Editing Norway (section)

== History ==
{{Main|History of Norway|History of Scandinavia}}

=== Prehistory ===
{{Main|Scandinavian prehistory}}
[[File:Bronze Age boats.png|thumb|left|[[Nordic Bronze Age]] [[rock carvings]] at [[Steinkjer]], [[Central Norway]]]]
The earliest traces of human occupation in Norway are found along the coast, where the huge ice shelf of the [[Last glacial period|last ice age]] first melted between 11,000 and 8000 BC. The oldest finds are stone tools dating from 9500 to 6000 BC, discovered in [[Finnmark]] ([[Komsa culture]]) in the north and [[Rogaland]] ([[Fosna-Hensbacka culture|Fosna culture]]) in the southwest. Theories about the two cultures being separate were deemed obsolete in the 1970s.<ref name="Randsborg2009">{{cite book | author = Klavs Randsborg | date = 14 September 2009 | title = The Anatomy of Denmark: Archaeology and History from the Ice Age to AD 2000 | publisher = Bloomsbury Academic | pages = | isbn = 978-0-7156-3842-2 | oclc = 1114604682}}</ref>

Between 3000 and 2500 BC, new settlers ([[Corded Ware culture]]) arrived in [[eastern Norway]]. They were [[Proto-Indo-Europeans|Indo-European]] farmers who grew grain and kept livestock, and gradually replaced the hunting-fishing population of the west coast.

=== Metal Ages ===
{{Main|Nordic Bronze Age|Iron Age Scandinavia}}
From about 1500 BC, [[bronze]] was gradually introduced. Burial cairns built close to the sea as far north as [[Harstad Municipality|Harstad]] and also inland in the south are characteristic of this period, with rock carving motifs that differ from those of the [[Stone Age]], depicting ships resembling the [[Hjortspring boat]], while large stone burial monuments known as [[stone ship]]s were also erected.<ref>Ling 2008. ''Elevated Rock Art''. GOTARC Serie B. Gothenburg Archaeological Thesis 49. Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Gothenburg, Goumlteborg, 2008. {{ISBN|978-9185245345}}.</ref>

There is little archaeological evidence dating to the early [[Iron Age]] (the last 500 years BC). The dead were cremated, and their graves contained few goods. During the first four centuries AD, the people of Norway were in contact with Roman-occupied [[Gaul]]; about 70 Roman bronze cauldrons, often used as burial urns, have been found. Contact with countries farther south brought a knowledge of [[runes]]; the oldest known Norwegian runic inscription dates from the third century.

=== Viking Age ===
{{Main|Petty kingdoms of Norway|Viking Age}}
{{See also|Unification of Norway|Hereditary Kingdom of Norway}}
{{multiple image|align = right|direction = diagonal|total_width = 280|image1 = Le bateau viking dOseberg (4835828216).jpg|caption1 = The [[Oseberg ship]] at the [[Viking Ship Museum (Oslo)|Viking Ship Museum]] in Oslo|image2 = Viking swords at Bergen Museum.jpg|caption2 = [[Viking sword]]s found in Norway, preserved at the [[Bergen Museum]]}}
By the time of the first historical records of Scandinavia, about the 8th century, several small political entities existed in Norway. It has been estimated that there were nine petty realms in Western Norway during the early [[Viking Age]].<ref>Bjørn Ringstad, ''Vestlandets største gravminner. Et forsøk på lokalisering av forhistoriske maktsentra'', (Bergen, 1986)</ref> Archaeologist Bergljot Solberg on this basis estimates that there would have been at least 20 in the whole country.<ref>Bergljot Solberg, ''Jernalderen i Norge'', (Oslo, 2000)</ref>

In the Viking period, Norwegian Viking explorers discovered [[Iceland]] by accident in the ninth century when heading for the [[Faroe Islands]], and eventually came across [[Vinland]], known today as [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]], in Canada. The Vikings from Norway were most active in the northern and western [[British Isles]] and eastern [[Norse colonization of North America|North America isles]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://naturalhistory.si.edu/vikings/voyage/subset/vinland/archeo.html|title=Vinland Archeology|website=naturalhistory.si.edu|access-date=11 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180308031025/https://naturalhistory.si.edu/vikings/voyage/subset/vinland/archeo.html|archive-date=8 March 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Gjermundbu helmet - cropped.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.65|The [[Gjermundbu helmet]] found in [[Buskerud]] is the only known reconstructable [[Viking Age]] helmet.]]

