Jens Christian Hauge (15 May 1915 – 30 October 2006) was a
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
who was leader within the
World War II resistance—and one of the two incumbent
Milorg
Milorg (abbreviation of militær organisasjon – military organization) was the main Norwegian resistance movement during World War II. Resistance work included intelligence gathering, sabotage, supply-missions, raids, espionage, transport of ...
Council members in May 1945.
[ Njølstad p.125] He served as Minister of Defence from 1945-1952 and Minister of Justice from January to November 1955.
After 1955 he never held political office, but "continued to exert influence on political processes—sometimes openly",
[Njølstad p.710] and sometimes less so.
He is also controversial, and has been criticised for not giving more information regarding central parts of the Milorg activities, such as
assassinations of Norwegian
collaborators.
Early life
He was born at
Ljan, and he had an older sister Aase. Their mother was a school teacher of
hand craft, and the father was son of a
cotter. Jens Chr. Hauge's father was a former non-commissioned officer, who worked in an insurance company.
Military service as a conscript
He was a
conscript
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
in
Stavern in the summer of 1936, and served 48
[Njølstad p.93] days
f_recruit_training_.html" ;"title="recruit_training.html" ;"title="f recruit training">f recruit training ">recruit_training.html" ;"title="f recruit training">f recruit training at the anti-aircraft regimental recruits' school ('),
[Njølstad p.90] In 1938 he received 15 days of recruit training.
[Njølstad p.93]
He received training as crew on anti-aircraft weapon (').
[Njølstad p.92] In May 1939 he was summoned for the last 14 days of recruit training.
[Njølstad p.93] He replied to the summons with a medical certificate regarding his varicose veins,
[Njølstad p.93] adding that he was willing to be checked by military doctors, even though [his schedule] as a magistrate (') would make it difficult to leave work.
[Njølstad p.93] He received a
medical discharge, according to an annotation dated 10 August 1939, by Hauge.
[Njølstad p.93]
After law school
He finished his final exams to become a lawyer, in autumn of 1937. He worked as a private lecturer (''manuduktør'') for law students, for the next year. In November 1938 he started as a ''dommerfullmektig'' in
Kragerø
Kragerø () is a town and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional regions of Grenland and the smaller Vestmar. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kragerø. The city of Krager ...
, to perform his period as a judicial "conscript".
[Njølstad p.17 "I November 1938 tiltrådte han som dommerfullmektig ved sorenskriverkontoret i Kragerø for å utføre sin juridiske "verneplikt"."] In January 1940 he again was working as a ''manuduktør'' in Oslo. While still a law student he became a member of the
Norwegian Association for Women's Rights
The Norwegian Association for Women's Rights ( no, italic=no, Norsk Kvinnesaksforening; NKF) is Norway's oldest and preeminent women's and girls' rights organization and works "to promote gender equality and all women's and girls' human rights thr ...
in 1936.
Arrest, imprisonment and trial during World War II
The military invasion of Norway, resulted in students not coming to his private lectures, so he was without income. On 12 April he applied for work at Oslo Politikammer, and started work the next day. In June, his employer had established ''Priskontoret'' ("the price office"), and he applied for a transfer, and became the leader of the office. On 13 August he was arrested for making statements (during private lectures—of which he had resumed, besides his employment with the police) that violated (or were offensive to)
Nasjonal Samling
Nasjonal Samling (, NS; ) was a Norwegian far-right political party active from 1933 to 1945. It was the only legal party of Norway from 1942 to 1945. It was founded by former minister of defence Vidkun Quisling and a group of supporters such ...
.
While imprisoned, the "
Milk Strike" occurred in Oslo, including the 10 September execution of two:
the leader of a trade union and
a lawyer in LO. "
re than anything, it was the justice-scorning executions of these two, that
ater Ater (Hebrew אֲתַר) is an Old Testament male name.
#A descendant of Hezekiah, who returned from Babylon ;
#An Israelite, who subscribed to Nehemiah
Nehemiah is the central figure of the Book of Nehemiah, which describes his work in r ...
led
[Njølstad p.732] Hauge to Milorg." (Years earlier Hauge had the lawyer prosecute a case in
Kragerø
Kragerø () is a town and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional regions of Grenland and the smaller Vestmar. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kragerø. The city of Krager ...
; Hauge had barely known him.
[Njølstad p.68])
During the last days of September, he was transferred to "the newly established prison for political prisoners", at
Bredtveit Farm.
[Njølstad p.77]
17 October saw the trial of Hauge.
[Njølstad p.79] (At the end of the trial, Hauge was granted a release until the next day.
[Njølstad p.83])
The verdict of 100 days in prison, whereof 66 days had already been served,
[Njølstad p.84] was announced the next day—and he was imprisoned. He was released on 30 October, after completing four-fifths of the sentence—eighty days.
In the Resistance
He joined Milorg at the beginning
[Njølstad p.99] of 1942. (His wife and two children were relocated to
Vestre Slidre
Vestre Slidre is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Slidre. Other villages in Vestre Slidre include Lomen and Røn.
...
in the middle of March—to a
acant cotter home which belonged to
Husaker (a mountain farm).
