Trivia

This film was released Friday 5 April at a fashionable opening night in Berlin. Among the invited were ambassadors, military attachés from the Nordic Countries - Denmark, Norway and Sweden. At least the Danish Ambassador reported back to his Government and his report was discussed in the Cabinet over the coming days. These are all relatively well-known facts. What is less known is that Feuertaufe was released in the capitals of Denmark, Norway and Sweden on the same Friday evening, arranged by the German Embassies (of course). It is not clear whether people from the Danish Government were present at the show in Copenhagen, but enough officers and officials would had been there for the Cabinet to know. Those whose duty it was to make the decision whether to go to war with Germany had seen what Germany would do to those who stood firm against her. The purpose of the show was, of course, to intimidate political decision-makers not to take action against the German troops when they invaded Denmark and Norway the following Tuesday, 9 April. The plan worked with Denmark, and well enough with Norway.