Kersaudy notes that Hitler told Hermann Rauschning five years earlier that "should war break out, one of his first moves would be the invasion of Sweden", for "he could not abandoin the Scandanavian countries to Russian or British influence"....
so the area was certainly on his mind then! 
IIRC
both issues - British "bases"
and the Germans getting them "first" ...were discussed by Hitler and Raeder...and separately Hitler and Rosenberg!...in October 1939 - but Hitler rejected military action at that time....
But with Quisling's arrival in Berlin in mid-December, both men were back in the Chancellery on the 14th of December for ANOTHER meeting...
This went averagely well apparently, no outright promises made...
until the discussion came round to Germany's reaction to possible british breaches of Norwegian neutrality; Hitler said Germany would intervene "in good time" to prevent them...
then according to Quisling Adolf went into what today we'd describe as one of his carpet-biting frenzies about breeches of Neutrality
At this point Jodl noted in his diary that Hitler ordered the first...but absolute minimum...investigation of planning options to be made.
This seems to have sunk firmly into Adolf's mind
He met with Quisling four days later, and seems to have sent Quisling home with "orders" to build up his party, and keep an eye open for the previously-discussed British breeches of Norwegian Neutrality (recorded by Halder in his diary!
)
At this point however, Hitler was definitely preoccupied with the West, he'd just set
another in the long series of dates for the invasion of the West...yet another "winter" one that was going to soon fall by the wayside
Raeder AGAIN asked for permission to begin operations against Norway at the end of January...but this was AGAIN rejected by Hitler, on the 29th, stating that in his opinion both Norway and Sweden were firmly resolved to observing a strict neutrality....and that he was still conncentrating on the prospect of events in the West...
HOWEVER - "
Studie Nord", the planning investigation, had gone ahead in the meantime, and the first report was given to Hitler on the
20th of January....and he seems to have been impressed with what he saw; the next day he ordered a full plan to be worked up....and gave the operation its name
Now...things went ahead as we know...but interestingly Kersaudy gives some details on the NEXT milepost along the way - the 5th February meeting between the the service representatives that were to form/head the new
Sonderstab planning Staff for WESERUBUNG and keitel - because during THAT meeting, Keitel mentions that "we are in possession of information from several sources indicating that the British themselves intend to occupy the Western coast of Norway, in co-operation with the French"
Kersaudy doesn't say who or what these sources...plural!...were 
But from THIS point at least - the race was on!
by Wolf on 04 Feb 2013 17:33 