According to tradition, [[Harald Fairhair]] unified them into one in 872 after the [[Battle of Hafrsfjord]] in [[Stavanger]], thus becoming the first king of a united Norway.<ref>[[#Larsen|Larsen]], p. 83.</ref> Harald's realm was mainly a South Norwegian coastal state. Fairhair ruled with a strong hand and according to the sagas, many Norwegians left the country to live in Iceland, the [[Faroe Islands]], [[Greenland]], and parts of [[Great Britain|Britain]] and Ireland.<ref>[[R. F. Foster (historian)|Foster, R. F.]] (2001) ''The Oxford History of Ireland''. Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|019280202X}}</ref>

[[Haakon I of Norway|Haakon I the Good]] was Norway's first Christian king, in the mid-10th century, though his attempt to introduce the religion was rejected. [[Norse mythology|Norse traditions]] were replaced slowly by [[Christian mythology|Christian ones]] in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. This is largely attributed to the missionary kings [[Olaf I of Norway|Olaf I Tryggvasson]] and [[Olaf II of Norway|Olaf II Haraldsson]] (St. Olaf). Olaf Tryggvasson conducted raids in England, including attacking London. Arriving back in Norway in 995, Olaf landed in [[Moster (island)|Moster]] where he built a church which became the first [[Old Moster Church|Christian church]] in Norway. From Moster, Olaf sailed north to [[Trondheim (city)|Trondheim]] where he was proclaimed King of Norway by the Eyrathing in 995.<ref>[[#Larsen|Larsen]], p. 95.</ref> One of the most important sources for the history of the 11th century Vikings is the treaty between the Icelanders and Olaf II Haraldsson, king of Norway circa 1015 to 1028.<ref>Jones, Gwyn, A history of the Vikings (Oxford 2001).</ref>

[[Feudalism]] never really developed in Norway or Sweden, as it did in the rest of Europe. However, the administration of government took on a very conservative feudal character. The [[Hanseatic League]] forced royalty to cede to them greater and greater concessions over foreign trade and the economy, because of the loans the Hansa had made to the royals and the large debt the kings were carrying. The League's monopolistic control over the economy of Norway put pressure on all classes, especially the peasantry, to the degree that no real [[burgher (title)|burgher]] class existed in Norway.<ref>[[#Larsen|Larsen]], p. 201.</ref>

===High Middle Ages===
{{Main|Kingdom of Norway (872–1397)}}
{{See also|Greater Norway|Civil war era in Norway}}
[[File:Norwegian Hereditary Empire excluding Greenland.png|thumb|[[Kingdom of Norway (872–1397)|The Norwegian Kingdom]] at its greatest extent during the 13th century, including the [[Norway–Russia border#History|Open Border]] with the Novgorod Republic]]
From the 1040s to 1130, the country was at peace.<ref>Stenersen: 36</ref> In 1130, the [[civil war era in Norway|civil war era]] broke out on the basis of [[line of succession to the Norwegian throne|unclear succession laws]], which allowed the king's sons to rule jointly. The [[Archdiocese of Nidaros]] was created in 1152 and attempted to control the appointment of kings.<ref>Stenersen: 38</ref> The church inevitably had to take sides in the conflicts. The wars ended in 1217 with the appointment of [[Håkon IV|Håkon IV Håkonsson]], who introduced clear laws of succession.<ref>Stenersen: 39</ref>

From 1000 to 1300, the population increased from 150,000 to 400,000, resulting both in more land being cleared and the subdivision of farms. While in the Viking Age farmers owned their own land, by 1300, seventy per cent of the land was owned by the king, the church, or the aristocracy, and about twenty per cent of yields went to these landowners.<ref>Stenersen: 37</ref>

The 14th century is described as Norway's [[Golden age (metaphor)|golden age]], with peace and increase in trade, especially with the British Islands, although Germany became increasingly important towards the end of the century. Throughout the [[High Middle Ages]], the king established Norway as a sovereign state with a central administration and local representatives.<ref>Stenersen: 41</ref>

