Issue and Opponent: The Nazi occupation of Norway resulted in the installment of a puppet government where “Minister-President” Vidkun Quisling led the occupation forces. Working closely with Nazis, he planned to transform Norway into a “Corporative State”– the main goal being to reshape the society with fascist beliefs. On February 5, 1942, Quisling created a new Norwegian Teacher’s Union to be led by occupation forces and required all teachers to join. Knowing this meant fascism would be forced into the education system, the teachers resisted.
Dilemma Action: After Quisling created a new Teacher’s Union on February 5, an underground resistance group immediately formed. The group was based in Oslo and instructed all teachers who resisted the union to copy and mail a statement of refusal to the authorities. Between 8,000 to 10,000 teachers participated, leaving only roughly 2,000 unaccounted for. Quisling’s government quickly began to panic, resulting in the order to close all schools for one month. More than 200,000 parents retaliated and sent their letters of protest to the government.
Outcomes: As a result of the protest, 1,000 male teachers were arrested, detained, and tortured by the Gestapo. In April, nearly 500 more teachers were sent to the Kirkenes concentration camp in the Arctic. However, on their way to the camp teachers were greeted by crowds of farmers and students singing and offering food as word spread of their resistance. During their time in the camp, one teacher died. Eventually, in May, the Quisling government dropped the goal of a Fascist Teachers Union and implementation of fascism in the school system. By November 4, 1942, all the teachers who remained in the concentration were released and sent home. The movement succeeded in preventing the Occupation from making the Norweigan schools a part of the fascist state. This action was part of a larger campaign against the Nazi occupation of Norway and Nazi rule.