[Njølstad p.99])
In the middle of August 1942 he became inspector for (
Milorg
Milorg (abbreviation of militær organisasjon – military organization) was the main Norwegian resistance movement during World War II. Resistance work included intelligence gathering, sabotage, supply-missions, raids, espionage, transport of ...
district)
Østlandet
Eastern Norway ( nb, Østlandet, nn, Austlandet) is the geographical region of the south-eastern part of Norway. It consists of the counties Vestfold og Telemark, Viken, Oslo and Innlandet.
Eastern Norway is by far the most populous region o ...
—replacing
Knut Møyen
Knut Møyen (19 January 1907 – 20 March 1984) was a Norwegian economist and resistance member. He was born in Aker. After the German invasion of Norway in 1940 he participated in the Norwegian Campaign. From 1941 to 1942 he was a central ...
.
[Njølstad p.111]
On 3 October 1942
Operation Bittern landed four commandos in Norway.
[Njølstad p.117] During the meeting where the leader of commandos showed his orders to Hauge, Hauge confiscated the accompanying list of 62 "that SOE wanted to" assassinate.
[Njølstad p.118]
("In 1941 - 1942 there was a tense relationship between Milorg and" SOE.
[Njølstad p.116]
"An early example of such a conflict, surfaced in the wake of the controversial
Operation Bittern in the autumn of 1942", according to Njølstad.
[Njølstad p.117] SOE expeditions which followed, improved Milorg's relationship to the British:
[Njølstad p.119] The Chaffinch-, Thrush- and Pheasant Expeditions.)
One evening between 7 and 14 October
[Njølstad p.122] he met
The Council (of Milorg) for the first time. The meeting resulted in a half-pascifistic
[Njølstad p.123] message to the High Command, which in turn replied with a reprimand: To abstain from shooting in self-defense "is in opposition to human nature". (Hauge's dissent at the meeting was noticed also
[ by a secretary][Njølstad p.113] at SL.)
In January 1943 he was promoted to ''Stor I''—the General Inspector of all Milorg combat groups in the nation.[Njølstad p.111]
After promotion to General Inspector
In May 1943, he traveled to Sweden—his first trip abroad for Milorg.[Njølstad p.145] (Njølstad says that Hauge's rapidly increasing influence in Milorg—and later in ''den samlede hjemmefrontsledelsen''—was in part because he never feared traveling abroad.
Furthermore, " ny Resistance leaders were reluctant to such travel, because they feared that, in practice, it would mean the end of their effort in Norway. Or they calculated that their power to influence was greater when they communicated with '' utefronten''—from Norway, rather than meeting its representatives" abroad.[Njølstad p.145]) 7–9 May saw one set of meetings, followed by Hauge's return to Milorg's Council, to be followed by another border crossing for meetings in Sweden's capital.[Njølstad p.145] The High Command wanted more operative control of Milorg's units, particularly in the districts.[Njølstad p.147] This is in part the reason for the establishment of radio links directly between Milorg's district commands and the High Command, without establishing radio links between Milorg districts; due to security concerns, the districts were only to communicate with each other through ''Sentralledelsen'' in Oslo.[Njølstad p.147]
In September 1943, he became a permanent member of the Sentralledelsen's top decision making group—The Council (''Rådet''). "From then on, for all practical purposes, he was Milorg's top chief", according to Njølstad.[Njølstad p.111]
After promotion to Milorg's Council
From October 1944, the contact with Frithjof Hammersen (officer in Wehrmacht), was handled by Ingrid Furuseth, Hauge, and Ole Arntzen.[Njølstad p.240] Evidence from Hammersen, was the first trustworthy evidence of cancelled plans for moving Hitler's inner circle members—to Festung Norwegen
{{Norway during World War II
Festung Norwegen (Fortress Norway) was the German term for the heavy defence and fortification system of Norway during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany in World War II. Some, including ''Reichskommissar'' Jose ...
.[Njølstad p.241]
(In the last months of the war, Hauge had secret talks with Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...
officers that gave information about the German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
plans for Norway. These talks facilitated the smooth transition to peace when the Germans surrendered in May 1945.)
After the 5 December 1944 directive from SOE
A 5 December 1944 directive (''direktiv'') from SOE, stating "that it must be a prioritized task, for Milorg and NORIC to obstruct German forces from leaving" Norway.[Njølstad p.209] (It was Hauge's understanding that, there was a wish for severing the lines of transportation on land, so that the Germans were forced out to sea—were the British were feeling increasingly stronger.[Njølstad p.209-10])
On 16 December, the Germans attacked through the Ardennes Forest on the German-Belgian border.[ Jens Christian Hauge, Guide of Modern Norway, Dies at 91 ]
/ref>
A 31 December failed aerial bombing attack on Gestapo
The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe.
The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one orga ...
headquarters in Oslo, had originally been requested by Hauge.[Njølstad p.221] (77 died, round
Round or rounds may refer to:
Mathematics and science
* The contour of a closed curve or surface with no sharp corners, such as an ellipse, circle, rounded rectangle, cant, or sphere
* Rounding, the shortening of a number to reduce the number ...