In 1349, the [[Black Death]] spread to Norway and within a year killed a third of the population. Later plagues reduced the population to half the starting point by 1400. Many communities were entirely wiped out, resulting in an abundance of land, allowing farmers to switch to more [[animal husbandry]]. The reduction in taxes weakened the king's position,<ref>Stenersen: 44</ref> and many aristocrats lost the basis for their surplus. High [[tithe]]s to church made it increasingly powerful and the archbishop became a member of the [[Norwegian Council of State|Council of State]].<ref name=s45>Stenersen: 45</ref>
[[File:Barrio de Bryggen, Bergen.jpg|thumb|[[Bryggen]] in [[Bergen (city)|Bergen]], once the centre of trade in Norway under the [[Hanseatic League]] trade network, now preserved as a [[World Heritage Site]]]]
The [[Hanseatic League]] took control over Norwegian trade during the 14th century and established a trading centre in [[Bergen (city)|Bergen]]. In 1380, [[Olaf II of Denmark|Olaf Haakonsson]] inherited both the Norwegian (as Olaf IV) and Danish thrones (as Olaf II), creating a union between the two countries.<ref name=s45 /> In 1397, under [[Margaret I of Denmark|Margaret I]], the [[Kalmar Union]] was created between the three Scandinavian countries. She waged war against the Germans, resulting in a trade blockade and higher taxation on Norwegian goods, which led to [[Engelbrekt rebellion|a rebellion]]. However, the Norwegian Council of State was too weak to pull out of the union.<ref name=s46>Stenersen: 46</ref>

Margaret pursued a centralising policy which inevitably favoured Denmark because of its greater population.<ref>Derry p. 75</ref> Margaret also granted trade privileges to the Hanseatic merchants of [[Lübeck]] in Bergen in return for recognition of her rule, and these hurt the Norwegian economy. The Hanseatic merchants formed a state within a state in Bergen for generations.<ref>Derry pp. 77–78</ref> The "[[Victual Brothers]]" launched three devastating pirate raids on the port (the last in 1427).<ref>Derry p. 77</ref>

Norway slipped ever more to the background under the [[House of Oldenburg|Oldenburg dynasty]] (established 1448). There was one revolt under [[Knut Alvsson]] in 1502.<ref>Derry pp. 81–82</ref> Norway took no part in the events which led to Swedish independence from Denmark in the 1520s.<ref>Derry pp. 83–84</ref>

==== Kalmar Union ====
{{Main article|Kalmar Union}}
{{Main article|First Swedish–Norwegian union}}
Upon the death of King [[Haakon V of Norway|Haakon V]] in 1319, [[Magnus Eriksson]], at just three years old, inherited the throne as King Magnus VII. A simultaneous movement to make Magnus King of Sweden proved successful (he was a grandson of King [[Magnus III of Sweden|Magnus Ladulås]] of Sweden), and both the kings of Sweden and of Denmark were elected to the throne by their respective nobles. Thus Sweden and Norway were united under King Magnus VII.<ref name=larsen>[[#Larsen|Larsen]], p. 192.</ref>

In 1349, the [[Black Death]] killed between 50% and 60% of Norway's population<ref>{{Cite journal|pmid = 2197762|year = 1990|last1 = Oeding|first1 = P|title = The black death in Norway|journal = Tidsskrift for den Norske Laegeforening|volume = 110|issue = 17|pages = 2204–08}}</ref> and led to a period of social and economic decline.<ref name=enc>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/67758/Black-Death |title=Black Death (pandemic) |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=23 July 2011 |archive-date=18 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718214050/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/67758/Black-Death |url-status=live }}</ref> Although the death rate was comparable with the rest of Europe, economic recovery took much longer because of the small, scattered population.<ref name="enc"/> Even before the plague, the population was only about 500,000.<ref name=end>[[#Larsen|Larsen]], pp. 202–03.</ref> After the plague, many farms lay idle while the population slowly increased.<ref name="enc"/> However, the few surviving farms' tenants found their bargaining positions with their landlords greatly strengthened.<ref name=enc/>

[[File:Union of Kalmar (1500).svg|thumb|The [[Kalmar Union]], {{circa|1500}}]]

King Magnus VII ruled Norway until 1350, when his son, Haakon, was placed on the throne as [[Haakon VI of Norway|Haakon VI]].<ref name=autogenerated3>[[#Larsen|Larsen]], p. 195</ref> In 1363, Haakon married [[Margaret I of Denmark|Margaret]], daughter of King [[Valdemar IV of Denmark]].<ref name="enc"/> Upon the death of Haakon in 1379, his 10-year-old son [[Olaf II of Denmark|Olaf IV]] acceded to the throne.<ref name="enc"/> As Olaf had already been elected to the throne of Denmark in 1376,<ref name="enc"/> Denmark and Norway entered a [[personal union]].<ref name=autogenerated2>[[#Larsen|Larsen]], p. 197</ref> Olaf's mother and Haakon's widow, Queen Margaret, managed the foreign affairs of Denmark and Norway during Olaf's minority.<ref name="enc"/>

