ABSTRACT
The origin of the central organization for defense in Norway is founded on the Constitution of 1814. This is one of the oldest written constitutions in the world—second only to that of the United States. This arrangement gave Norway a considerable degree of independence within the union. In the meantime, the highest command authority under the king was exercised by the Statholder as the king’s representative in Norway. Thus Norway developed into a fully independent country, with a monarchy and a king elected by a general referendum and with a constitutional system founded on the Grundlov of 1814. The German invasion of Norway in 1940 resulted in a number of valuable lessons. The strategic position of Norway is, in the main, governed by its geographic position. Norway’s geographic position and the strategic position associated with it, means that Norway will be in the frontline, from the very outset, in any possible East-West military conflict.
