Hedretveteranene i Narvik

Narvik 28thApril 2010 – Speech by MOD State Secretary Espen Barth Eide during the 70thAnniversary of the Allied Victory in the Battles of Narvik

Statssekretær Espen Barth Eide ved 70-årsmarkeringen iNarvik. - Foto: Adrian Lombardo, Forsvaret

Excellencies- ladies and gentlemen, honoured veterans

We aregathered here on this historic day at this historic place to pay tribute to thetens of thousands of brave allied soldiers who won the first major Alliedvictory against Nazi Germany, 70 years ago from today.

In April1940, Adolf Hitler’s war machine had hammered its way through free anddemocratic Europe, and left a trail of destruction, terror and fear behind. Atthis point in history, Hitler seemed unstoppable, unbreakable andunbeatable.

On the 9thof April 1940, Norway, too, was brutally attacked, and initially the Nazis metlimited resistance. In the inter-war years, Norway had chosen the path ofisolation because of the erroneous belief that our mere distance from the keyEuropean powers would spare us from the harsh realities of power politics. Theassumption was that by standing alone, we would increase our security.

Foto:Adrian Lombardo, Forsvaret

On 9 Aprilit became all too clear that this path led to occupation and disaster. Norwaywas unprepared and unprotected. We were unable to prevent Nazi-Germany fromoccupying most of our territory – including the strategically important town ofNarvik.

70 yearsago however, Norwegian, French, Polish and British soldiers were standingshoulder to shoulder right here in Narvik. Through their heroic joint effort,they won the first (major) allied victory of the war.

Let us fora moment imagine that we are right here, in the very centre of Narvik, but 70years ago, to the minute.

It is halfpast nine on 28 May 1940. The sound of heavy shelling, which had been heard allover town for a long time, has finally ceased (thirty minutes ago). As the mistdisappears, the roar of shells and gunshots is replaced by the sound of Alliedaircraft flying low over the city. Civilians marked by the dramatic events arejust starting to come out of the ruins. Many have just become homeless. Someare gathering at the fire station. It must have been a very shocking experienceindeed.

Looking outtowards the Ofotfjord, straight ahead – we can see 10 ships from the Royal Navy– a battleship accompanied by nine cruisers and destroyers. Further out, theaircraft carrier Ark Royal ensured Allied air superiority with their Swordfishand Sea Gladiator planes.

Alliedinfantry is now taking up positions and preparing to enter the city.

Foto:Adrian Lombardo, Forsvaret

FrenchAlpine troops is at this very moment progressing and are located towardsRobakksfjorden, just across the mountains to the right.

By now, thePolish forces has been fighting hard along Ankenes mountain and made their waydown toward Ankenes, on the left side of the Beisfjorden. Less than an hour ago- they finally managed to force the German forces from Nyborg towards Fagernes.

At the 6thfield hospital at Bogen, the doctors and nurses at have their hands fulltreating the many soldiers wounded during the fighting. Many are seriouslyinjured, some are dying.

Finally, at18.30 pm, Norwegian soldiers enter the city of Narvik itself. This happens tobe on the very same day Belgium surrendered to Hitler – but up here, Narvik isliberated in a heroic effort by almost 25 000 Allied soldiers working closelytogether.

Militarily,the victory was vital – not least because the Allies destroyed important partsof Hitler’s fleet. The German naval losses were high – in addition to 1.000men, one submarine and several support ships, Hitler lost 10 destroyers, whichamounted to no less than half of Hitler’s destroyer force. This wasstrategically significant: Such a substantial naval loss made a Nazi invasionof United Kingdom considerably more difficult.

Even moreimportantly, however, was the effect the Allied victory in Narvik had on themorale and inspiration it provided to the population in Allied countries.

Rememberthat on 28 May 1940, we are in the midst of one of the darkest hours inEuropean history. Here, in a small town in the High North, Norwegian and Alliedsoldiers lit a light. On 28 May 1940 the world was looking to Narvik. Looking toNarvik, because for the first time ever, Adolf Hitler’s soldiers were beaten atthe battlefield. While frighteningly powerful on its rampage through theContinent, the German war machine had shown that it was not unbeatable, afterall. Joint efforts by Europe’s democratic forces could actually drive them onretreat.

