Denmark History

The latter part of the 18th century saw many localised wars in Europe, during which Denmark exploited its position of neutrality by trading with all sides. It's economy therefore flourished at this time, e.g. through trade during the Napoleonic wars with both France and the UK. It joined the League of Armed Neutrality with Russia, Sweden and Prussia which the British took objection to and viewed as a hostile act such that it attacked the Danish capital Copenhagen in 1801 and again in 1807. It was these attacks which marked the end of the propserous Florissant Age and culminated in the Dano-British Gunboat War.

Following the end of the Napoleonic wars, the Congress of Vienna determined in 1815 that the Dano-Norwegian union should be disolutioned and Norway be given to Sweden; a union which lasted until 1905. Denmark however retained control of the colonies it had; Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. In addition to these nordic colonies, Denmark also still controlled Danish India from 1620 to 1869, the Danish Gold Coast (Ghana) from 1658 to 1850, and the Danish West Indies (also known as U.S. Virgin Islands) from 1671 to 1917.

In 1864, the Prussians under Bismarck and the Austrians declared war on Denmark as an initial step to precipitate the unification of Germany, after which Denmark was forced to concede the region of Schleswig and Holstein to Prussia. This defeat is said to have left significant scars on Denmark's national sense of identity and thereafter led to its return to a policy neutrality, which continued during the first world war.

At the end of WW1 and Germany's defeat by the allied powers, the allies proposed the return of Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark from the previous German control. Following plebiscites on the issue, Northern Schleswig was returned to Danish control, an event which is still celebrated by a public holiday in Denmark today on 15 June.

Nazi forces invaded Denmark in April 1940 during the second world war. The ruling King Christian x at the time suggested that the Danish people accept the occupation and thus the Nazis experienced only two hours of military resistance before the Danish government surrendered. However notable was that Denmark was the only occupied country during WW2 that ensured the safety of its entire Jewish population, which it did by smuggling all Jews out of the country.

1944 marked the beginning of fundamental changes in Denmark's relationship with its overseas territories when Iceland severed all ties to Denmark and thereby became an independent republic ending a union which dated back to 1380. Another union dating back to 1380 was with the Faroe Islands. This union ended in 1948 when the territory was granted home rule. Greenland was granted home rule in 1979.

After WW2 war, Denmark became one of the founding members of the United Nations and also NATO. In 1973 it became a member of the European Economic Community (now the European Union).

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