The Iron Road: The Geopolitical, Metallurgical, and Strategic Centrality of Scandinavia, 1939–1940
World War II’s expansion into Scandinavia was driven less by ideology than geology. Germany’s war economy depended on Swedish iron ore, shipped via Narvik when the Baltic froze. This dependency made Scandinavia vital, sparking plots, naval confrontation, and a struggle to control the Reich’s lifeline