Johan Nygaardsvold facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Johan Nygaardsvold
Nygaardsvold in 1934
21st Prime Minister of Norway
In office 20 March 1935 – 25 June 1945
Monarch	Haakon VII
Preceded by	Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
Succeeded by	Einar Gerhardsen
President of the Storting
In office 11 January 1934 – 20 March 1935
Prime Minister	Johan Ludwig Mowinckel
Vice President	C. J. Hambro
Preceded by	C.J. Hambro
Succeeded by	C. J. Hambro
Parliamentary Leader of the Labour Party
In office 5 March 1932 – 20 March 1935
Leader	Oscar Torp
Preceded by	Alfred Madsen
Succeeded by	Sverre Støstad
Minister of Labour
In office 20 March 1935 – 2 October 1939
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Ole Monsen Mjelde
Succeeded by	Olav Hindahl
Minister of Agriculture
In office 28 January 1928 – 15 February 1928
Prime Minister	Christopher Hornsrud
Preceded by	Ole Bærøe
Succeeded by	Hans Jørgensen Aarstad
Member of the Norwegian Parliament
In office 1 January 1916 – 31 December 1949
Constituency	Sør-Trøndelag
Personal details
Born	(1879-09-06)6 September 1879 Hommelvik, Sør-Trøndelag, United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway
Died	13 March 1952(1952-03-13) (aged 72) Trondheim, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Albine Regine Brandslet (1878–1961)

Johan Nygaardsvold (born 6 September 1879, died 13 March 1952) was an important Norwegian politician. He was a member of the Labour Party. Johan Nygaardsvold served as the 21st prime minister of Norway from 1935 to 1945.

During World War II, from June 1940 to May 1945, he led the Norwegian Government-in-exile. This government was based in London while Nazi Germany occupied Norway. His time as prime minister is often called the Nygaardsvold cabinet.

Early Life and Work

Johan Nygaardsvold was born in Hommelvik, a town in the Malvik area of Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. His father, Anders Nygaardsvold, was a farmer and helped start the first labor union in their area.

Johan began working at a lumber mill when he was only 12 years old. On 6 June 1901, he married Albine Regine Brandslet.

In 1902, Johan and Albine moved to Canada. He worked in British Columbia and later in the United States, in places like Kalispell, Montana and Spokane, Washington. He even worked as an organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World. In 1907, he and his wife returned to Norway. He found a job at the Hommelvik Sawmill in 1909.

Political Journey

Nygaardsvold campaign poster

Johan Nygaardsvold started his political career in 1910. He was elected to the board of education for the Labour Party. He quickly became more important in local politics.

In 1916, he was elected to the Norwegian parliament for the first time. He served in parliament continuously until 1949. For a few years, he also worked in the Swedish lumber industry during the summers. From 1920 to 1922, he was the mayor of his hometown, Malvik.

Becoming Prime Minister

In 1928, Nygaardsvold became the Minister of Agriculture in the government led by Christopher Hornsrud. This government did not last very long.

From 1934 to 1935, he served as the President of the Storting, which is like the speaker of the parliament. In 1935, he was asked to form a new government and became the Prime Minister of Norway.

Leading During World War II

Johan Nygaardsvold was the Prime Minister when Nazi Germany attacked Norway on 9 April 1940. After Germany took over Norway, German officials demanded that Nygaardsvold's government give up. They also wanted King Haakon VII to appoint Vidkun Quisling, a Nazi supporter, as prime minister.

King Haakon VII refused. He said he would rather give up his throne than appoint Quisling. On 7 June 1940, the Norwegian government, including Nygaardsvold, moved to London. They continued to lead Norway from there as the Government-in-exile.

Nygaardsvold remained prime minister in exile until the government returned to Norway on 31 May 1945. He officially resigned on 25 June 1945. King Haakon then appointed Einar Gerhardsen to lead a new government made up of all political parties.

Important Reforms

During Nygaardsvold's time as prime minister, many important changes were made to help people. These changes included:

• Starting a national pension insurance system.
• Making unemployment insurance required for many workers.
• Introducing the Worker Protection Act, which set rules for working hours in factories and mines.
• Giving workers paid public holidays.
• Requiring health checks for workers in certain industries.
• Granting maternity leave for new mothers.
• Raising the minimum age for working in industry, shops, and offices from 14 to 15 years.
• Introducing an old-age pension for Norwegian citizens over 70.
• Creating a disability pension.

These reforms aimed to improve the lives and safety of workers and citizens across Norway.

Later Life and Legacy

Nygaardsvold was elected to the Storting for the last time in 1945. When his term ended in 1949, he retired from politics. That same year, he received the Medal for Outstanding Civic Service (Borgerdådsmedaljen), a very high honor.

He returned to Hommelvik and later died of cancer in Trondheim in 1952. He was buried at Hommelvik Church in Malvik.

Historical Impact

Johan Nygaardsvold was very popular during his time as prime minister. Many people believed he was responsible for the Labour Party's strong election results in 1933. His government worked to help Norway recover from the Great Depression.

He is especially remembered for his leadership during the years leading up to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany. He also led the government from exile during the war. After the war, an investigation found that he shared some responsibility for Norway not being fully ready for the German invasion. However, he was also praised for successfully leading the government from London during the war. He was offered an honorary salary for his service in exile, but he chose not to accept it.

Related Reading

• Andenaes, Johs; Riste, Olav; Skodvin, Magne (1966) Norway and the Second World War (Oslo: Johan Grundt Tanum Forlag).

See also

In Spanish: Johan Nygaardsvold para niños