Norway Debate facts for kids
The Norway Debate, sometimes called the Narvik Debate, was a very important discussion in the British House of Commons (like a parliament) from May 7 to May 9, 1940. This happened during World War II. The official name for this debate was "Conduct of the War."
The debate started because members of Parliament wanted to talk freely about how the Norwegian campaign (a military operation in Norway) was going. Soon, many people became unhappy with how Neville Chamberlain's government was handling the war.
At the end of the second day, there was a vote called a no confidence motion. This vote meant members could show if they still trusted the government. Chamberlain's government won the vote, but by a much smaller number of votes than usual. Because of this, Chamberlain resigned as prime minister on May 10.
His government was replaced by a new one led by Winston Churchill. This new government was a coalition government, meaning it included members from different political parties. Churchill's government then led the United Kingdom until the war in Europe ended in May 1945.
Chamberlain's government was criticized not just by the opposing parties (like the Labour and Liberal parties) but also by important members of his own Conservative Party. Even though Conservative members were told strongly to support their leader, more than a quarter of them voted against Chamberlain or chose not to vote at all.
Many people wanted a "national unity" government, where all parties worked together. But the Labour and Liberal parties refused to work under Chamberlain. They were willing to work with another Conservative leader, and after Chamberlain resigned, they agreed to serve under Churchill.
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Why the Debate Happened
In 1937, Neville Chamberlain became prime minister. He led a government mostly made up of Conservatives. At this time, Nazi Germany was becoming very powerful under the Nazi Party. Germany was trying to take over more land.
Chamberlain first tried to avoid war by using a policy called "appeasement." This meant trying to give in to some of Germany's demands to keep the peace, like with the Munich Agreement. But this approach stopped working after Germany took over Czechoslovakia in March 1939.
One of the strongest critics of Chamberlain's appeasement policy was a Conservative politician named Winston Churchill. Even though he was famous, Churchill had not been in the government since 1929.
When Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, the United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany. Chamberlain then invited Churchill to join his special "war cabinet" as the First Lord of the Admiralty (in charge of the navy).
After Germany quickly defeated Poland in September 1939, there was a quiet period in the war for about six months. People called it the "Phoney War." On April 3, 1940, Chamberlain said that Adolf Hitler, Germany's leader, "had missed the bus," meaning he had missed his chance to attack.
But just six days later, on April 9, Germany launched a huge attack on Norway, which was a neutral country and not ready for war. Germany also quickly took over Denmark. In response, Britain sent soldiers to help Norway.
Churchill, as head of the navy, was directly responsible for the naval operations in Norway. Before Germany invaded, he had wanted Britain to mine Norway's waters and take over Narvik. This was to stop Germany from getting iron ore from Sweden, which was important for making weapons. However, he thought Germany couldn't launch a big land invasion of Norway.
Except for a naval victory in the Battles of Narvik, the Norwegian campaign went badly for British forces. This was mainly due to poor planning and not enough supplies. By April 27, British and French forces had to leave Norway.
When the House of Commons met on May 2, the Labour leader, Clement Attlee, asked about the situation in Norway. Chamberlain didn't want to say much because of security reasons. He asked the House to wait until the next week for a full discussion. Attlee and the Liberal leader, Archibald Sinclair, agreed, but they asked for a debate that would last more than one day.
Chamberlain then announced that a debate on how the war was being fought would start on Tuesday, May 7. Everyone in Parliament and the country was looking forward to this debate. Chamberlain's assistant, John Colville, wrote in his diary that everyone was focused on the debate. He thought the government would win, but they would face some difficult questions about Norway. Colville worried that the country's trust might be "shaken."
The Debate Begins: May 7
First Day's Start
The House of Commons meeting on Tuesday, May 7, 1940, began at 2:45 PM. After some other business and questions about the British Army, the debate on the Norwegian campaign started.
The debate began with a simple motion to "adjourn" (end the meeting). This is a common way to start a broad discussion in the British Parliament, and usually, no vote is taken on this motion itself.
At 3:48 PM, Captain David Margesson, who was in charge of getting government members to vote, made the motion. The House then began to openly discuss "Conduct of the War," focusing on the Norwegian campaign. Chamberlain then stood up to give his first speech.
Chamberlain's Opening Speech
Chamberlain started by reminding everyone about his statement on May 2, when British forces had left Åndalsnes. He now confirmed that they had also left Namsos, completing the withdrawal of Allied forces from central and southern Norway. (Fighting continued in northern Norway.)
Chamberlain tried to make the Allied losses seem unimportant. He claimed that British soldiers were "superior to their foes" and praised their "splendid gallantry." But he admitted they faced "superior forces with superior equipment."
Chamberlain then said he would "present a picture of the situation" and "consider certain criticisms of the government." He knew that the withdrawal had shocked both Parliament and the country. At this point, members of the Labour party started shouting, "All over the world!"
Chamberlain replied sarcastically that "ministers, of course, must be expected to be blamed for everything." This made many members angry, and they shouted, "They missed the bus!" The Speaker (the person in charge of the debate) had to ask members to stop interrupting. But they kept repeating the phrase throughout Chamberlain's speech. He reacted with a sign of irritation. He eventually had to defend his earlier use of the phrase, saying he had expected a German attack at the start of the war when Germany was much stronger.
Many people criticized Chamberlain's speech. Historian Roy Jenkins called it "a tired, defensive speech which impressed nobody." Liberal MP Henry Morris-Jones said Chamberlain looked like "a shattered man" and spoke without his usual confidence. When Chamberlain insisted that "the balance of advantage lay on our side," Liberal MP Dingle Foot couldn't believe it. He said Chamberlain was denying that Britain had suffered a major defeat.
A Conservative MP named Leo Amery felt that Chamberlain's speech left the House feeling restless and sad, but not yet ready to rebel. Amery thought Chamberlain seemed "obviously satisfied with things as they stood." In the government's group, the mood was actually positive, as they believed they would "get away with it," according to John Colville.
Images for kids
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The British–German naval battles at Narvik on April 10 and 13.
