“...Norway has armed forces. Who knew?”
On May 8th, 1945, the German Military commander in Norway bragged that while he had been ordered to surrender “no one had dared invade Norway”. That country was taken early and easily by Germany and held until the very end of the war. Norway did provide some worthy recruits for the SS and the German Army.
>> Norway did provide some worthy recruits for the SS and the German Army <<
I would hesitate to use the term “worthy” when describing members of the SS, be they Norwegian, German or whatever.
But anyway, the King of Norway and many of his anti-Nazi fellow countrymen escaped to the UK during WW2, where they carried on an active resistance to the Germans.
In 1944. forces from this “free Norwegian” contingent took part in the Normandy invasion. That’s why you’ll see the Norwegian flag among the display of allied flags at the Normandy museum.
Also, Norwegian guerillas were key in destroying German heavy-water production at Vemork, Norway. It’s conceivable that without their action, Germany could have succeeded in the development of a nuclear weapon.