1000 became homeless, 23 buildings were hit—whereof 6 were leveled. But Victoria terrasse was nearly undamaged.[Njølstad p.221])
After the assassination of the chief of police service ''Stapo''
Karl Marthinsen was assassinated on 8 February 1945.[Njølstad p.228] (Months earlier, Hauge was authorized by the government in exile, to have Marthinsen killed.[Njølstad p.228])
Hauge and then General Inspector were arrested for traffic violations on 10 April, and released the next day.[Njølstad p.233]
After Germany's capitulation, the fugitive chief of Gestapo in Norway was arrested on 31 May.[Njølstad p.255] Hauge met him, to have him report in writing about Fehmer's work in Norway—with a 10-day deadline.[Njølstad p.255] (Hauge's official motive was to cut off Gestapo leaders' options of telling lies in court, about everything they knew about hjemmefronten, but did not use against them.[Njølstad p.256])
The only award he chose to receive for his wartime service, was the one that was given to all Milorg's men and women: a silver needle.[Njølstad p.259]
Indications of employment with OSS
In August 2008 signs were found of Hauge having been employed by Office of Strategic Services(OSS). His name was found in a directory of personnel files of employees from 1942 to 1945—released by the US National Archives in 2008, according to Klassekampen
''Klassekampen'' ( en, The Class Struggle) is a Norwegian daily newspaper. It describes itself as "the newspaper of the Left." The paper's net circulation is 34,000 (2021), and it has around 111,000 daily readers on paper (160,000 on Saturdays). ...
. (Other Norwegians on the list were Wilhelm Hansteen, Håkon Kyllingmark and Knut Lier Hansen.)
Secretary for prime minister
Paal Berg was asked by C.J. Hambro to form a government.[Njølstad p.264] Berg did not become a prime minister.[Njølstad p.264]
In 1945 Hauge was asked by Einar Gerhardsen
Einar Henry Gerhardsen (; 10 May 1897 – 19 September 1987) was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party of Norway. He was the 22nd prime minister of Norway for three periods, 1945–1951, 1955–1963 and 1963–1965. With totally 17 years in ...
if he would accept a position—after Gerhardsen had formed his cabinet—as a "secretary and judicial advisor at the Office of the Prime Minister".[Njølstad p.269] As "Gerhardsen's secretary with responsibility for judicial cases", he became linked[Njølstad p.270] to the legal purge of war-time collaborators and the trials against Vidkun Quisling
Vidkun Abraham Lauritz Jonssøn Quisling (, ; 18 July 1887 – 24 October 1945) was a Norwegian military officer, politician and Nazi collaborator who nominally list of heads of government of Norway, headed the government of Norway during t ...
and Knut Hamsun
Knut Hamsun (4 August 1859 – 19 February 1952) was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to consciousness, subject, Point of view ...
.
After the war, he became a member of the Labour Party.
Minister of defence
On 5[Njølstad p.288] November 1945 he became Defence Minister—the youngest of any[Njølstad p.289] orwegianminister until then, 30 years old. (Previously, at the end of October, Andrew Thorne had approved the appointment, in the confidence of foreign minister Lie.[Njølstad p.290])
In the spring of 1946 Forsvarets forskningsinstitutt (FFI) was put into service.[Njølstad p.299] (In 1945 he suggested measures for preventing Norwegian military scientists from remaining in British service, and in December the cabinet decided to establish FFI.[Njølstad p.299]) In December 1945 Otto Ruge
Otto Ruge (9 January 1882 – 15 August 1961) was a Norwegian general. Ruge was Commander-in-chief of the Royal Norwegian Armed Forces after Nazi Germany's assault on Norway in April 1940.
Early career
Ruge grew up in Kristiania (Oslo) i ...
resigned as general.[Njølstad p.354] In January 1946 Hauge fired then Chief of the Air Force, and the two agreed that the officer would resign at a later date.[Njølstad p.356]
Chief of Defence Halvor Hansson resigned in 1946.[Njølstad p.354]
A Norwegian brigade to British-occupied Germany
On 14 May 1946 parliament decided to establish a brigade of 4000 soldiers to be stationed in West-Germany[Njølstad p.299]—in line with the ministry's proposal— Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany. (In 1948 the cabinet decided that the brigade's soldiers were to be issued condoms.[Njølstad p.309] 400 000 signatures of protest were collected, and Hauge asked advice from Trygve Bratteli about the possibility of having Labour Party employees do partial checks of the lists, and "Should it be done?".[Njølstad p.309] (Municipal elections were scheduled for later in 1948, and Hauge thought that the signatures might harm the election campaign of the Labour Party.[Njølstad p.309]) The resulting advice was that the partial checks could be done, but that it was not advisable.[Njølstad p.309]
Svalbard Crisis
The autumn of 1946 saw the start of the Svalbard Crisis 1946–1947, involving the Soviet Union.[Njølstad p.310]
The Rød Case
On 13 March 1947 he showed a document to then minister of justice, regarding Knut Rød Knut Rød (30 June 1900 – 19 May 1986) was a Norwegian police prosecutor responsible for the arrest, detention and transfer of Jewish men, women and children to SS troops at Oslo harbor. For these and other actions related to the Holocaust in ...
—who was preparing for trial in the appellate court.[Njølstad p.387] (The document was a five-day-old report (to Evang) about Rød's participation in a group that collected intelligence on communists and sympathizers; and about Rød having accepted Norwegian kroner 500 for locating the election lists for the Norwegian Communist Party—pertaining to the last election of parliament and the municipal governments; and about Rød having recruited his brother, for the work f the group[Njølstad p.387] (His brother was then a secretary in '' Kommunikasjonsdirektoratet''—a government agency.[Njølstad p.387])
Olav Njølstad
Olav Njølstad (born 1 March 1957) is a Norwegian historian, biographer and novelist. He is director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute.
