ABSTRACT
A programme of direct action had a considerable appeal to the peasants of the big valleys of eastern Norway, who were very hard hit by the fall in prices of farm products, especially the timber from which a third of their profits came. The other was the belated onset of the industrial revolution, for Norway had no coal but abundant sources of hydro-electricity. The growth of machine industry after 1900 brought a rising standard of living to a country which always depended upon imported foodstuffs for its well-being. Accordingly Norway, which lacked so many other prerequisites for fascist movements, was affected very rapidly by the influences of the Russian revolution. In 1918, when the rest of the world was at war, soviets of workers, and in a few cases of soldiers, made a temporary appearance. In 1919–21 the Norwegian Labour Party was the only one in western Europe which adhered firmly to the Comintern.
