Even though the Scandinavian countries had failed to create a common defence union at the end of the 1940s, their governments soon managed to create a confidential propaganda collaboration. This Scandinavian propaganda model was based on social democratic politicians’ use of the media and civil society to gain support for defence policy and to counter Soviet propaganda. In this chapter, we analyse how the Norwegian People and Defence (Folk og Forsvar) and the Norwegian Atlantic Committee (Den norske Atlanterhavskomité) were established, how they influenced public opinion on defence and security policy issues, and how they influenced support for the Norwegian NATO membership in the 1950s. The analysis is contextualized with the corresponding organizations in Sweden and Denmark, in which there was close cooperation, confidential exchange of information on propaganda activities, and the fight against communist espionage and sabotage.
This article explores the relationship between spy films, political censorship and Norwegian foreign policy during the period from 1914 to 1940. Espionage was a popular topic in Norway during this era, both in the news media and as a theme in fictional dramas. Based on a survey of the vetting of 57 spy films, both silent and sound, by the state censorship board, the article focuses on the Norwegian government’s hidden role in political film censorship throughout the period. While Norway’s Constitution and film censorship statutes provided no legal foundation for political censorship, there is nonetheless ample evidence that it took place. The article concludes with an in-depth analysis of the process of banning the US film Confessions of a Nazi Spy in July 1939, the German involvement in that process, and the subsequent effort to change the censorship law to reflect what was happening in practice.
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