The Real Reason Hitler Kept 300,000 Men in Norway Until the End...

The Real Reason Hitler Kept 300,000 Men in Norway Until the End... By the final days of World War II, Germany was collapsing on every front. Berlin was surrounded, and every soldier counted. Yet hundreds of thousands of German troops were still sitting in Norway, far from the fighting, where they stayed until the very end. Why would Hitler leave such a massive army in a country that saw almost no major battles? In this video, we uncover the real reason. We go back to Germany’s invasion of Norway in 1940 and why the country mattered so much: the vital Swedish iron ore shipped through the port of Narvik, the naval and U-boat bases along the Norwegian coast, and the airfields used. We then explore Hitler’s growing obsession with an Allied invasion of Norway, which he reportedly called the “zone of destiny” and how British commando raids fed his fears. Finally, we look at one of the most successful deceptions of the war, Operation Fortitude North, where a fake Allied army in Scotland helped keep German troops pinned down in Norway while the real invasion came in Normandy. In this video: Germany’s invasion of Norway Iron ore, U-boats, and the Arctic convoys Hitler’s “zone of destiny” The commando raids that fed his fears Operation Fortitude North: the phantom army An army stranded until the end Mistake or masterstroke? If you enjoyed this, like the video, subscribe for more history explained simply, and tell us in the comments: was keeping troops in Norway Hitler’s biggest mistake