Margaret was on the verge of achieving a union of Sweden with Denmark and Norway when Olaf IV suddenly died.<ref name="enc"/> Denmark made Margaret temporary ruler on the death of Olaf. On 2 February 1388, Norway followed suit and crowned Margaret.<ref name=enc/> Queen Margaret knew that her power would be more secure if she were able to find a king to rule in her place. She settled on [[Eric of Pomerania]], grandson of her sister. Thus at an all-Scandinavian meeting held at Kalmar, Erik of Pomerania was crowned king of all three Scandinavian countries, bringing the thrones of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden under the control of Queen Margaret when the country entered into the [[Kalmar Union]].

===Early modern period===
{{Main|Denmark–Norway}}
After Sweden broke out of the [[Kalmar Union]] in 1521, Norway tried to follow suit,{{citation needed|date=May 2015}} but the subsequent rebellion was defeated, and Norway remained in a union with Denmark until 1814. This period was [[Nicolai Wergeland|by some]] referred to as the "400-Year Night", since all of the kingdom's intellectual and administrative power was centred in [[Copenhagen]].
[[File:Eerste fase van de Zeeslag in de Sont - First phase of the Battle of the Sound - November 8 1658 (Jan Abrahamsz Beerstraten, 1660).jpg|thumb|The [[Battle of the Sound]] between an allied Dano-Norwegian–[[Dutch Republic|Dutch]] fleet and the Swedish navy, 8 November 1658 (29 October [[Old Style|OS]])]]
With the [[Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein|introduction of Protestantism]] in 1536, the archbishopric in Trondheim was dissolved; Norway lost its independence and effectually became a colony of Denmark. The Church's income and possessions were instead redirected to the court in Copenhagen. Norway lost the steady stream of pilgrims to the relics of [[Olaf II of Norway|St. Olav]] at the [[Nidaros]] shrine and, with them, much of the contact with cultural and economic life in the rest of Europe.

Eventually restored as a kingdom (albeit in legislative union with Denmark) in 1661, Norway saw its land area decrease in the 17th century with the loss of the provinces [[Bohuslän|Båhuslen]], [[Jämtland|Jemtland]], and [[Härjedalen|Herjedalen]] to Sweden, as the result of a number of disastrous wars. In the north, its territory was increased by the acquisition of the provinces of [[Troms]] and [[Finnmark]], at the expense of Sweden and Russia.

The [[Great Famine of 1695–1697|famine of 1695–1696]] killed roughly 10% of Norway's population.<ref>"''[https://books.google.com/books?id=6oOCfHxQDtwC&pg=PA153 Finding the family in medieval and early modern Scotland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417101736/https://books.google.com/books?id=6oOCfHxQDtwC&pg=PA153 |date=17 April 2023 }}''". Elizabeth Ewan, Janay Nugent (2008). [[Ashgate Publishing]]. p. 153. {{ISBN|0754660494}}</ref> The harvest failed in Scandinavia at least nine times between 1740 and 1800, with great loss of life.<ref>"''[https://books.google.com/books?id=eGsCGAdH4YQC&pg=PA63 The savage wars of peace: England, Japan and the Malthusian trap] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128101941/https://books.google.com/books?id=eGsCGAdH4YQC&pg=PA63 |date=28 January 2022 }}''". Alan Macfarlane (1997). p. 63. {{ISBN|0631181172}}</ref>

===Later modern period===
{{Main|United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway}}
{{See also|Norway in 1814|label 1=Norwegian protectorate|Norwegian romantic nationalism}}

[[File:Eidsvoll riksraad 1814.jpeg|thumb|The 1814 constitutional assembly, painted by [[Oscar Wergeland]]]]

After Denmark–Norway was attacked by the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]] at the 1807 [[Battle of Copenhagen (1807)|Battle of Copenhagen]], it entered into an alliance with [[Napoleon]], with the war leading to dire conditions and mass [[starvation]] in 1812. As the Danish kingdom was on the losing side in 1814, it was forced by the [[Treaty of Kiel]] to cede Norway to Sweden, while the old Norwegian provinces of Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands remained with the Danish crown.<ref>[[Treaty of Kiel]], 14 January 1814.</ref> Norway took this opportunity to declare independence, adopted a constitution based on [[United States Constitution|American]] and [[Constitution of France|French]] models, and elected the Crown Prince of Denmark and Norway, [[Christian VIII of Denmark|Christian Frederick]], as king on 17 May 1814 &ndash; celebrated as the [[Norwegian Constitution Day|Syttende mai]] (Seventeenth of May) holiday.

