Oscar Torp
Oscar Torp | |
|---|---|
Emil Stang jr. | |
| Succeeded by | Einar Gerhardsen |
| Member of the Norwegian Parliament | |
| In office 1 January 1937 – 1 May 1958 | |
| Deputy | Eugen Amandus Pettersen Carl Henry Gunvor Katharina Eker |
| Constituency | Oslo (1937–1949) Vestfold (1949–1958) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Oscar Frederik Torp 8 June 1893 Civil servant Electrician |
Oscar Fredrik Torp (
Hailing from
Early life and career
He was born in Skjeberg as a son of Anton Fredrik Andersen Torp (1865–1907) and Anne Bolette Andreassen Gade (1867–1932). He had eight siblings, and lost his father at a young age. His father worked in Canada from 1903, and sailed home to collect his family to emigrate to Canada in 1907.[1] However he died en route, near Liverpool.[2] Torp attended primary school before joining the workforce at age 13. He eventually became an electrician, and already at the age of 14 he became deputy treasurer in his local trade union. He also joined the Norwegian Labour Party, and was elected to the national board in 1918, when an opposition of revolutionaries assumed power in the party. Torp chaired the party chapter in Sarpsborg from 1919 to 1921 and in Østfold county from 1921 to 1923.[1] He was also a supervisory council member in the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions from 1920 to 1925, and board chairman of Østfold Arbeiderblad from 1921 to 1923.[3] He was married to Kari Hansen (1893–1967) since April 1916.[1] He was the father of Reidar Torp.[4]
Party chairman and cabinet member
In 1922 Torp was a delegate at the Fourth Comintern Congress.[5] In 1923 the revolutionary wing that had assumed power in the Labour Party in 1918 had split into two wings, one for and one against Comintern membership. Torp belonged to the latter wing, which assumed power at the 1923 national convention. Torp was elected chairman of the entire party.[1] When he became chairman, the chairman of the party's youth wing (Peder Furubotn) was four years older than he was.[6] Torp chaired the party until 1945.[3] It has often been said, however, that Martin Tranmæl was the "real" chairman of the Labour Party.[1]
Torp had been a member of Sarpsborg city council from 1919 to 1923 and deputy member of
Before the Second World War, Torp was also chairman of
Post-war career
The German occupation ended on 8 May 1945, and the exiled politicians returned home. Torp chaired the Government Delegation from London to Oslo on 14 May 1945, and until 31 May 1945 he was thus the acting Prime Minister and acting Minister of Foreign Affairs in Oslo.[8]
Much because of his exile, Torp was no longer found fit to be party chairman, and was replaced, against the party by-laws. He was also demoted to
Prime Minister
In November 1951 a political shock happened in Norway as
Domestic statesmanship
Torp was pressured to give the position back to Gerhardsen in January 1955, when Gerhardsen had strengthened himself for a few years as party chairman and
Torp was a member of the Labour Party central board and national board from 1945 to his death. He was also a board member of the
Death
Torp had a
Books about Torp include Nils Hønsvald's Oscar Torp, released in 1959, and Egil Helle's Oscar Torp – arbeidergutt og statsmann, released in 1983.[1] In 2007 Hans Olav Lahlum released Oscar Torp. En politisk biografi.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Lahlum, Hans O. "Oscar Torp". In Helle, Knut (ed.). Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
- ^ a b c d Hegge, Per Egil (21 May 2007). "Lavmælt og godt om Oscar Torp". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). Retrieved 12 September 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Oscar Torp" (in Norwegian). Storting.
- ^ Guhnfeldt, Cato (10 May 2006). "Lær om krigen! I dag kan du møte krigsveteranene". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 12.
- ISBN 82-10-02753-0.
- ^ Maurseth, 1987: p. 288
- ISBN 82-573-0815-3.
- ^ a b "Oscar Torp". Government.no. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
- ^ Larssen, Olav (1973). Den langsomme revolusjonen (in Norwegian). Oslo: Aschahoug. pp. 118–119.
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