Literary background
As a novelist he made his literary debut in 2003 with the thriller ''Mannen med oksehjertet ...
says that "Before the Rød Case continued, the Defence- and Justice Minister knew that the defendant was concerned about the communist threat and could become a useful man in the communist surveillance that they had started constructing - that is, under the condition that he would not be convicted of Collaboration with the Axis Powers during World War II, and fired from the police force."[Njølstad p.387]
Increased possibility of war sensed
In the middle of January 1948 he received a secret memo from Vilhelm Evang
Vilhelm Andreas Wexelsen Evang (9 November 1909 – 5 January 1983) was a Norwegian military officer. He headed the military intelligence in Norway for almost twenty years, from 1946 to 1965.
Personal life
Evang was born in Aker as the son of ...
that stated that the Western military superpowers sensed an increased possibility for war with the Soviet Union.[Njølstad p.326]
In January 1948, '' Koordinasjonsutvalget'' ("the coordination board") was established, to coordinate and gather information from the intelligence services—military and civil.[Njølstad p.381] Its creation is largely[Njølstad p.381] credited to Hauge.
After the coup in Czechoslovakia
On 25 February 1948, a coup in Czechoslovakia was completed,[Njølstad p.329] and it was followed by the " Winter Crisis".[Njølstad p.345] The same month the Soviet Union proposed to Finland a combined friendship and military pact.[Njølstad p.329]
During the first days of March 1948 messages were received from the Foreign Ministry's stations abroad and embassies of Western nations, that Norway could be the next nation to be invaded by the Soviets.[Njølstad p.330]
A front page of Norwegian daily Dagbladet
''Dagbladet'' (lit.: ''The Daily Magazine'') is one of Norway's largest newspapers and is published in the tabloid format. It has 1,400,000 daily readers on mobile, web and paper. Traditionally ''Dagbladet'' is considered the main liberal newspa ...
insinuated that Hauge had never been a Norwegian soldier, because he in 1936 had been "discarded by ''den militære legenemd''" ("the military board of doctors").[Njølstad p.367] (He had served as a conscript before the war.)
The "Winter Crisis" resulted in a more encompassing
political surveillance in Norway, in particular in the Armed Forces, and also within corporations and the civilian administration.[Njølstad p.336] On 13 March 1948 a meeting was held in the prime minister's residence, regarding "what could be done to raise the level of preparedness against sabotage and coups within corporations and Norway's administration".[Njølstad p.336] (The attendees were Arnfinn Vik
Arnfinn Vik (20 May 1901 – 13 September 1990) was a Norwegian politician who served as Mayor of Oslo.
He was born at Drammen in Buskerud, Norway. He participated in the Left Communist Youth League's military strike action of 1924. He was convic ...
, Haakon Lie
Haakon Steen Lie (22 September 1905 – 25 May 2009) was a Norwegian politician who served as party secretary for the Norwegian Labour Party from 1945 to 1969. Coming from humble origins, he became involved in the labour movement at an early ag ...
, Rolf Gerhardsen, Tor Skjønsberg and Hauge nd the prime minister[Njølstad p.336])
On 11 May 1948 Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
came to Norway (with Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...
"on its head"[Njølstad p.344]) and was a guest at '' Slottsmiddag''. (A proposed visit in 1946 was cancelled, in the wake of the Fulton Speech.[Njølstad p.345]) After the guests had been excused from the table, Churchill invited the prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
over, for a conversation, and the prime minister asked Hauge to join.[Njølstad p.346] During the conversation, Churchill said that it was in Norway's interest to obtain a security guarantee from the United States.[Njølstad p.346] Furthermore, 'You ought not to follow Sweden. Sweden ought to follow Norway.'[Njølstad p.346] Furthermore, "Norway interests the Americans because they think a lot about the defense of the Atlantic and about an Atlantic Treaty."[Njølstad p.347] (Hauge had conversations with Churchill the next day (at Det runde bords klubb—"the round table club"), and at the farewell dinner held by Britain's ambassador—on 14 May.[Njølstad p.347])
On 17 June 1948 parliament started its deliberations about the Helset Case.[Njølstad p.367] Later in 1948 Olaf Helset
Olaf Helset (28 July 1892 – 21 August 1960) was a Norwegian military officer with the rank of Major General, and a sports administrator. He played a central role in the early resistance during the German occupation of Norway, both civil and mil ...
resigned. (Njølstad says that the military and political opposition that were wishing to evict Hauge from his post as minister—through the Helset Case—ended up tether
A tether is a cord, fixture, or flexible attachment that characteristically anchors something movable to something fixed; it also maybe used to connect two movable objects, such as an item being towed by its tow.
Applications for tethers includ ...
ing him to the same.[Njølstad p.372])
The Norwegian Base Declaration of 1 February 1949 was created after Soviet signalled[Njølstad p.425] that it would not passively watch that the Western Powers established forward bases in Norway.[Njølstad p.425]
Founding member of NATO
On 4 April 1949 the North Atlantic Treaty
The North Atlantic Treaty, also referred to as the Washington Treaty, is the treaty that forms the legal basis of, and is implemented by, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The treaty was signed in Washington, D.C., on 4 April 194 ...
was signed, and Norway became a (founding) member of NATO. (When early in January the same year, "it became clear" that Sweden would not accept Norwegian conditions for a defence union of Denmark, Sweden and Norway——Hauge "became a forceful ''pådriver'' (a person who pushes things ahead) for Norway's joining the Atlantic Treaty. - No one person lonecan be credited" for the joining.[Njølstad p.406] (Bergens Tidende
''Bergens Tidende'' is Norway's fifth-largest newspaper, and the country's largest newspaper outside Oslo.