Norwegian opposition to the decision to link Norway with Sweden caused the [[Swedish–Norwegian War (1814)|Norwegian–Swedish War]] to break out as Sweden tried to subdue Norway by military means. As Sweden's military was not strong enough to defeat the Norwegian forces outright, and Norway's treasury was not large enough to support a protracted war, and as British and Russian navies blockaded the Norwegian coast,<ref>{{cite book|last = Nicolson|first = Harold|title = The Congress of Vienna; a study in allied unity, 1812–1822|publisher = Constable & co. ltd|year = 1946|page =295|quote=The British Government sought to overcome this reluctance by assisting Russia in blockading the coast of Norway}}</ref> the belligerents were forced to negotiate the [[Convention of Moss]]. Christian Frederik abdicated the Norwegian throne and authorised the [[Parliament of Norway]] to make the necessary constitutional amendments to allow for the [[personal union]] that Norway was forced to accept. On 4 November 1814, the Parliament (Storting) elected [[Charles XIII of Sweden]] as king of Norway, thereby establishing the [[Union between Sweden and Norway|union with Sweden]].<ref>[[#Larsen|Larsen]], p. 572.</ref> Under this arrangement, Norway kept its liberal constitution and its own independent institutions, though it shared a monarch and foreign policy with Sweden. Following the recession caused by the [[Napoleonic Wars]], economic development of Norway remained slow until 1830.<ref>[[#Larsen|Larsen]], p. 423.</ref>

This period also saw the rise of [[Norwegian romantic nationalism]], as Norwegians sought to define and express a distinct national character. The movement covered all branches of culture, including literature ([[Henrik Wergeland]], [[Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson]], [[Peter Christen Asbjørnsen]], [[Jørgen Moe]]), painting ([[Hans Gude]], [[Adolph Tidemand]]), music ([[Edvard Grieg]]), and even language policy, where attempts to define a native written language for Norway led to today's two official written forms for Norwegian: [[Bokmål]] and [[Nynorsk]].

[[Charles XIV John of Sweden|King Charles III John]] came to the throne of Norway and Sweden in 1818 and reigned to 1844. He protected the constitution and liberties of Norway and Sweden during the age of [[Klemens Wenzel, Prince von Metternich|Metternich]].{{POV statement|Added WP:NPOV tag|date=September 2022}} As such, he was regarded as a liberal monarch. However, he was ruthless in his use of paid informers, secret police and restrictions on the freedom of the press to put down public movements for reform—especially the Norwegian national independence movement.<ref>Franklin D. Scott, ''Sweden: the Nation's History'' ([[University of Minnesota Press]]: Minneapolis, 1977) p. 380.</ref>

The [[Romanticism|Romantic Era]] that followed the reign of Charles III John brought some significant social and political reforms. In 1854, women won the right to inherit property. In 1863, the last trace of keeping unmarried women in the status of minors was removed. Furthermore, women were eligible for different occupations, particularly the common school teacher.<ref>[[#Larsen|Larsen]], p. 432.</ref> By mid-century, Norway's democracy was limited; voting was limited to officials, property owners, leaseholders and burghers of incorporated towns.<ref>[[#Larsen|Larsen]], p. 431.</ref>

[[File:Saami Family 1900.jpg|thumb|A [[Sámi people|Sámi]] family in Norway, {{circa|1900}}]]

Norway remained a conservative society. Life in Norway (especially economic life) was "dominated by the aristocracy of professional men who filled most of the important posts in the central government".<ref>[[#Larsen|Larsen]], p. 412.</ref> There was no strong bourgeois class to demand a breakdown of this aristocratic control.<ref name="Marx Engels">See "The Civil War in Switzerland" by Frederick Engels contained in Marx & Engels, ''Collected Works: Volume 6'' (International Publishers, New York, 1976) p. 368.</ref> Thus, even while revolution swept over most of the countries of Europe in 1848, Norway was largely unaffected.<ref name="Marx Engels"/>

