now some sixty years after our escape. We have come to a painful realization that anti-Semitism has a long history in our Christian churches (Protestant and Catholic) that contributed to the silence and even collaboration with the Nazi plans for the holocaust.

Conway presents a landmark text on the history of German churches during the Nazi era.

Hitler and Nazi Germany: A History is a brief but comprehensive survey of the Third Reich based on current research findings that provides a balanced approach to the study of Hitler’s role in the history of the Third Reich. The book considers the economic, social, and political forces that made possible the rise and development of Nazism; the institutional, cultural, and social life of the Third Reich; World War II; and the Holocaust. World War II and the Holocaust are presented as logical outcomes of the ideology of Hitler and the Nazi movement. This new edition contains more information on the Kaiserreich (Imperial Germany), as well as Nazi complicity in the Reichstag Fire and increased discussion of consent and dissent during the Nazi attempt to create the ideal Volksgemeinschaft (people’s community). It takes a greater focus on the experiences of ordinary bystanders, perpetrators, and victims throughout the text, includes more discussion of race and space, and the final chapter has been completely revised. Fully updated, the book ensures that students gain a complete and thorough picture of the period and issues. Supported by maps, images, and thoroughly updated bibliographies that offer further reading suggestions for students to take their study further, the book offers the perfect overview of Hitler and the Third Reich.