''Bergens Tidende'' is owned by the public company Schibsted ASA. Norwegian owners held a mere 42% of the shares in Schibsted at the end ...
has said that then Labour Party secretary and Hauge "were decisive forces behind Norway's entry into NATO - against strong resistance within the Labour Party".)
Olav Njølstad
Olav Njølstad (born 1 March 1957) is a Norwegian historian, biographer and novelist. He is director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute.
Literary background
As a novelist he made his literary debut in 2003 with the thriller ''Mannen med oksehjertet ...
says that points, about Hauge's contributions, deserving attention are: 1) "Through his British and American connections he contributed in fetching, for the government, a realistic understanding of the conditions under which Norway would be able to receive ''krigsmateriell'' ("war material") and other help from the Western powers."[Njølstad p.406] Furthermore, "this was a corrective to the wishful thinking" ... "in discussions with the Swedes, and in the discussions within the Labour Party".[Njølstad p.406] 2) "Hauge exerted great influence on the prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
, who step by step reasoned and felt his way, to the standpoint which became Norway's choice."[Njølstad p.406] 3) " was an effective spokesman (for membership in the A Treaty)"—to the rest of the cabinet, as well as the party's parliamentary group, and the party's leading ''organer'' (organs)."[Njølstad p.406]
After becoming a member of NATO
During the first days of 1951, Labour Party ''opplysningssekretærer'' ("education secretaries") had already become ''kommunistovervåkere'' ("overseers of communists").[Njølstad p.389]
NATO membership discussions wished by Israeli politicians
Around 1950 leading Israeli politicians contacted Haakon Lie
Haakon Steen Lie (22 September 1905 – 25 May 2009) was a Norwegian politician who served as party secretary for the Norwegian Labour Party from 1945 to 1969. Coming from humble origins, he became involved in the labour movement at an early ag ...
, wishing to discuss the possibility of Israel becoming a member of NATO.[ "
Mens Hauge-biografien var i trykken ble årets intervjubok med Haakon Lie lansert. Den inneholdt blant annet en opplysning fra Lie om han rundt 1950 ble kontaktet av ledende israelske politikere som ønsket å ta opp muligheten for et israelsk medlemskap i NATO. "] Lie sent them on to minister of defense Hauge, knowing that Hauge would reject the idea.[ "
Lie videresendte dem til forsvarsminister Jens Christian Hauge, vel vitende om at denne ville avvise ideen kontant."]
After General Eisenhower's visit
General Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
's visit to Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...
in February 1951, according to Hauge, resulted in something that doubtfully otherwise could have occurred: minister Brofoss accepted the doubling of expenses for the Armed Forces.[Njølstad p.450]
Plans for Stay-behind
In a stay-behind operation, a country places secret operatives or organizations in its own territory, for use in case an enemy occupies that territory. If this occurs, the operatives would then form the basis of a resistance movement or act as sp ...
were made, and "Rocambole" was the section pertained to sabotage and commando operations.[Njølstad p.394] His policy about appointing Resistance leaders, in advance of a future military occupation, included: "the total occupation must produce its own leaders".[Njølstad p.394]
At the end of October 1952 Norway's second nuclear reactor (which later was shut down in 1967) was officially opened[Njølstad p.461] by dignitaries.
On 12–13 November 1951, then prime minister forced
[Njølstad p.461] the party leadership to accept his own upcoming resignation, and he named his replacement, who thereafter was approved: Oscar Torp
Oscar Fredrik Torp (, 8 June 1893 – 1 May 1958) was a Norwegian politician for the Norwegian Labour Party. He was party leader from 1923 to 1945, and mayor of Oslo in 1935 and 1936. In 1935 he became the acting minister of Defence in the governm ...
.
On 5 January 1952 he resigned as minister of defense.[Njølstad p.477]
After resigning from office
At Labour Party headquarters he held a position as information secretary.[Njølstad p.480] The party gave him extra work, and his income from the party surpassed the income he had as a minister.[Njølstad p.480] Njølstad says that after the first days, "an enthusiastic and unusually productive cooperation arose within the triumvirate
A triumvirate ( la, triumvirātus) or a triarchy is a political institution ruled or dominated by three individuals, known as triumvirs ( la, triumviri). The arrangement can be formal or informal. Though the three leaders in a triumvirate are ...
"—Gerhardsen, Haakon Lie
Haakon Steen Lie (22 September 1905 – 25 May 2009) was a Norwegian politician who served as party secretary for the Norwegian Labour Party from 1945 to 1969. Coming from humble origins, he became involved in the labour movement at an early ag ...
and Hauge.[Njølstad p.480]
In 1954 his law office
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients (individuals or corporations) about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to r ...
was established.
Minister of Justice, and candidacy for office in NATO
He became Minister of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
in 1955.
He lied—while addressing parliament—"about the eavesdropping (''romavlytting'') of the Communist Party's national convention".
