the Arctic 1940: Invasion of Denmark and Norway

Main Events

3 Oct 1939 Declaration of Panama

The United States and the other neutral nations of North and South America signed the Declaration of Panama, setting up the Pan-American Security Zone. The signatories agreed not to tolerate belligerent acts within the zone, which extended from the US-Canada border to encompass the Americas to the south up to 1,000 nautical miles from the shore. The act mostly benefited the Allies as it restricted German U-boat activity in much of the western wikipedia

30 Nov 1939–13 Mar 1940 Winter War


9 Apr 1940 Invasion of Denmark


9 Apr–10 Jun 1940 Norwegian Campaign

As part of Operation Weserübung - the invasion of Denmark and Norway - German forces landed along the coast of the Kingdom of Norway, capturing towns including Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, and Narvik on the first day. The operation was complicated by the arrival of the British in the north and continued Norwegian resistance in the interior, but by 1 June the Allies agreed the situation was hopeless. The Norwegian government evacuated on 7 June, with last resistance ending on 10 wikipedia

10 Apr 1940 US warning on Greenland

Following the German occupation of Denmark, the United States affirmed that the Danish colony of Greenland was part of the Americas and thus subject to the Monroe Doctrine. In doing so, it rejected both the extension of German rule to the island and the possibility of British or Canadian intervention wikipedia

10 Apr 1940 Icelandic self-rule

Following the German occupation of Denmark, the Icelandic Parliament declared Danish King Christian X unable to perform his constitutional duties and assigned them to the government of Iceland. Iceland opened a legation in New York city and declared itself wikipedia