Johan Nygaardsvold's Government

Johan Nygaardsvold’s Government was appointed by King Haakon VII in a session of the Council of State on 19 March 1935, effective as of 20 March 1935 at 12 noon. It succeded Johan Mowinckel’s Third Government, after an economic agreement had been made in the Storting between the Labour Party and the Farmers’ Party.

During Nazi Germany’s attack on Norway on 9 April 1940, King Haakon VII, Johan Nygaardsvold's Government and the Storting were forced to leave Oslo. On 7 June 1940, the King and the Government left Tromsø for exile in London.

At the Nazi-German capitulation in Norway on 8 May 1945, Vidkun Quisling's illegal government was dissolved. In agreement with the resistance movement Home Front, Nygaardsvold's Government in London had appointed eight chief officers to lead the ministries in Oslo until a government delegation would arrive from London.  The main task of the chief officers was to link up the ministries with the Nygaardsvold Government, by re-establishing the structure of ministries that had existed in Oslo on 9 April 1940.

On 12 and 13 May 1945, the Government Delegation arrived in Oslo from London, with Crown Prince Olav as Regent and Minister of Defence Oscar Torp as acting Prime Minister and acting Minister of Foreign Affairs. On 14 May 1945, the Government Delegation was established in Oslo. Its conferences were held in the Council of State Hall at the Royal Palace. The chief officers now became advisers to the ministers. On 30 May 1945, Prime Minister Johan Nygaardsvold and the rest of the Governement arrived in Oslo from London. 

On 7 June 1945, King  Haakon VII and the rest of the Royal Family returned to Oslo from London. In a session of the Council of State on 12 June 1945, Johan Nygaardsvold's Government handed in its resignation, in accordance with political agreements reached during the war years 1940-1945. Permission to leave was granted by King Haakon VII in a session of the Council of State on 23 June 1945, effective as of 25 June 1945 at 12 noon. At the same time, Einar Gerhardsen's First Government was appointed, effective as of the same point of time.

Secretary to the Council of State in this period:
Acting Secretary to the Council of State Bredo Rolsted, until 12 April 1940, then on leave
Acting Secretary to the Council of State Olaf Tostrup, from 17 April 1940

About the Government

Prime Minister:

Johan Nygaardsvold (A)

Parliamentary basis:

Majority government

Appointment reason:

Change after government crisis

Parties in the Government:

Arbeiderpartiet (A), Bondepartiet (B), Hjemmefronten (Hf), Høyre (H) og Venstre (V)

Politicians