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In eNorway we do have a motto "Alt for Norge"

Today, on September 21th 2017, it`exactly 60 years since the death of King Haakon VII, the creator of this motto, which also have been the motto for his son and grandson as Kings of Norway. This History Stories want to use this opportunity to tell the story, why these words are so central in the RL Norwegian consciousness.


We have to start this story in the iconic year of 1905!

In this year, Norway for the last 90 years before, had been in a personal union with Sweden, with common kings, but two different constitutions. And before that again, the old Kingdom of Norway had been ruled by more or less Danish monarchs (also once, a swede one) since 1380. Most of them never visited Norway at all.

Therefore, the Norwegians at the beginning of the 20th century, was very keen to regain their own king and full independence again. During decades before 1905, the tensions toward the Swedish supremacy had increased and finally in June the 7th 1905, Stortinget, the parliament, unanimous dissolved the union. The details in this processes, was more technical and political tactical, I shall not tell too much about that in this occasion. The Swedish reacted furiously and the two nations were on brink of war. The then Norwegian Prime Minister, Christian Michelsen (no, it was not hans erik 🙂 ) felt sure about the peoples support, and in aim to strength his position toward upcoming negotiations with the Swedes, he arranged a referendum in august 1905. It resulted in 99,95 % in favour of dissolving the union - not even the leaders of the good old Soviet Union could have done it better! Only 184 voters voted against! And it`s still speculated in local areas whom those could have been!





Monarchy or republic?

To ease the Swedish bad feelings, the Norwegian Prime Minister sent an offer to the deposed Swedish King Oscar II, offering the empty Norwegian throne to a prince of the house of Bernadotte (the royal Swedish dynasty). The Swedish King declined, which in reality was the answer Michelsen hoped for. His main goal (in spite of being republican himself) was to offer the throne to a Danish prince, Carl. The main reason was that Carl was married to Maud, the daughter of the then British King Edward VII. The United Kingdom was an very important allied in this process. To make this story short. The negotiations with Sweden, about the conditions around the dissolving, ended peacefully, and the next step for the young nation was to elect a new king.

As I told, the PM Michelsen, in his heart was a republican, but realpolitik was a fact, especially for a small and new nation, in the 1905 Europe. It was not seen as appropriate among the European great powers to get a republic between all the old monarchies. The republican movement in Norway was strong, and Prince Carl (the plan “B”) felt not secure enough on his own position. Before accepting the Norwegian offer, he demanded a second referendum, between monarchy or republic. In fact it was not the plan of the PM, he reluctantly accepted the demand, but he could relief, the second referendum ended in 78,94 % in favour of monarchy (Joshua, are you listening? 🙂 ). The new King, whom now adapted the regnal name Haakon VII (an old traditional king name from the old sagas), got a strong mandate from the people. In aftermath this has been seen as a very genius move from the new King. He is the only Norwegian Head of state, elected directly from the people. None of his predecessors and successors has had such a mandate. He jokingly said. “Now I`m also the King of the republicans”

And he chosed the motto for his reign “Alt for Norge” (All for Norway)



Prime Minister Christian Michelsen (left) welcomes the young King Haakon VII and his little son, Crown Prince Olav


“I`m also the King of the communists”

The first decades of his reign was challenging for the young reborn nation. It saved the neutrality during WW1, but rations and food shortage was the harsh everyday for most of the people. As a contribution to help, the King ordered all the royal parks to be plowed up to potato areas. Later on, in the 1920ies, it was a lot of social turmoil in the country, and after the Russian revolutions the fright for a red take-over was present, also in Norway.

In 1927, the Labour party become the largest party in Parliament elections, and the conservative parties didn`t manage to form a new Government. Then King Haakon initiated one of his few personal political initiatives, and offered the Government seats to Labour which was more left-leaned than today. It was all after constitutional rules, but it was a big shock for the conservatives, seeing the King, inaugurating a socialist Government. It was an short-lived cabinet, only 14 days, but that showed the Majesty, willing to be also the King of the communists (Labour wasn’t communist party, but many from outside then, didn’t manage to see the difference). After that intermezzo, also the socialist-leaned electorate slowly seem to acknowledge and embrace the monarchy. And vice versa.




