The Neutral Ally
Norway is sometimes referred to as "The Neutral Ally". During World War I, while theoretically a neutral country, diplomatic pressure from the British government prompted the government to favour Britain highly in relation to Norway's large shipping fleet and vast fish supplies. The term was coined by Norwegian historian Olav Riste in the 1960s.
In 1905, when Norway gained independence, the nation's politicians agreed that Norway should remain neutral in international conflicts. Since the Great powers had no desire for unrest in Scandinavia, they signed an agreement respecting Norway's neutrality. Still, the political direction was clear: fearing Russian ambition in the north, the sentiment was that Norway should be neutral if war broke out, and rely on help from Great Britain if attacked.
This affinity westwards was substantiated by international trade. In the early 1900s, Norway's
On Christmas Eve 1916, the British government issued an
Thus, both commerce and political sympathies tied Norway and Britain together during World War I, even though Norway remained officially neutral.
See also
References
- ^ NAA: A5954, 192/34 http://www.naa.gov.au/go.aspx?i=645339
- ^ "Krigsforliste skip og sjøfolk omkommet under første verdenskrig". ssb.no. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
Further reading
- Frey, Marc. "The neutrals and World War One," Forsvarsstudier no. 3 (2000) pp 4–39 online
- Haug, Karl Erik. "Norway", in: 1914–1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, ed. by Ute Daniel, et al. (Freie Universität Berlin, 2016). online
- Riste, Olav. The Neutral Ally: Norway's relations with belligerent powers in the First World War (1995)