Scotland is often compared to Norway - in terms of
population, oil, geography, long coastline, domination by an external power and
more...
Norway was for 430 years tied
to a union (due to Royal manoeuvrings much like here in the UK) first with
Denmark and then with Sweden) For centuries Copenhagen was the cultural and
business capital. Some of the union worked well with Norway trading wood, fish
to Denmark. Eventually though in 1905 , Norway negotiated a peaceful separation
from Sweden. It is not possible that Norway would ever wish to go back! Norway has
a long border with Sweden too (just like Scotland and England) and both countries
appear to manage their own sovereignty.
The Union with Denmark lasted between 1388 – 1814) –
434 years.
“Known as the 400-Year-Night.” Norway joined the
Kalmar Union of all the Nordic countries ( ) in 1388.
The KALMAR UNION 1388 - King
Magnus VII ruled Norway to 1350 when his son became Haakon VI. He married Margaret, daughter of King Valdemar IV of
Denmark. In 1379 his son Olaf IV, at
ten, accession to both the thrones of Norway and Denmark led to a personal union. Olaf's mother, Queen
Margaret, managed the affairs of Denmark and Norway and wanted a union with
Sweden, by having Olaf elected to the Swedish throne. Olaf IV died suddenly in
1388 and Denmark and Norway crowned Margaret as a temporary ruler. Queen Margaret decided on Eric of Pomeria, grandson of her sister
to be king. Thus at an all-Scandinavian meeting held at Kalmar, Eric was
elected King of the Scandinavian countries. Royal politics resulted in personal
unions between all the Nordic countries and the thrones of Norway, Denmark and
Sweden were under the control of Queen Margaret - known as the KALMAR UNION. (In 1521 Sweden broke out
of the UNION)
The "400-Year Night” - Norway remained in a union with Denmark until 1814, a total of 434 years. In the 19th century, the national romanticism was known as the "400-Year Night", since the kingdom’s entire royal, intellectual and administrative power was centred in Copenhagen Denmark. Denmark supported Norway's needs for grain and food supplies, while Norway supplied Denmark with timber, metal, and fish. A great famine of 1695–96 killed 10% of Norway's population. The harvest failed in Scandinavia at least nine times between 1740 and 1800, with great loss of life. After Denmark–Norway was attacked by the UK in the Battle of Copenhagen, it entered into an alliance with Napoleon. Denmark lost in 1814, and ceded Norway to the king of Sweden, while the old Norwegian provinces of Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands remained with the Danish crown.
**Norway took this opportunity to declare independence and adopted a constitution based on American and French models, and elected the Crown Prince of Denmark and Norway, Christian Frederick king in 1814. This is the famous Syttende Mai (Seventeenth of May) holiday celebrated by Norwegians and is the Norwegian Constitution Day.
Norwegian-Swedish War and Union with Sweden 1814 - Norwegian opposition to the great powers' decision to link Norway with Sweden caused war to break out. Sweden's military was not strong enough to defeat the Norway and Norway's treasury was not large enough to support a long war. British and Russian navies blockaded the Norwegian coast. They were forced to negotiate Convention of Moss and Union with Sweden. Christian Frederik abdicated the Norwegian throne and authorised the Parliament of Norway to make the necessary constitutional amendments to allow for the Personal union that Norway was forced to accept. On 4 November 1814 the Parliament (Storting) elected Charles XIII of Sweden as king of Norway.
Norwegian romantic nationalism - Norway kept its own liberal, independent institutions except for the foreign service. Following the recession caused by the Napoleonic Wars, economic development of Norway remained slow until economic growth began around 1830. Norwegians sought to define and express a distinct national character. The movement covered all branches of culture, including literature Henrik Wegeland[1808–1845], Biomstierne Biomson[1832–1910], Peter Christen Asbionsen[1812–1845], Jergen Moe [1813–1882]), painting Hans Gude[1825–1903], Adolph Tidemand[1814–1876]), music Edvard Grieg [1843–1907]), and even language policy, where attempts to define a native written language for Norway led to today's two official written forms for Norwegian: Bokmai and Nynorsk.
**Dissolution of the union 1905 - Christian Michelsen, a shipping magnate and PM of Norway, 1905 - 1907, played a crucial role
in the peaceful separation of Norway from Sweden in 1905. A national referendum
confirmed the people's preference for a monarchy. No Norwegian could
legitimately claim the throne because none was able to prove relationship to
medieval royalty and in European tradition royal or "blue" blood is a
precondition for laying claim to the throne. The government offered the throne
of Norway to a prince of the German royal House of
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg. Prince Carl of Denmark was unanimously elected king by the
Norwegian parliament, the first king of a fully independent Norway in 508 years
(1397: Kalmar Union). He took the name Haakon VII. In 1905, the country welcomed the prince
from neighbouring Denmark, his wife Maud of Wales and their young son to
re-establish Norway's royal house. Following centuries of close ties between
Norway and Denmark.
