In early 1940, the entire world was thrown into the chaos of World War II. The Soviet Union had attacked Finland, but ran into the Finnish army like a concrete wall. Hitler was preparing plans for the invasion of Western Europe, while France and Britain were looking for solutions to block the Nazi dictator. Since at that time the Scandinavian Peninsula was the hottest spot in Europe, a radio speech by Winston Churchill would have unsuspected consequences.
In January 1940, the Allies were making all kinds of plans for an intervention in northern Europe. Sending French and British troops to Finland’s aid was an option that was openly discussed but carried many risks.
Allied plans
On January 15, 1940, General Maurice Gamelin, commander of the French army, addressed a note to Edouard Daladier, the prime minister, regarding the advisability of opening a new theater of war in Scandinavia. He also presents him with a plan to land an Allied force in Petsamo Bay, in northern Finland, accompanied by the recommendation of a precautionary measure consisting of “seizing the ports and airfields on the west coast of Norway.”
The plan further envisaged the possibility of “extending operations to Sweden” and the occupation of the iron mines at Gallivare. The great problem of the allies was determined not so much by a possible intervention in the aid of Finland, but especially by the violation of the neutrality of Sweden and Norway.
Churchill’s speech: “But what would happen if all these neutral nations joined the British and French Empires against aggression and injustice?”
Five days later, on January 20, Winston Churchill gave a radio speech, which attracted the protests of neutral countries, but also the attention of Adolf Hitler. Churchill addressed neutral countries in his speech, reminding them of their duty to join the fight against Hitler.
In the speech, Churchill argued for Allied naval forces’ chances of victory at sea, referring to the losses suffered by neutral countries’ ships in the face of German U-boat attack, in contrast to the safety that Allied ships in convoy could provide . Then he asked: “But what would happen if all these neutral nations I mentioned (Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, no) – and several others unspecified – simultaneously had the impulse to make their duty under the charter of the League of Nations, and would join the British and French Empires against aggression and injustice?”
The suggestion caused an uproar, so that the media in Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland were quick to reject it, while in London it was announced, in a conciliatory tone, that in the radio interview Churchill was expressing a point of view strictly personal.
Hitler reacts to Churchill’s speech
But Churchill’s speech increased Hitler’s focus on Scandinavia. Already in the French and British media there had been too many hints about possible Allied actions in Scandinavia.
On January 27, Hitler ordered his military advisers to prepare detailed plans for an invasion of Norway, if necessary. The general staff specially formed for this purpose met for the first time on February 5.
An Allied Expeditionary Force
Also that day, the Allied Supreme War Council met in Paris, and the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, took Winston Churchill with him.
“At the meeting, plans were adopted to prepare a force consisting of two British divisions and a somewhat smaller French contingent, known as “Aid for Finland.” The troops were to be “camouflaged as volunteers” in order to reduce the risks of an open war with Russia. A controversy arose, however, regarding the route by which they were to be sent.
The British Prime Minister emphasized the difficulties of a landing at Petsamo, in contrast to the advantages presented by Narvik (port in Norway, no) – especially to “gain control over the iron deposits at Gällivare” (located in Sweden, no). This would be the main objective, with only a small part of the respective forces continuing to advance to Finland’s aid. As the British arguments prevailed, it remained fixed for the military forces to embark in early March,” noted military historian Liddell Hart.
Hitler invades Norway and Denmark
Three weeks later, Hitler summoned General Nikolaus von Falkenhorst and tasked him with commanding and preparing an expeditionary force in Norway. On March 1, Hitler issues the directive for the full preparation of the invasion. Under this directive, Denmark was also to be fully occupied.
All the while, the Allies devised plans but hesitated to put them into practice until it was too late. On April 9, Nazi Germany invaded Norway under the eyes of the Allies.
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Source: www.descopera.ro
