Foreign Minister Halvdan Koht was an eminent historian, served on the Norwegian Nobel Committee, and helped found the Norwegian Peace Association. Although skeptical of defence policy, he proposed sending a Norwegian minelayer to protect national shipping during the Spanish Civil War. Parliament opposed the proposal, Koht offered to resign, and Prime Minister Johan Nygaardsvold insisted on keeping him. The episode shows a peace activist willing to use a limited naval deployment when Norwegian interests were at stake. Switzerland's fortifications and national service, together with Swedish and Finnish defence policies, provide the comparison: neutrality was more secure when backed by practical preparation. Smaller defensive measures could have reduced Norway's vulnerability without abandoning its commitment to peace.
Notable Point · 23:30-27:58
Halvdan Koht and the limits of undefended neutrality
Koht's peace activism and his willingness during the Spanish Civil War to protect Norwegian shipping frame an argument that neutrality depended on credible defensive strength.