Execution of Norwegian Prime Minister & Nazi Collaborator: Quisling

Video Description

Narrator: Marchand Steenkamp. About the story: Vidkun Quisling’s name would become synonymous with treason, but his path to infamy began long before the German invasion of Norway in April 1940. Once a promising military officer and humanitarian who worked alongside explorer Fridtjof Nansen, Quisling transformed over the years into a radical nationalist convinced that parliamentary democracy was weakening his country. By the 1930s, he founded his own far-right movement, Nasjonal Samling, modeled partly on German Nazism and devoted to authoritarian rule, anti-communism, and extreme nationalism. When Nazi Germany struck at Norway on 9 April 1940, Quisling made his most infamous move: he rushed to a radio station in Oslo, declared himself prime minister, and ordered resistance to cease. Norwegians ignored him, the King denounced him, and German authorities temporarily pushed him aside. But his loyalty to Hitler made him valuable, and in 1942 he finally became the head of a collaborationist government under German occupation. As prime minister, Quisling helped the Nazis suppress the Norwegian resistance, dissolve democratic institutions, and persecute Jews across the country. His regime cooperated with the Gestapo, enforced Nazi racial laws, and facilitated deportations that sent Norwegian Jews to Auschwitz. Even as Germany began losing the war, Quisling remained loyal to Hitler, staging parades, propaganda ceremonies, and appeals for unity under the swastika. After the liberation of Norway in 1945, Quisling was arrested, tried for treason, and executed at Akershus Fortress. His name entered languages worldwide as a lasting symbol of betrayal — a reminder of how far one man’s ambition and ideology can lead a nation into darkness. Join World History channel and get access to benefits: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKKy_pNKZBX4KcCct8505HA/join Disclaimer: All opinions and comments below are from members of the public and do not reflect the views of World History channel. We do not accept promoting violence or hatred against individuals or groups based on attributes such as: race, nationality, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation. World History has right to review the comments and delete them if they are deemed inappropriate. ► CLICK the SUBSCRIBE button for more interesting clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKKy_pNKZBX4KcCct8505HA/?sub_confirmation=1 #VidkunQuisling #WWII #ww2 #nazi #history #holocaust #documentary #europe #Norway #norwegian #adolfhitler #warcriminals #warcrime #collaborators #worldhistory #history #worldwar2videos #quisling #traitor #traitors #warcrimes Vidkun Quisling biography, Holocaust in Norway, Nazi occupation of Norway, Nazi SS, Nazi war crimes, WW2 war crimes, War trials, Nazi criminals, War criminals, War criminals WW2, German war crimes, Occupation of Norway, German Invasion of Norway, Norway WW2, German Occupation of Norway, Germany invades Norway, When did Germany invade Norway, Norwegian resistance movement, Quisling, Quislings, Norway WW2 resistance, WW2 Norwegian resistance, Norway WWII resistance, Norwegian underground, Nazi collaborator, Nazi traitor,