Reading Antony Beevor's "The Second World War" he makes the point several times that a peculiar obsession of Hitler's was the defence of Norway and that there were close to half a million German troops kept fairly idle in the region right up to the German surrender in May 1945. He also writes that partisan activity in Norway was minor compared to most of the other occupied territories.
Bearing in mind that - assuming you weren't a fanatical nazi - service elsewhere in the German army from 1942/3 onwards was grim, involving heavy losses, constant instructions to hold hopeless positions and fight to the last man, and with no prospect of anything but certain defeat, was Norway the perfect posting?
Was this generally (if quietly) acknowledged and is there any evidence that well connected families were able to have their sons posted to Norway?