He resigned as minister at the end[Njølstad p.498] of October the same year—or 1 November.[Njølstad p.540]
On 6 February 1956 his candidacy for vice secretary general of NATO, was shot down by then secretary general.[Njølstad p.540-1] (Previously, French NATO diplomats had insisted that the next vice secretary general must speak French perfectly,[Njølstad p.542] which ruled out Hauge.)
Launching Hauge as a candidate, according to Njølstad, might have been motivated by a wish to keep Hauge from becoming Foreign Minister.[Njølstad p.542]
Israel's purchase of heavy water for plutonium production
Hauge helped facilitate the sale of heavy water—for use in plutonium
Plutonium is a radioactive chemical element with the symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibi ...
production[Njølstad p.574]—to the Israeli nuclear programme, while he was a board member
A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...
at Noratom and judicial advisor[Njølstad p.577] at Institutt for atomenergi.
Letter from a corporation to the Foreign Ministry
On 10 May 1958 Odd Dahl (the acting director of Noratom) wrote to the Foreign Ministry In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
that the company had authored "a draft for a contract regarding the construction and building of a 40 megawatt heavy water reactor
A pressurized heavy-water reactor (PHWR) is a nuclear reactor that uses heavy water ( deuterium oxide D2O) as its coolant and neutron moderator. PHWRs frequently use natural uranium as fuel, but sometimes also use very low enriched uranium. The ...
for the production of plutonium".[Njølstad p.574] Njølstad says, "Then came the difficult point, that Dahl in no way tried to underplay: Israel wished to follow an independent national direction, regarding the field of atomic energy Atomic energy or energy of atoms is energy carried by atoms. The term originated in 1903 when Ernest Rutherford began to speak of the possibility of atomic energy. Isaac Asimov, ''Atom: Journey Across the Sub-Atomic Cosmos'', New York:1992 Plume, ...
, and was therefore not set on accepting the strict stipulations of control (''kontrollbestemmelsene'') that the US" had on their export of heavy water.[Njølstad p.574] Furthermore, "For this reason the Israelis preferred "to buy water from Norway at a higher price than it can be bought from the United States"."[Njølstad p.574] Furthermore Dahl said that, the Israeli plans were unrealistic, but "hardly unrealistic enough that they can be circumvented with plans of producing atombombs in the foreseeable future".[Njølstad p.574] Furthermore, Dahl said that of course one could not rule out that the Israelis one day would want to go in that direction, but the help that Norway eventually might have given Israel to get started "with legitimate civilian applications today, presumably can hardly be viewed in relation to such remote possibilities".[Njølstad p.575]
Leading up to the transportation to Israel
On 21 August 1958 Hauge suggested to chargé d'affaires Miron that Israel might want to buy heavy water from Great Britain.[Njølstad p.576]
Miron replied that if Noratom purchased the water back from Great Britain, and sold it to Israel—with Norwegian stipulations of control—then that would seem okay, in principle.[Njølstad p.577]
Njølstad says that " State Secretary Engen became more and more convinced that the heavy water was to be used for producing nuclear weapons",[Njølstad p.578-9] and in several memos he advised then foreign minister to not go through with the roposedagreement.[Njølstad p.579]
On 20 February 1959 the government authorized the deal, by royal decree (''kongelig resolusjon'').[Njølstad p.581] Noratom took possession of 0 tons ofheavy water in the first quarter of 1959—from Britain's Atomic Authority[Njølstad p.576]—and it was loaded onto a ship, that departed a British port. (Before being shipped out of Britain, Norwegian authorities
saw no need for an export license, since the shipment was outside of Norway's borders.[Njølstad p.576]) After sailing out of British jurisdiction, the ship was to be ordered to sail directly for Israel.[Njølstad p.583]
Inspection in Israel
On 8 April 1961 Hauge was taken to the Negev Desert for a private meeting with then prime minister of Israel.[Njølstad p.572]
On 14 April 1961 Hauge conducted Norway's first and only inspection of the shipment of heavy water to Israel,[Njølstad p.582] as a result of US' impetus. (This was done at Rehovot.[Njølstad p.587])
He ater Ater (Hebrew אֲתַר) is an Old Testament male name.
#A descendant of Hezekiah, who returned from Babylon ;
#An Israelite, who subscribed to Nehemiah
Nehemiah is the central figure of the Book of Nehemiah, which describes his work in r ...
told the foreign ministry that he had not been to the Dimona facility—thereby disinforming the ministry.
Cancelled purchase of 3 tons of heavy water
On 1 September 1971 Hauge—vice chairman at Noratom-Norcontrol[Njølstad p.588]—was informed that Noratom-Norcontrol he same yearhad purchased three tons of heavy water—at the request of Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro ASA (often referred to as just ''Hydro'') is a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, headquartered in Oslo. It is one of the largest aluminium companies worldwide. It has operations in some 50 countries around the world a ...
—on behalf of Israel. Hauge demanded that the chairman be informed immediately, and that the chairman inform the foreign ministry that the sale had not been preceded by discussions by the board of directors.[Njølstad p.589] He resigned from the board of directors, in part because of how the leaders of Noratom[Njølstad p.589] and Norsk Hydro had handled the purchase.
