Tyranny Could Not Quell Them
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ONE SHILLING , By Gene Sharp WITH 28 ILLUSTRATIONS , INCLUDING PRISON CAM ORIGINAL p DRAWINGS This pamphlet is issued by FOREWORD The Publications Committee of by Sigrid Lund ENE SHARP'S Peace News articles about the teachers' resistance in Norway are correct and G well-balanced, not exaggerating the heroism of the people involved, but showing them as quite human, and sometimes very uncertain in their reactions. They also give a right picture of the fact that the Norwegians were not pacifists and did not act out of a sure con viction about the way they had to go. Things hap pened in the way that they did because no other wa_v was open. On the other hand, when people acted, they The International Pacifist Weekly were steadfast and certain. Editorial and Publishing office: The fact that Quisling himself publicly stated that 3 Blackstock Road, London, N.4. the teachers' action had destroyed his plans is true, Tel: STAmford Hill 2262 and meant very much for further moves in the same Distribution office for U.S.A.: direction afterwards. 20 S. Twelfth Street, Philadelphia 7, Pa. The action of the parents, only briefly mentioned in this pamphlet, had a very important influence. It IF YOU BELIEVE IN reached almost every home in the country and every FREEDOM, JUSTICE one reacted spontaneously to it. AND PEACE INTRODUCTION you should regularly HE Norwegian teachers' resistance is one of the read this stimulating most widely known incidents of the Nazi occu paper T pation of Norway. There is much tender feeling concerning it, not because it shows outstanding heroism Special postal ofler or particularly dramatic event§, but because it shows to new reuders what happens where a section of ordinary citizens, very few of whom aspire to be heroes or pioneers of 8 ~e~~ 2s . .6d. resistance, are suddenly faced with terrifying situations (US 13 weeks for :$1) of a kind which they were never trained to meet. i'lease send PEACE NEWS for ........... Those who showed weaknesses will probably never w lhe name and address below. get over it. Those 1-vho found unexpected strength in their hearts will perhaps always feel stronger. I enclo!e £ ...................................... NAME The journey to the camp at Kirkenes and the decisions taken before it exemplifies a kind of test ADDRESS that might be put to anyone anywhere in the years to come. ••••<- c ~r.~~ ~ o ooooooooo ••• •• • ••••• oooooooo oo ci>;c,;;;;.:;~;:ooooo The main lesson seems-to be that people are able PEACE NEWS to stand up for what they believe and find their own 3 Blackstock Rd., london, N."i leaders irrespective of how the military situation develops. PEACE ~lEWS STANDARD RATES It is of great value that Gene Sharp, as a man 3 Blackstock Rd .. London. N.4 Great Britain and Abroad (Sea Mail) from another country and as an experienced specialist Three months 8s .; six monlhs 16s.; one year 30s. AIRMAIL SUBSCRIPTION RATES in studying non-violent resistance, has undertaken to N . Africa and Middle East Three months 8s. 8d.; six months l7s. 4d.; write about the " Kirkenes Journey." His account one year 34~. reveals an intimate knowledge of his subject and an India, South, East and West Africa America and South-East Asia Tiuee months 9s. 9d.; six months 19s. 6d.; ability to concentrate on those aspects which make the one year 38s. journey intensely interesting to those who ask about Austraiia and Far East Three months lOs. 10d.: six months 2ls. 8d.; the potentialities of non-violent resistance in the one year 42s. Air Express Edition future. to US and all parts of America. from our US PROFESSOR ARNE NPESS. Sales Office, c/o American Friends Service Com mittee, 20 South Twelfth St., Philadelphia 7, Pa. Institute of Philosophy and the History of Ideas, $5 year, $1 three months' trial. The University of Oslo, 3 Tyranny Could Not Quell Them UNDER ·ocCUPATION By Gene Sharp, M.A. Members of Quisling's Norwegian fascist party- Nasjonal Samling are seen during the Nazi occupation of Norway parading through the Assistant Editor, Peace News, 1955-1958, streets of Hamar, a small town about 130 kilometres north of Oslo. Now conducting research on totalitarianism Faced with a Norwegian fascist party backed by Nazi Germany's occupation troops, school teacher Haakon Holmboe carried on his work and non-violent resistance under a stipend in Hamar as the area contact for the Norwegian resistance movement. Mr. Holmboe was one of thousands of Norwegian teachers who from the Institute for Social Research, Oslo. non-violently resisted Quisling's efforts to use them to indoctrinate the youth and organise them as a pilot project in the establishment of the Corporate State in Norway. THE STORY OF NON-VIOLENT He was among about 1,000 of these teachers who were arrested and sent to concentration camps. After the arrests he RESISTANCE BY THE became recognised among them as one of their leaders. With the assistance of Mr. Holmboe the TEACHERS OF NORWAY facts about this dramatic episode in Occupied Europe were gathered for Peace News by Gene Sharp when Assistant UNDER NAZI OCCUPATION Editor, during three trips to Norway. Months in preparation, this true story is of significance for all who are interested AND ITS MEANING FOR in examining non-violent resistance as a method of achieving and defending This account is extensively illustrated UNARMED DEFENCE with rare photographs and with drawings made by imprisoned teachers. Many of these have been made available. 