The Kråkerøy Speech
Encyclopedia
The Kråkerøy speech, also known as the Fredrikstad speech, is one of the most well-known speeches of former Norwegian Prime Minister Einar Gerhardsen
. It was given at the Folkvang assembly hall in Kråkerøy
near Fredrikstad
, on February 29, 1948. The speech attracted great attention, and not only in Norway
. It has since become a part of Norwegian political history.
in Czechoslovakia
on 25 February and the Soviet Union
's offer to Finland
of a non-aggression pact on 27 February. These events caused uncertainty within the government as to how they would affect Norway
, which became one of the original members of NATO when the organisation was established the following year.
In the Kråkerøy speech, Gerhardsen did not really say anything new when it came to the Norwegian Labour Party view on the Communist Party of Norway. The most important political U-turn Gerhardsen made was to declare himself to be a clear opponent of the Communist Party. Until then, he had advocated a more moderate stance for the Labour Party in relation to the Communist Party, in contrast to the Labour Party party secretary Haakon Lie
who had taken a more uncompromising stance since the war. Subsequent to Gerhardsen falling in line with Lie in delivering the speech, the Communist Party experienced an unsuccessful period, on the grounds that the party had accepted the Soviet version of events in Czechoslovakia, swimming against the tide of public opinion in Norway.
In 1950 the Kråkerøy Speech's main principles became law in the form of ("the preparedness laws"). The speech was also the prelude to the introduction of comprehensive monitoring of communist and left-wing radicals in the post-war era, as documented by the report of the Lund Commission, amongst others.
Einar Gerhardsen
was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party of Norway. He was Prime Minister for three periods, 1945–1951, 1955–1963 and 1963–1965. With 17 years in office, he is the longest serving Prime Minister in Norway since the introduction of parliamentarism...
. It was given at the Folkvang assembly hall in Kråkerøy
Kråkerøy
Kråkerøy is an island and a former municipality in Østfold county, Norway.The island of Kråkerøy was separated from Glemmen as a municipality of its own January 1, 1908. At that time Kråkerøy had a population of 3,311. The rural municipality was merged with the city of Fredrikstad January 1, 1994...
near Fredrikstad
Fredrikstad
is a city and municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad....
, on February 29, 1948. The speech attracted great attention, and not only in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It has since become a part of Norwegian political history.
Background
The background for the speech was the communist coupCzechoslovak coup d'état of 1948
The Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 – in Communist historiography known as "Victorious February" – was an event late that February in which the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, with Soviet backing, assumed undisputed control over the government of Czechoslovakia, ushering in over four decades...
in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
on 25 February and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's offer to Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
of a non-aggression pact on 27 February. These events caused uncertainty within the government as to how they would affect Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, which became one of the original members of NATO when the organisation was established the following year.
In the Kråkerøy speech, Gerhardsen did not really say anything new when it came to the Norwegian Labour Party view on the Communist Party of Norway. The most important political U-turn Gerhardsen made was to declare himself to be a clear opponent of the Communist Party. Until then, he had advocated a more moderate stance for the Labour Party in relation to the Communist Party, in contrast to the Labour Party party secretary Haakon Lie
Haakon Lie
Haakon Lie was a Norwegian politician who served as party secretary for the Norwegian Labour Party from 1945 to 1969. Coming from humble origins, he became involved in the labour movement at an early age, and quickly rose in the party system...
who had taken a more uncompromising stance since the war. Subsequent to Gerhardsen falling in line with Lie in delivering the speech, the Communist Party experienced an unsuccessful period, on the grounds that the party had accepted the Soviet version of events in Czechoslovakia, swimming against the tide of public opinion in Norway.
In 1950 the Kråkerøy Speech's main principles became law in the form of ("the preparedness laws"). The speech was also the prelude to the introduction of comprehensive monitoring of communist and left-wing radicals in the post-war era, as documented by the report of the Lund Commission, amongst others.