The inability of the British Armed Forces to hold off the German invasion of Norway

provoked calls for the resignation of Prime Minister Chamberlain as Britain faced its gravest danger in centuries.

Welcome to the history of the 20th century.

Music Episode 321.

Blood, toil, tears, and sweat.

Today we continue the narrative from last week about the German invasion of Norway.

Unlike the case of Denmark, the Norwegian government refused

German surrender terms and resisted the invasion, with assistance from Britain and France.

Unfortunately for the Norwegians, the initial German assault on their country had come as a

complete surprise, and Norway was unprepared.

As you know from last week, the assault on Oslo was delayed long enough to evacuate the king and the

Norwegian government, but the city fell. Elsewhere, the Germans successfully landed troops at

Norway's most important ports.

Recall as well that Norway had had next to no time to mobilize,

and the sudden occupation of Norway's major cities disrupted most of the mobilization effort.

One place where mobilization was successful was in the town of Vos, in central Norway, where soon after the invasion, the Norwegian 4th Division assembled.

Voss lies along a crucial railway, the Bergen line, which runs from Bergen on the North Sea coast to Oslo in the east.

A portion of the 4th Division was ordered east along the railroad line to delay the German advance from Oslo, while the remainder hunkered down

in Vos to hold off a German advance from Bergen. But once again, German mastery of the skies foiled their defense. In particular, the Luftwaffe

bombed Foss mercilessly and captured the town on April 26th.

The Royal Navy had given up on offensive action in southern Norway, where German bombers based on land

dominated the skies, and chose instead to intervene farther north, where Norway dwindles into a

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