Nygaardsvold's Cabinet

Nygaardsvold's Cabinet. From left: Minister of Finance Adolf Indrebø, Minister of Defence Fredrik Monsen, Minister of Foreign Affairs Halvdan Koht, Prime Minister Johan Nygaardsvold, Minister of Agriculture Hans Ystgaard, Minister of Trade Alfred Madsen, Minister of Social Affairs Kornelius Bergsvik, Minister of Education Nils Hjelmtveit and Minister of Justice Trygve Lie

Nygaardsvold's Cabinet was appointed on 20 March 1935,^[1] the second Labour cabinet in Norway. It brought to an end the non-socialist, minority Governments that had been dominating politics since the introduction of the parliamentary system in 1884, and replaced it with stable, Labour Governments that, with the exception of during World War II, would last until the coalition cabinet Lyng in 1963.^[2]

Since the cabinet Hornsrud intermezzo in the winter of 1928, a one-month Labour Government, the Labour Party had changed from revolutionary communism to social democracy. The main reason for the change of course was the realization of that Government power could be used for reforms that could lessen the impact of the economic crisis. In the 1933 election the party used the slogans "Work for everyone" and "Country and city, hand in hand". The last time the party portrayed itself as revolutionary was the 1930 election.

The Labour Party advanced in the 1933 election, but did not get a majority. Instead they made a compromise with the Farmer Party, allowing the cabinet Nygaardsvold to enter the Council of State. The party did not get majority in the 1936 election either, and continued to govern thanks to fluctuating support from various opposition parties.

The night before 9 April 1940, the Norwegian Government was, like most other authorities in the country, surprised by the German Operation Weserübung. It chose resistance, though in a rather fumbling and unclear way, especially initially. The Government left Norway on 7 June 1940 after the capitulation and established itself in London the same day, along with King Haakon VII and Crown Prince Olav.^[3]

Back in Norway, over the course of the war, four cabinets were instated by Vidkun Quisling and Josef Terboven, as the de facto Governments of Norway. The Government-in-exile is sometimes referred to as the London Cabinet. It returned to Norway on 31 May 1945. On 12 June Nygaardsvold announced his resignation, and on 25 June the pan-political first cabinet Gerhardsen took over.

Below are the four de facto Governments in Oslo during the war, either sympathising with or actually appointed by German Forces. Reichskommissar in Oslo was Josef Terboven.

• First cabinet Quisling (1940)
• Cabinet Christiansen (1940)
• Cabinet Terboven (1940–42)
• Second cabinet Quisling (1942–45)

Cabinet Nygaardsvold

Building in London occupied by the Norwegian government-in-exile.

Portfolio	Minister	Period	Party
Prime Minister	Johan Nygaardsvold	20 March 1935 - 25 June 1945	Labour
Minister of Agriculture	Hans Ystgaard	20 March 1935 - 25 June 1945	Labour
Minister of Church Affairs and Education	Nils Hjelmtveit	20 March 1935 - 25 June 1945	Labour
Minister of Defence	Christian Fredrik Monsen Adolf Indrebø Oscar Torp Christian Fredrik Monsen Birger Ljungberg Oscar Torp	20 March 1935 - 15 November 1935 15 November 1935 - 20 December 1935 20 December 1935 - 15 August 1936 15 August 1936 - 22 December 1939 22 December 1939 - 28 November 1942 28 November 1942 - 25 June 1945	Labour Labour Labour Labour Labour Labour
Minister of Finance	Adolf Indrebø Kornelius Bergsvik Oscar Torp Paul Hartmann	20 March 1935 - 13 November 1936 13 November 1936 - 1 July 1939 1 July 1939 - 28 November 1941 28 November 1941 - 25 June 1945	Labour Labour Labour Resistance
Minister of Foreign Affairs	Halvdan Koht Trygve Lie	20 March 1935 - 19 November 1940 19 November 1940 - 25 June 1945	Labour Labour
Minister of Justice	Trygve Lie Terje Wold	20 March 1935 - 19 November 1939 19 November 1939 - 25 June 1945	Labour Labour
Minister of Labour	Johan Nygaardsvold Olav Hindahl	20 March 1935 - 2 October 1939 2 October 1939 - 25 June 1945	Labour Labour
Minister of Social Affairs	Kornelius Bergsvik Oscar Torp Sverre Støstad	20 March 1935 - 13 November 1936 13 November 1936 - 1 July 1939 1 July 1939 - 25 June 1945	Labour Labour Labour
Minister of Shipping	Arne Sunde	1 October 1942 - 25 June 1945	Liberal
Minister of Supply	Trygve Lie Arne Sunde Anders Rasmus Frihagen	2 October 1939 - 19 November 1940 19 November 1940 - 1 October 1942 1 October 1942 - 25 June 1945	Labour Liberal Labour
Minister of Trade, Shipping, Industry, Crafts and Fisheries	Alfred Madsen Trygve Lie Anders Rasmus Frihagen Terje Wold Anders Rasmus Frihagen Olav Hindahl Sven Nielsen	20 March 1935 - 1 July 1939 1 July 1939 - 2 October 1939 2 October 1939 - 7 June 1940 7 June 1940 - April 1942 April 1942 - 1 October 1942 1 October 1942 - 9 March 1945 9 March 1945 - 25 June 1945	Labour Labour Labour Labour Labour Labour Conservative

References

1. "The cabinet of Johan Nygaardsvold" (in Norwegian). NorgesLexi.com. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
2. Friis, 1965
3. Friis, 1965

See also

• Norwegian Armed Forces in exile

Further reading

• Erik J. Friis, "The Norwegian Government-In-Exile, 1940-45" in Scandinavian Studies. Essays Presented to Dr. Henry Goddard Leach on the Occasion of his Eighty-fifth Birthday (1965), pp 422-444