[[Marcus Thrane]] was a [[Utopian socialism|Utopian socialist]] who in 1848 organised a labour society in [[Drammen (town)|Drammen]]. In just a few months, this society had a membership of 500 and was publishing its own newspaper. Within two years, 300 societies had been organised all over Norway, with a total membership of 20,000 drawn from the lower classes of both urban and rural areas.<ref>[[#Larsen|Larsen]], p. 433.</ref> In the end, the revolt was easily crushed; Thrane was captured and jailed.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/593569/Marcus-Moller-Thrane|title=Marcus Møller Thrane – Norwegian journalist and socialist|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|date=11 April 2024|access-date=23 June 2022|archive-date=9 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009230514/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/593569/Marcus-Moller-Thrane|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1898, all men were granted [[universal suffrage]], followed by all [[Women's suffrage|women]] in 1913.

=== Dissolution of the union and the First World War ===
{{Main|Norwegian union dissolution referendum, 1905|label 1=Union dissolution referendum|Dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden}}
[[Christian Michelsen]], Prime Minister of Norway from 1905 to 1907, played a central role in the peaceful separation of Norway from Sweden on 7 June 1905. A national referendum confirmed the people's preference for a monarchy over a republic. However, no Norwegian could legitimately claim the throne, since none of Norway's noble families could claim [[royal descent]].

The government then offered the throne of Norway to Prince Carl of Denmark, a prince of the Dano-German royal [[house of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg]] and a distant relative of Norway's medieval kings. Following the plebiscite, he was unanimously elected king by the Norwegian [[Parliament of Norway|Parliament]]; he took the name [[Haakon VII of Norway|Haakon VII]].

Throughout the [[World War I|First World War]], Norway remained neutral; however, diplomatic pressure from the [[Government of the United Kingdom|British government]] meant that it heavily favoured the [[Allies of World War I|Allies]]. During the war, Norway exported fish to both Germany and Britain, until an [[ultimatum]] from the British government and [[anti-German sentiment]]s as a result of [[U-boat|German submarines]] [[Unrestricted submarine warfare|targeting]] Norwegian merchantmen led to a termination of trade with Germany. 436 Norwegian merchantmen were sunk by the ''[[Imperial German Navy|Kaiserliche Marine]]'', with 1,150 Norwegian sailors killed.<ref>Riste, Olav. ''The Neutral Ally: Norway's relations with belligerent powers in the First World War'' (1995)</ref>{{disputed inline|date=October 2022}}

=== Second World War ===
{{See also|German occupation of Norway|Reichskommissariat Norwegen|Quisling regime}}

[[File:Bombingen av Kristiansund, 1940, Riksarkivet, Arkivreferanse PA 1667U2 050.jpg|thumb|left|Bombing of [[Kristiansund]]. The German invasion resulted in 24 towns being bombed in the spring of 1940.]]

Norway once more proclaimed its neutrality during the [[World War II|Second World War]], but was [[Operation Weserübung|invaded by German forces]] on 9 April 1940. Although Norway was unprepared for the German surprise attack (see: [[Battle of Drøbak Sound]], [[Norwegian Campaign]], and [[Operation Weserübung|Invasion of Norway]]), military and naval resistance lasted for two months. Norwegian armed forces in the north launched an offensive against the German forces in the [[Battles of Narvik]], but were forced to surrender on 10 June after losing British support which had been diverted to France during the [[Battle of France|German invasion of France]].