In thissense, the first step on the way to the final Allied victory in the SecondWorld War was taken right here, in Narvik. And let us not forget that the finalvictory was the liberation – not only of the Allies from occupation– but alsothe liberation of Germany and its people from the crushing grip of the Naziregime. Today’s democratic, free and united Germany is the successor and heirof the brave opposition forces who dared to stand up against Hitler and Nazism.That is why I am so pleased to see the German Ambassador here today among thedistinguished representatives of our allies from back then. This is also why Iam so pleased to see the flag of free and democratic Germany represented on theflagpoles throughout Narvik on this historic day.

70 yearsis, of course, a long time. What can we learn today from the brutal eventswhich took place in Narvik 70 years ago?

Let mepoint out three important lessons:

First, welearned the importance of making sure that we do not leave our countryunprepared and unprotected. We need strong, relevant and flexible armed forces,prepared to meet a complex set of challenges, home and abroad. We need acomprehensive security policy, combining diplomacy, defence and thestrengthening of international regimes and institutions.

Second, ifwe learned anything from Narvik we learned the importance of having closeallies ready and willing to fight with us. We were standing alone when Norwaywas occupied – but we stood together when we won Narvik back.

Duringthose bloody and brutal battles in the early spring of 1940, brave soldiers ofFrance, Poland, the United Kingdom and Norway fought together, stood together,and won together. The very same countries that fought with us 70 years ago inthese Fjords are our close allies today. Our long-term partners France andBritain have been our allies ever since the war. We salute that long-standingand unbroken friendship! Let me, however, emphasise the fact that after themany twists and turns of history, Poland is once again a close ally, militarilyas well as politically. It has been so for more than a decade. Just think hownatural this feels today – and how distant that seemed even when I was a youngman.

There is anhistoric line to be drawn from the Allied soldiers fighting here in Narvik in1940 via those who won the Second World War, and the hundreds of thousands ofsoldiers from Allied countries who have served in peace missions for the UnitedNations, for NATO and for the EU throughout the world, to the soldiers whoserve today in Afghanistan, Africa and elsewhere are struggling to make theworld a little safer for us all.

There is astrong symbolism in the fact that Norwegian and German soldiers, as we speak,are standing shoulder to shoulder with all our other allies represented here inAfghanistan in a common effort to create peace and stability for the Afghanpeople and for global stability. On a day like this, in a place like this, weshould remind ourselves that we have indeed come a long way in the last 70years.

For thethird lesson from the victory in Narvik, I would like to quote Norway’s PrimeMinister just after the war, Mr. Einar Gerhardsen, who himself had beenimprisoned in Nazi-Germanys concentration camps. I quote:

“Whathappened [during the Second World War] taught us that there is no distinctNorwegian peace in a world on fire. We had to realise that peace isindivisible, that Norway’s peace, Nordic peace and Europe’s peace is a part ofthe world’s peace.”

These wisewords – uttered just after the end of the War - summarizes the essence of whathas been the idea marking the course for Trans-Atlantic defence and security inthe entire era following the Second World War. And prime minister Gerhardsen iscompletely right – it takes more co-operation, not less, to make peace.

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I wouldlike to thank the City of Narvik and Mayor Karen Margrethe Kuvaas for a jobwell done in making the important event here today possible. It is vital thatwe continue to mark the occasion of historical events like the Allied victoryhere in Narvik. I would also like to greet and to thank the representativesfrom France, United Kingdom, Poland and Germany for their co-operation andcontribution in today’s ceremonies and events. We are still grateful andthankful for the sacrifices the Allied soldiers in Narvik made in a commonstruggle to fight the Nazi aggression. I am particularly pleased to see themany veterans from 1940 who are with us here today.

Most ofall, I would like to thank and honour the Allied soldiers and remember theultimate sacrifice of the many who were killed during the battles. Together wehave to make sure that the memory of the bravery of these soldiers who foughtand won will not fade, but that their spirit will be kept alive in order toinspire new generations to fight against tyranny and oppression.

Excelencies,ladies and gentlemen, honoured veterans

Today, weare honouring freedom.

Today, weare honouring the veterans of Narvik’s struggle for freedom.

Today, weare honouring the soldiers who fought and lost their life. They did not die invain. They gave their lives, so that we could live in freedom.

It is withhumility I honour the soldiers who lost their lives here in Narvik during thebattles in 1940 by laying a wreath at the memorial. We shall not and will notever forget the sacrifice of the soldiers who gave their lives in the battleagainst occupation and Nazism and for our freedom and independence.

Peace be with them.