Sweden, iron ore, and Norway

This watch point explains why Norway mattered even before the Arctic convoy period: it shaped North Sea access and the northern barrier into the Atlantic. Holding Norway would also alter the pressure on Sweden by giving Allied forces a route to assist it and by denying Germany the large Norwegian garrison it later possessed. Britain could continue buying Swedish iron ore, creating an economic alternative to German access rather than simply occupying the mines. Sweden's immediate full-alert posture made it a much harder target than unprepared Norway. The discussion connects sea control, armed neutrality, trade, and geography in one Scandinavian strategy problem.