Norwegian Army
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Norwegian Army Hæren |
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|---|---|
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| Founded | 1628 |
| Country | Norway |
| Allegiance | King Harald V |
| Branch | Department of Defence |
| Type | Army |
| Size | 11,600 soldiers |
| Motto(s) |
For alt vi har. Og alt vi er. For everything we have. And everything we are. |
| Engagements |
Second Northern War Torstenson War Scanian War Great Northern War Theater War Dano-Swedish War of 1808-1809 Gunboat War Swedish-Norwegian War (1814) World War II Cold War Lebanon War Bosnian War Kosovo War War in Afghanistan War on Terrorism |
| Website | www |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-Chief | King Harald V |
| Minister of Defence | Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide |
| Chief of Defence | ADM Haakon Bruun-Hanssen |
For alt vi har. Og alt vi er.
Norway achieved full independence in 1905, and in the first century of its short life has contributed to three major conflicts, World War II, the Cold War and the War on Terror. The Norwegian Army currently operates in Northern Norway and in Afghanistan as well as in Eastern Europe. The Army is the oldest of the service branches, established as a modern military organization in 1628. The Army participated in wars during the 17th, 18th and 19th century as well, both in Norway and abroad.
After the Kalmar War broke out in 1611, the Danish king tried to revive the volunteer leidang, with dire results. As the Norwegian citizenry had not been armed or trained in the use of arms for nearly three centuries they were not able to fight. Soldiers deserted or were captured. The soldiers had to participate in military drills, while providing supplementary labor to the local community when not in active service. Although the army still did not represent the whole nation, as city residents were exempt from military duty, 1628 is generally regarded by historians as the year when the modern Norwegian army was born.
During the war of 1643–45, the Norwegian army performed well while its Danish counterpart flopped. As a result, large areas had to be ceded to Sweden. This led the Danish king to invite German mercenaries to coach and command the Danish-Norwegian Armed Forces: a decision echoing down the centuries in traces of Germanic vocabulary used by the Norwegian military to this day. In 2008 the army faced criticism from within for only being able to defend only one district in Oslo in the event of a national invasion.
In the early 18th century the Swedes invaded Norway again, and this time the Norwegian army held its own, setting the stage for nearly a century of peace – the longest yet in modern Norwegian history – during which time a distinct Norwegian identity began to evolve. German ceased to be the official language of command in the army in 1772, in favor of "Dano-Norwegian". With the outbreak of the Napoleonic wars, Denmark-Norway and Sweden tried to remain neutral; but Denmark's King Fredrik IV's decision to align with Napoleon meant that hostilities reached Norway. By 1807, Denmark-Norway was formally at war with Britain.
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Wikipedia