By 30 September, the 971
Year 971 ( CMLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* Battle of Dorostolon: A Byzantine expeditionary army (possibly 30–40,000 men) ...
purchase of heavy water was cancelled.[Njølstad p.589]
1979 uncovering of the original transaction
The 1959 transaction was uncovered in 1979, by Sverre Lodgaard.[Njølstad p.590] Hauge told media that he had made a report to the government after the inspection, and that he declined further comment to the media.[Njølstad p.591]
Nine tons (of the original twenty, later augmented by one ton) were purchased back by the Norwegian government.[Njølstad p.590]
Bilderberg Group
Frequent correspondence between Hauge and founder of the Bilderberg Group
The Bilderberg meeting (also known as the Bilderberg Group) is an annual off-the-record conference established in 1954 to foster dialogue between Europe and North America. The group's agenda, originally to prevent another world war, is now defi ...
(released after Hauge's death) showed that Hauge was a central figure on the board of the group. Olav Njølstad
Olav Njølstad (born 1 March 1957) is a Norwegian historian, biographer and novelist. He is director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute.
Literary background
As a novelist he made his literary debut in 2003 with the thriller ''Mannen med oksehjertet ...
says that Hauge described attending the group's conferences as "interesting, cheerful and comfortable".[Njølstad p.540]
Hauge attended the 1955, 1956 and the 1957 conference at St. Simons Island, US. According to the official website of the group, he was a member of the steering committee.
Airline SAS
In August 1961 then minister of transportation asked him to participate in a Scandinavian committee to deal with the economic crisis in the airline Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines, more commonly known and styled as SAS, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. ''SAS'' is an abbreviation of the company's full name, Scandinavian Airlines System or legally Scandinavian Airlines System Denmark ...
(SAS).[Njølstad p.620]
(In 1946, as minister of defence, he had participated in "picking ational airline Det Norske Luftselskap (DNL) up from the ground and placing on its feet, after the war".[Njølstad p.620])
Establishment of a state-owned oil company
Hauge was involved in the establishment of a state-owned oil company, which became Statoil.
After influencing changes in law, to allow tax exemption "when social considerations" dictate
He had contacted officials in the Finance Ministry about the possibility of having changes in law, to allow tax exemption "when social considerations" dictate.[Njølstad p.696] (In autumn of 1972, Jens Henrik Nordlie contacted Hauge about converting a corporation ( Kioskkompaniet) into a foundation.[Njølstad p.696]) In 1973 the financing of Fritt Ord (a foundation) became a reality,[Njølstad p.697] and the foundation was established in 1974.[Njølstad p.697]
Death of a former prime minister, after reconciliation of former comrades
The September 1987 death of Einar Gerhardsen
Einar Henry Gerhardsen (; 10 May 1897 – 19 September 1987) was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party of Norway. He was the 22nd prime minister of Norway for three periods, 1945–1951, 1955–1963 and 1963–1965. With totally 17 years in ...
, according to Njølstad, "marked the beginning of the end of Hauge's political influence within the Labour Party".[Njølstad p.525] (Before that, Gerhardsen wrote a letter of reconciliation to Haakon Lie
Haakon Steen Lie (22 September 1905 – 25 May 2009) was a Norwegian politician who served as party secretary for the Norwegian Labour Party from 1945 to 1969. Coming from humble origins, he became involved in the labour movement at an early ag ...
, dated 15 April 1985; Hauge authored its redemptive[Njølstad p.523] wording: "For a long time, I erhardsenhave been aware of, that I back then should not have ''tatt ordet'' ("taken the word") and said what I said.".[Njølstad p.523] (In 1967 at the national convention, according to Hauge, Gerhardsen "broke the staff over Haakon Lie
Haakon Steen Lie (22 September 1905 – 25 May 2009) was a Norwegian politician who served as party secretary for the Norwegian Labour Party from 1945 to 1969. Coming from humble origins, he became involved in the labour movement at an early ag ...
".[Njølstad p.523])
Inferred withholding of info about the 1945 death of Kai Holst
On 27 September 1994 two publishers called in a press conference, with the authors of two books about Resistance fighter Kai Holst.
[Njølstad p.564] The invitation said "Who killed Kai Holst?" and "Was Holst a risk factor? What were they afraid of? Why did he have to die? Why is everyone holding their tongues?"
[Njølstad p.564]
In 2008 Olav Njølstad
Olav Njølstad (born 1 March 1957) is a Norwegian historian, biographer and novelist. He is director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute.
Literary background
As a novelist he made his literary debut in 2003 with the thriller ''Mannen med oksehjertet ...
said that Tore Pryser and Espen Haavardsholm
Espen Haavardsholm (born 10 February 1945, in Oslo) is a Norwegian novelist, poet, biographer and essayist. He made his literary debut in 1966 with the collection of short stories, ''Tidevann''. He was one of the central writers in the modernist ...
during the launch of the books, the two went "very far in accusing Hauge of sitting on important information about Holst's death".[Njølstad p.565]
Hauge has been in question in relation to the strange circumstances regarding the death of the Milorg member Kai Holst in Stockholm just after the war.
Parliamentary hearings about surveillance of communists and others
In January 1997 he refused[ to testify in an open hearing of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee, regarding the conclusions of the Lund Commission. (Previously][ ]Ronald Bye
Ronald Joseph Bye (23 November 1937 – 24 September 2018) was a Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group ...
had told the committee that would not testify, if Haakon Lie
Haakon Steen Lie (22 September 1905 – 25 May 2009) was a Norwegian politician who served as party secretary for the Norwegian Labour Party from 1945 to 1969. Coming from humble origins, he became involved in the labour movement at an early ag ...
and Hauge did not.)