King Haakon and the Norwegian government escaped to [[Rotherhithe]] in London. Throughout the war they sent radio speeches and supported clandestine military actions against the Germans. On the day of the invasion, the leader of the small National-Socialist party [[Nasjonal Samling]], [[Vidkun Quisling]], tried to seize power, but was forced by the German occupiers to step aside. Real power was wielded by the leader of the German occupation authority, [[Josef Terboven]]. Quisling, as ''minister president'', later formed a [[Quisling regime|collaborationist government under German control]]. Up to 15,000 Norwegians volunteered to fight in German units, including the [[Waffen-SS]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nuav.net/volunter.html |title=Norwegian volunteers in the Wehrmacht and SS |publisher=Nuav.net |date=9 April 1940 |access-date=5 April 2010 |archive-date=3 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003202720/http://www.nuav.net/volunter.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Albert Viljam Hagelin with Adolf Hitler and Vidkun Quisling, 13 February 1942.png|thumb|[[Adolf Hitler]] meets the Norwegian Prime Minister [[Vidkun Quisling]] and minister [[Albert Viljam Hagelin]], 13 February 1942]]
Many Norwegians and persons of Norwegian descent joined the Allied forces as well as the [[Free Norwegian Forces]]. In June 1940, a small group had left Norway following their king to Britain. This group included 13 ships, five aircraft, and 500 men from the Royal Norwegian Navy. By the end of the war, the force had grown to 58 ships and 7,500 men in service in the Royal Norwegian Navy, 5 squadrons of aircraft in the newly formed Norwegian Air Force, and land forces including the [[Norwegian Independent Company 1]] and 5 Troop as well as No. 10 [[British Commandos|Commandos]].{{citation needed|date=February 2017}}

During [[German occupation of Norway|German occupation]], Norwegians built a [[Norwegian resistance movement|resistance movement]] which incorporated civil disobedience and armed resistance including the destruction of [[Norsk Hydro]]'s [[heavy water]] plant and stockpile of heavy water at [[Vemork]], which [[Norwegian heavy water sabotage|crippled the German nuclear programme]]. More important to the [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] war effort, however, was the role of the Norwegian [[Merchant Navy|Merchant Marine]], the fourth-largest merchant marine fleet in the world. It was led by the Norwegian shipping company [[Nortraship]] under the Allies throughout the war and took part in every war operation from the [[Dunkirk evacuation|evacuation of Dunkirk]] to the [[Normandy landings]]. Every December Norway gives a [[Christmas tree]] to the United Kingdom as thanks for the British assistance during the war.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20111011171256/http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article2137248.ece PM to light London tree]. ''[[Aftenposten]]''. 5 December 2007</ref>

[[Svalbard]] was not occupied by German troops, but Germany secretly [[Operation Haudegen|established a meteorological station]] there in 1944.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/einestages/kriegsende-in-der-arktis-a-946659.html|title=Kriegsende in der Arktis: Die vergessenen Haudegen|last=Frenzel|first=Eike|date=3 September 2010|work=Spiegel Online|access-date=4 November 2018|archive-date=25 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171125141157/http://www.spiegel.de/einestages/kriegsende-in-der-arktis-a-946659.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Post–World War II history ===
[[File:StatfjordA(Jarvin1982).jpg|thumb|Since the 1970s oil production has helped to expand the Norwegian economy and finance the Norwegian state ([[Statfjord oil field]]).]]

From 1945 to 1962, the [[Labour Party (Norway)|Labour Party]] held an absolute majority in the parliament. The government, led by prime minister [[Einar Gerhardsen]], embarked on a programme inspired by [[Keynesian economics]], emphasising state financed [[industrialisation]] and co-operation between trade unions and [[employers' organisation]]s. Many measures of state control of the economy imposed during the war were continued, although the [[rationing]] of dairy products was lifted in 1949, while price controls and rationing of housing and cars continued until 1960.

The wartime alliance with the United Kingdom and the United States continued in the post-war years. Although pursuing the goal of a socialist economy, the Labour Party distanced itself from the Communists, especially after the Communists' seizure of power in [[Czechoslovakia]] in 1948, and strengthened its foreign policy and defence policy ties with the US. Norway received [[Marshall Plan]] aid from the United States starting in 1947, joined the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD) one year later, and became a founding member of the [[NATO|North Atlantic Treaty Organization]] (NATO) in 1949.

Oil was discovered at the small Balder field in 1967, but production only began in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.norskolje.museum.no/balder/|title=Balder – Norsk Oljemuseum|website=www.norskolje.museum.no|access-date=6 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007021055/http://www.norskolje.museum.no/balder/|archive-date=7 October 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1969, the [[Phillips Petroleum Company]] discovered petroleum resources at the [[Ekofisk oil field|Ekofisk]] field west of Norway. In 1973, the Norwegian government founded the State oil company, Statoil (now [[Equinor]]). Oil production did not provide net income until the early 1980s because of the large capital investment required. Around 1975, both the proportion and absolute number of workers in industry peaked. Since then labour-intensive industries and services like factory mass production and shipping have largely been outsourced.

