History of Denmark

Introduction to History of Denmark

Archeological evidence has indicated that southern Denmark was populated 60,000 to 100,000 years ago, before the final Ice Age. When the last glaciers receded about 15,000 years ago, a hunting people moved into Denmark. By about 3000 B.C., the inhabitants were probably farmers. Their descendants later became sea-roving Vikings.

Important dates in Denmark

Expansion and Decline

By 800 A.D. (the beginning of the Viking era), Denmark had become an important maritime power. It occupied the Jutland Peninsula, the island of Zealand, and much of what is now Sweden. In 826 Christianity was introduced when King Harold Klak was baptized and allowed a Frankish monk named Ansgar to begin missionary work. Christianity, however, did not establish a firm foothold until King Harold Bluetooth was converted in the 10th century.

Under Harold Bluetooth's father, Gorm the Old, all of Denmark was united under a single ruler for the first time. In 960 Harold occupied part of Norway. His son, Sven (Sweyn Forkbeard), began the conquest of England in 994. Sven's son, Knut the Great (Canute), completed the conquest of England and, in 1028, added all of Norway to his realm.

In the next century, Denmark's rulers were ineffective, and the country suffered from wars with neighboring states and internal conflicts between the followers of rival claimants to the throne. During this period, the Danes were forced out of England and Norway, although they continued to dominate the Baltic area for many years. Schleswig and Holstein came under Danish rule in the 12th and 13th centuries.

In the meantime, internal peace had returned under Valdemar the Great (reigned 1157–82). Trade and agriculture flourished, and towns began to develop. In 1167 a fortress was established at the site of the old fishing village of Havn; this settlement grew to become the city of Copenhagen. The strength of the church increased, as did that of the landed nobles. In 1282 King Eric Klipping, under pressure from the nobility, established a parliament.

The late 13th and early 14th centuries were a time of political unrest, economic decline, and harassment by foreign powers. The struggle between the nobles and the crown for supremacy continued, weakening Denmark. Danish kings were unable to prevent invasion of their territory by North German primes. Restoration of national unity and royal authority was begun by Valdemar Atterdag (1340–75). In the late 14th century, Denmark acquired Iceland and the Faeroe Islands as colonies.

Some of Denmark's former power returned under Queen Margaret (1387–1412). who united Denmark, Norway, and Sweden under one crown by the Union of Kalmar in 1397. ( Denmark's domination of the union led to Sweden's withdrawal in 1523. During the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, the two countries fought a series of wars which resulted in Danish territory being permanently lost to Sweden. This marked the beginning of Denmark's decline as a major European power.

King Frederick III (1648–70), supported by the clergy and the burghers (the urban middle class), greatly reduced the power of the Danish nobility, making Denmark an absolute monarchy. During a period of peace in the 18th century, overseas exploration and trade and internal development became important. Colonization of Greenland was begun in 1721; several islands in the West Indies (the ones that now make up the United States Virgin Islands) had been acquired by 1733. Under Christian VII (1766–1808), the legal system and tariff laws were reformed, and the power of landlords over tenant farmers was restricted. Denmark attempted to remain neutral during the Napoleonic Wars, but was compelled by Napoleon to conclude an alliance with France in 1807. As part of the peace settlement following Napoleon's defeat, Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden, in 1814. In 1864 the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein were lost in a war with Prussia and Austria.

Denmark adopted a constitution in 1849, by which it became a constitutional monarchy. In the 1880's, it developed into a major agricultural exporter; large-scale organization of farmers' cooperatives aided this development. During the 1890's, Denmark pioneered in adopting social security measures that laid the basis for a welfare state. These measures included health insurance and old-age benefits.

20th Century

In 1917 Denmark sold the Danish West Indies to the United States and in 1918 Iceland was recognized as an independent state under the Danish king. Although Denmark had been neutral during World War I, it regained the northern portion of Schleswig from Germany in 1920 as a result of a plebiscite called for by the peace settlement. During the 1920's and 1930's, Denmark greatly expanded its social welfare programs and, through taxation, redistributed the wealth.

During World War II Denmark suffered bitterly from occupation by Germany. United States troops occupied Greenland and Iceland to prevent their seizure by Germany. In 1944 Iceland severed ties with the Danish monarchy and became an independent republic. The Faeroe Islands were granted internal self-government in 1948. In 1949 Denmark joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In 1953 Greenland's status was changed from that of a colony to that of an integral part of the kingdom.

Because of its economy's dependence on foreign trade, Denmark has traditionally supported the lowering of trade barriers between nations. In 1959 it joined the European Free Trade Association. In 1973 it became a member of the larger and more powerful European Community (what is now the European Union).

During the 1970's Denmark experienced a period of instability with the country being ruled by a succession of weak governments. In 1979 Greenland was granted autonomy. In 1982 Poul Schluter became the first Conservative prime minister in more than 80 years. In a referendum in 1992, Danish voters rejected the Maastricht treaties, which called for greater economic and political unity among members of the European Community. However, they approved the treaties in 1993 after the community allowed Denmark to be exempt from certain of their provisions.

In 2000, Danish citizens voted against adopting the euro as Denmark's currency. A number of Danes believed that closer ties to the European Union would weaken the country's economy and its national identity.

Control of Denmark's government was turned over from the Social Democratic Party to the Liberal Party after parliamentary elections in 2001. The policies of the Liberal Party and its allies tend to be more conservative than the Social Democratic Party. The Liberals retained control of the government after winning elections in 2005.