The Kings Choice!

His most remarkable efforts was still yet to come. The 9th april 1940, Nazi-Germany invaded Denmark and Norway. Denmark capitulated the same day, but events in Norway took another direction. King Haakon and his Government fled the capital, and kept up the military resistance. In addition, an attempt on a coup d`etat from the collaborator Vidkun Quisling and the NS (The Norwegian Nazi-party) made a lot of confusion among all parts. In this situation King Haakon made it very clear toward the German representatives, that he could not accept either a NS Government, or a German forced take-over of Norwegian territory. This was his first “NO”. The second “NO” came weeks later on, after the Norwegian military capitulation, where the Germans first wanted to create a sort of “Danish solution”, a cooperation with Norwegian institutions under German control, but without the King. The Parliament Presidency sent an request of abdication to the King, but he refused, because The Norwegian constitution don’t accept the legality of MP`s from occupied areas. This was his second “NO”. It`s no doubt this demanded a high level of personal courage to do, and during the rest of war and afterward he was highly regarded for this. In afterwards, in several occations and speeches, he told his reasons for doing this was his personal promise from 1905, “Alt for Norge".

This is also the main tema in the Norwegian 2016 entry, "The Kings Choice", for Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards.



King Haakon VII and his son Olav, hiding in the forest during a german attack on the small town Molde in Vestlandet. The Birch behind become "Kongebjørka" a national icon in Molde.


After the Norwegian capitulation in June 7th (remember the date from 1905, mention above), the King, his son Olav (and Crown Prince), and Government fled the country from Tromsø. For the rest of the war he stayed in exile in London. From the British capital, he regulary broadcasted speeches over the BBC radio network, which could be received on the Norwegian mainland, and those castings become a big inspiration to the growing Norwegian resistance during the occupation. A Norwegian Charles de Gaulle, so to say! These speeches was probably the main reasons for the Nazi occupants to prohibit everyone (except NS-members) to possess radios, which were mostly all confiscated.


Germans could settle death penalties for writing this...



The war did end with German capitulation, and on june 7th (again) 1945, King Haakon arrived Norway after exactly 5 years of exile, and exactly 40 years after the union dissolving. A date with a lot of symbolic contents. The streets in Oslo was filled with people, it`s said it was it was more crowdy this day, than the first 17th may celebration weeks before. That tells a lot, because for many people he, the King, was the main symbol of the whole resistance during war. This day are probably one of the most happiest and important historical events ever in Norway.

The people wanted to show their gratitude to him, by giving him, to his 75th years anniversary in 1947, the royal yacht “Norge” (she still sails today). The moneys was collected by personal gifts from nearby every Norwegian, poor and rich, at that time. It`s remarkable, since the country, plundered, burned and devastated through 5 years of occupation, was in a poor condition.


The Kings homecoming, 1945. The King is in the rear seat on the car`s left side

After the war he did reign as king for another 12 years until 1957, where he died September 21th, on this day, exactly 60 years ago. He got a long life and a long reign. When he died the most of the Norwegians was born in his time, and didn`t know any other king in their lifetime, it`s like Queen Eliabeth the second today.

But also he was a remarkable king, because he was the first sole Norwegian king, by over 500 years. In addition he become the front figure of the fight against the nazi tyranny.
In a double meaning (the union and the WW2) he became the main symbol of the Norwegian struggle for the Norwegian freedom ideals. Where ever you are a monarchist or republican, it is a broad concencus, that King Haakon the 7th lived up to his motto:

ALT FOR NORGE



King Haakon VII of Norway (3rd august 1872 - 21th september 1957)


Thank you for your attention!