Board of directors
Hauge also became a monumental figure in the Norwegian war industry. He became board member of several state-owned companies, especially within nuclear power and defence systems, including member of board of directors of Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk
Kongsberg Gruppen is an international technology group headquartered in Norway, that supplies high-technology systems to customers in the merchant marine, defence, aerospace, offshore oil and gas industries, and renewable and utilities industri ...
, and chairman of Statoil 1972–75.
In Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines, more commonly known and styled as SAS, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. ''SAS'' is an abbreviation of the company's full name, Scandinavian Airlines System or legally Scandinavian Airlines System Denmark ...
he was a board member for more than 20 years.
Transfer of documents in his possession
Norway's Resistance Museum received from him documents that he had about his work in Milorg. Later he agreed with Professor Olav Riste—employed at Institute for Defence Studies—that the institute would receive documents about his work as minister of defense. In 2003 Riksarkivet and he agreed about the establishment of ''Jens Chr. Hauges Privatarkiv'', which resulted in more than 60 or 65[Njølstad p.725] ''hyllemeter'' ("meters of shelf") of documents.
"The greatest treasures, were the last that he relinquished. Some where first found",[Njølstad p.725] according to Njølstad, when Hauge's two youngest sons and Njølstad, went thru the residence at ''Bjørnveien'' t_Slemdal_.html" ;"title="Slemdal.html" ;"title="t Slemdal">t Slemdal ">Slemdal.html" ;"title="t Slemdal">t Slemdal autumn of 2005—before it was put up for sale.[Njølstad p.9]
Interviews with his biographer
During 2004 and most of 2005 he regularly met with biographer Olav Njølstad
Olav Njølstad (born 1 March 1957) is a Norwegian historian, biographer and novelist. He is director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute.
Literary background
As a novelist he made his literary debut in 2003 with the thriller ''Mannen med oksehjertet ...
and the main consultant of the book project, Olav Riste.
The book's other consultants were Arnfinn Moland, Even Lange and Helge Pharo, Helge Ø. Pharo.
Death
On 30 October 2006 he died at a retirement home in Vinderen, Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...
.
On 7 November a service was held at Ris Church, '' på statens bekostning''.[Njølstad p.730] Attendees included then king of Norway, prime minister, leader of LO, mayor of Oslo and other politicians; Haakon Lie
Haakon Steen Lie (22 September 1905 – 25 May 2009) was a Norwegian politician who served as party secretary for the Norwegian Labour Party from 1945 to 1969. Coming from humble origins, he became involved in the labour movement at an early ag ...
, Gunnar Sønsteby, Knut Haugland
Knut Magne Haugland, DSO, MM, (23 September 1917 – 25 December 2009) was a resistance fighter and noted explorer from Norway, who accompanied Thor Heyerdahl on his famous 1947 '' Kon-Tiki'' expedition.
Early life and World War II
Haugland, b ...
.[Njølstad p.730]
Some weeks[Njølstad p.731] later his ashes were interred.
Media commented his death: The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
said Hauge's willpower and resolve—including to implement unorthodox ideas, with authoritarian means—was doomed to make him ntoa controversial figure in a society "that normally adorns itself with being egalitarian and unanimous".[Njølstad p.730]
Family
Hauge was survived by six children.
His father died in 1940.
His mother died in 1957.[Njølstad p.517] His second wife Liv Grannes died 30 November 2004.[Njølstad p.727] His ex-wife Lillann died on 2 March 2005.
He married Anne Sophie "Lillann" Dedekam in 1938.
[Njølstad p.42]
Frank Rossavik has referred to "Hauge's many women in and outside marriage, and his betrayal to his own family".
Cover names
During World War II he had cover names: Tor Aas[Njølstad p.169] was his identity at his cover apartment at Colbjørnsens Street 8.
Documentary film
On 10 April 2012 NRK
NRK, an abbreviation of the Norwegian ''Norsk Rikskringkasting AS'', generally expressed in English as the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, is the Norwegian government-owned radio and television public broadcasting company, and the largest ...
broadcast a documentary about Hauge —''Nasjonens skygge'' ("the nation's shadow"), part one of two.
See also
* :no:Arthur Mørch Hansson
*Leif Tronstad
Leif Hans Larsen Tronstad DSO, OBE (27 March 1903 – 11 March 1945) was a Norwegian inorganic chemist, intelligence officer and military organizer. He graduated from the Norwegian Institute of Technology in 1927 and was a prolific research ...
References
Literature
Books
* Njølstad, Olav, ''Fullt og helt - en biografi om om Jens Chr. Hauge''. (2008)
Articles
*
External links
New York Times: Jens Christian Hauge, Guide of Modern Norway, Dies at 91
National hero led double life
Sannheten om Jens Chr. Hauge
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hauge, Jens Christian
Trials in Norway
1915 births
2006 deaths
Labour Party (Norway) politicians
Members of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group
20th-century Norwegian lawyers
Norwegian military leaders of World War II
Norwegian resistance members
Norwegian anti-communists
Norwegian Association for Women's Rights people
Ministers of Justice of Norway
Defence ministers of Norway