Denmark's senior army commander wanted to resist the invasion, but the cabinet overruled him because it feared the damage a fight would inflict on civilians. Norway's army commander was less ready to fight, while its government was only reluctantly prepared to resist. The comparison asks how the outcome might change if military resolve and political willingness were aligned before the landings. A nationwide radio order could have replaced Norway's half-hearted mobilization with troops ready at the main ports. Against an initial German assault of about 8,000 troops, failure to secure Narvik, Trondheim, and Oslo would have produced a very different campaign.
Notable Point · 6:38-8:03
Command resolve and Norway's half-hearted mobilization
The Danish and Norwegian reactions show how military resolve, cabinet decisions, and the speed of mobilization could determine whether Germany secured the main ports.