5 for an occupation. They didn't know what to do or how to do it. "In the summer of 1940," Mr. Holmboe told me, "there was no feeling, ' Now we are going to resist. ' " A beginning was made in the autumn of 1940 when "the Quisling government de manded that all government employees sign an oath of loyalty to the new regime. Many people refused ; members of the Hird (the Norwegian version of the Gestapo) became belligerent and their be haviour caused more people to turn against the regime. That autumn many illegal newspapers were started and were distributed secretly. Mr. Holmboe is seen with his daughter, Mari, wife Lotte, and sons Jon and Jens in In September, 1941, the people were Dece~ber, 1943. He is now rektor (principal) of a high school near Oslo. In ordered to turn in their radio sets. They 1950-51 he spent four months in the United States and two months in England and did so. Later, some small radios were France on a UNESCO fellowship, studying the teaching of human relations in schools. 'muggled in from Sweden for leaders of the resistance. Mr. Holmboe was proud to ..A.. NORWEGIAN policeman carry- these arrests may go down in history as one have been chosen ·to have one of these. ing out the ordel·s of Vidkun of the most courageous and successful Quislin·g's pro-Nazi regime knocked struggles to date against totalitarianism. The resistance developed as a reaction to on the door of the home of Haa!wn the violence of the Quisling regime. "What After the arrest of the teachers, Mr. really helped us in organising resistance Holmboe at 6 a.m. on March 20, 1942. Holmboe became recognised among them groups was the pressure of the Nazis." Mr. H~lmboe, then a teacher in the as a leader in their resistance and also small town of Hamar, about 130 served as an interpreter. Paper .clips kilometres north of Oslo, was u:tder Though not a pacifist, he had read a arrest. I little about Gandhi, and had heard the Eng The occupation became harsher, and the lish Quaker. John Hoyland. lecture about resistance be.came mor.e determined. During that morning and the following him in Denmark. The knowledge that "What was done," Mr. Holmboe said. days about 1,000 other teachers were also Gandhi and the Indian people had been arrested all over Norway. They were some able to maintain their struggle non-violently " often seemed ridiculous, but it had th~ effect of uniting all the opposition forces." of several thousand teachers who had and without arms served as a great en These were acts which, if ignored by the openly defied Quisling's puppet regime in couragement to him in his difficult authorities, would have had no effect. the Norwegian province of Hitler's Third experiences during the German occupation. Reich. I called on him several times at his home Because the regime reacted so heavily The events which preceded and followed outside Oslo, and this is the story I he<).rd: against them, these little things became important symbols of resistance, he said. For example, people began wearing paper clips in their lapels-a sign of " keep OCCUPATION together," and in classrooms students took to wearing necklaces and bracelets of paper DESPITE the peaceful intentions of lieved strongly in freedom, and knowing at clips. This angered pro-Nazi students. most Norwegians. their country the time no other way to defend it, turned to violence. Such demonstrations were spontaneous was invaded on April 9. 1940. "When and unorganised. the war came we had no choice," The Norwegian military resistance con Mr. Holmboe told me. tinued until June 7, but Norway was not Then orders were issued that such able by military means to keep the invader " demonstrations " were forbidden in " People with pacifist ideas were over out. The King and Government fled to schools. Mr. Holmboe was one day re taken by circumstances, and a new, unex London, and Norway began a five-year quested to search the students for paper pected situation." occupation. clips "worn as demonstrations." He did so, beginning with the pro-Quisling students, It was I one of the classic problems pre sented to pacifists, he said.