A late reserve alert left Norway poorly prepared to resist invasion. Sending telegrams rather than broadcasting by radio avoided an immediate public alarm, at the cost of speed. Germany's invasion of Denmark is treated as the point at which rapid mobilization should have taken priority. The criticism then turns to France and other cases in which troops fought effectively while their commanders failed to coordinate or exploit events. Pearl Harbor and the decision against another Taranto attack provide further examples of opportunities left unexploited, with the risk to aircrews explicitly raised for Taranto.
Notable Point · 4:04:45-4:06:57
Norway's delayed reserve alert illustrates the cost of hesitant follow-through
A delayed and discreet Norwegian mobilization order becomes one example in a wider warning about commanders failing to act decisively on obvious danger or initial success.