Norway was a founding member of the [[European Free Trade Association]] (EFTA). Norway was twice invited to join the [[European Union]], but ultimately declined after referendums that failed by narrow margins in [[1972 Norwegian European Communities membership referendum|1972]] and [[1994 Norwegian European Union membership referendum|1994]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20830201|title=Norwegian minister Espen Eide urges UK caution on quitting EU|date=23 December 2012|work=BBC News|access-date=23 December 2012|archive-date=23 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121223070804/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20830201|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:2011 Norway attacks flower march 2.jpg|thumb|Town Hall Square in Oslo filled with people with roses mourning the victims of the [[2011 Norway attacks#Utøya mass shooting|Utøya massacre]] of 22 July 2011.]]
In 1981, a [[Conservative Party (Norway)|Conservative Party]] government led by [[Kåre Willoch]] replaced the Labour Party with a policy of stimulating the [[stagflation|stagflated economy]] with tax cuts, economic liberalisation, deregulation of markets, and measures to curb record-high inflation (13.6% in 1981).

Norway's first female prime minister [[Gro Harlem Brundtland]] of the Labour Party continued many of the reforms, while backing traditional Labour concerns such as [[social security]], high taxes, the industrialisation of nature, and feminism. By the late 1990s, Norway had paid off its foreign debt and had started accumulating a [[sovereign wealth fund]]. Since the 1990s, a divisive question in politics has been how much of the income from petroleum production the government should spend, and how much it should save.

In 2011, Norway suffered [[2011 Norway attacks|two terrorist attacks]] by [[Anders Behring Breivik]] which struck the [[Regjeringskvartalet|government quarter]] in Oslo and a summer camp of the Labour party's [[Workers' Youth League (Norway)|youth movement]] at [[Utøya]] island, resulting in 77 deaths and 319 wounded.<ref>{{cite news |title=Norway mourns 77 dead a decade after terrorist attack |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/norway-mourns-77-dead-a-decade-after-terrorist-attack |work=PBS NewsHour |date=22 July 2021 |language=en-us |access-date=13 December 2021 |archive-date=13 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213073124/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/norway-mourns-77-dead-a-decade-after-terrorist-attack |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Jens Stoltenberg]] led Norway as prime minister for eight years from 2005 to 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://archive.canadianbusiness.com/business-news/early-returns-show-centre-right-bloc-winning-elections-in-norway/|title='Iron Erna' replaces Stoltenberg as Norway's prime minister as centre-right bloc takes power|website=canadianbusiness.com|date=9 September 2013|access-date=13 December 2021|archive-date=13 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213074333/https://archive.canadianbusiness.com/business-news/early-returns-show-centre-right-bloc-winning-elections-in-norway/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[2013 Norwegian parliamentary election]] brought a more conservative government to power, with the Conservative Party and the [[Progress Party (Norway)|Progress Party]] winning 43% of the electorate's votes.<ref>{{cite news |title=Norway election: Conservative Erna Solberg triumphs |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-24014551 |work=BBC News |date=10 September 2013 |access-date=30 August 2022 |archive-date=18 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018114640/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-24014551 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the [[2017 Norwegian parliamentary election|Norwegian parliamentary election 2017]] the centre-right government of Prime Minister [[Erna Solberg]] won re-election.<ref name="reuters.com">{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-norway-election-idUSKCN1BL0J3|title=Norway's right-wing government wins re-election fought on oil, tax|first1=Henrik|last1=Stolen|first2=Joachim|last2=Dagenborg|newspaper=Reuters|date=12 September 2017|access-date=5 March 2021|archive-date=27 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200527163130/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-norway-election-idUSKCN1BL0J3|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[2021 Norwegian parliamentary election]] saw a big win for the left-wing opposition in an election fought on climate change, inequality, and oil;<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Buli|first1=Nora|last2=Klesty|first2=Victoria|date=14 September 2021|title=Norway's left-wing opposition wins in a landslide, coalition talks next|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norway-opposition-expected-win-election-fought-oil-inequality-2021-09-13/|access-date=19 October 2021|archive-date=19 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019005121/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norway-opposition-expected-win-election-fought-oil-inequality-2021-09-13/|url-status=live}}</ref> Labour leader [[Jonas Gahr Støre]] was sworn in as prime minister.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/norways-prime-minister-present-government-80577776|title = Norway's prime minister presents his new government|website = [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date = 26 October 2021|archive-date = 26 October 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211026094805/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/norways-prime-minister-present-government-80577776|url-status = live}}</ref>