Command of Captain Christian Aarøe

In the time after the 1864 war, the Scandinavian union and the efforts to unite Scandinavia were made into a fantasy embryo hatched in the minds of youthful students. Do you agree with that assessment?

Although the Swedish king Karl XV had promised to send 20,000 soldiers to help Denmark in 1864, they never came.  But many volunteers came from both Sweden and Norway to help.  Here you can see a corps under the command of Captain Christian Aarøe.  There were many Swedish and Norwegian volunteers in the corps.  Incidentally, the captain was a keen Scandinavian who hated King Christian IX. Illustration from the book.

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Although the Swedish king Karl XV had promised to send 20,000 soldiers to help Denmark in 1864, they never came. But many volunteers came from both Sweden and Norway to help. Here you can see a corps under the command of Captain Christian Aarøe. There were many Swedish and Norwegian volunteers in the corps. Incidentally, the captain was a keen Scandinavian who hated King Christian IX. Illustration from the book.

"Yes, to a great extent, because we can document that not only did the Nordic thought gather large groups of students and politicians behind it, but internationally leading politicians such as France 's Napoleon III and Prussia 's Bismarck were warm supporters of the thought. One must understand that the political situation in Europe was completely open. Italy was divided into small kingdoms, but was united, and the German Confederation, which also consisted of small independent territories, was also united. There was a tendency for national units to become larger and for small countries to find it difficult to survive on a continent where there were constant threats and wars. Therefore, a united Nordic region was desirable.'

You highlight Bismarck as a supporter of such a united North, but what was his interest in that, because he would then have a stronger enemy in the North? After all, Bismarck defeated Denmark in 1864, Austria in 1866 and France in 1870. So why would he need a united Nordic region?

"We can document that Bismarck consistently and actively worked for either a Greater Sweden or a united Scandinavia both before, after and during the 1864 war. Bismarck saw a united Nordic region as a future alliance partner that, among other things, had to secure against a hostile Russia. And during this period he could not know that he would emerge victorious from his confrontations with Austria and France. But in addition to Bismarck, France's Napoleon III and Italy also worked actively for a united Scandinavia.'

They were drunk for every negotiation

The Danish king Frederik VII and the Swedish-Norwegian king Karl XV met several times to make plans for a Scandinavian union under the Berndotters.  Here, Charles XV is seen setting sail after the royal meeting at Kronborg in 1860. Illustration from the book.

The Danish king Frederik VII and the Swedish-Norwegian king Karl XV met several times to make plans for a Scandinavian union under the Berndotters. Here, Charles XV is seen setting sail after the royal meeting at Kronborg in 1860. Illustration from the book.

But what was Bismarck's interest in the immediate area of ​​a united Scandinavia?

"To resolve the conflict over the duchies in a way that France and Great Britain could accept, and which secured for him Holstein, Lauenborg and part of Schleswig. And then to make Scandinavia a useful and controllable ally against Austria and especially Russia.'

The foreign policy situation is one thing, but surely the internal conditions in Denmark and Sweden-Norway, which were in union with each other since 1814, are decisive?

Both Frederik 7th and Karl 15th liked to drink a lot.  In fact, Frederik was pretty much drunk all the time.  And none of them were, according to Rasmus Glenthøj, competent politicians.  

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Both Frederik 7th and Karl 15th liked to drink a lot. In fact, Frederik was pretty much drunk all the time. And none of them were, according to Rasmus Glenthøj, competent politicians. 

"Yes, and there we can clearly document that leading politicians in Denmark worked actively for a Scandinavian federation, including prime ministers CC Hall and DG Monrad and interior ministers Orla Lehmann and Hans Rasmussen Carlsen . In addition, Frederik 7th of Denmark, Oscar 1st of Sweden-Norway and his sons, Karl 15th and Crown Prince Oscar ( Oscar 2nd ), worked for Scandinavianism. It is quite clear that they wanted close cooperation and would like a union, where national parliaments were retained, but were united.'

But the Danish Frederik 7th and the Swedish Karl 15th were regularly drunk, and can their statements be taken for granted?