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.
