Twilight of the Twin Kingdoms - A Short History of Denmark-Norway

00:00 Introduction
02:30 I. King and Country
05:44 II. Economic Growth
08:02 III. A Military State
10:33 IV. The Enemy Within
13:37 V. Collapse
16:50 VI. Legacy
19:03 Epilogue
Once the crowns of Denmark and Norway had come together in the Kalmar union, they were locked in a partnership for over 400 years. After Sweden's exit (1523), eventually these two kingdoms grew inseparable.
I explore that so-called '400 year night' , an interval in Norwegian history that is often ignored or disregarded as irrelevant in our view of history, whilst its towns, institutions, industries and foundations are still found amongst us.
Links:
Many thanks to the reenactors in the film, they are found at: www.geworbne.no
1814 Eidsvoll museum: eidsvoll1814.no/eidsvollbygni...
Borgarsyssel museum Østfold: ostfoldmuseene.no/borgarsyssel
Røros museum: rorosmuseet.no/
Bærums Verk: www.baerumsverk.no/
Akershus fortress: www.forsvarsbygg.no/no/festni...
#denmarknorway #norway #denmark #history #nordic #17thcentury #18thcentury #kings #oldenburg #røros #akershus #eidsvoll #1814

[@NorthernHistory]

A film, half a pandemic year in the making, finally done! Phew! Hit subscribe and notification bell for updates 🔔

[@micahistory]

wow congrats. I wish you had been in the chat though

[@NorthernHistory]

@@micahistory RL intervened. Next time!

[@micahistory]

@@NorthernHistory ok would you like to be friends?

[@landersen8173]

Fantastic video! Being a dane it´s great to hear and see the history from a norwegian point of view. Tordenskiold is pretty much celebrated as a danish hero even though we know he´s norwegian.

[@NorthernHistory]

Tordenskiold was and is still held up as a patriotic figure in Norway. To many, he's the only iconic figure of the 18th century. Every country views historical persons differently, through their own lens!

[@GangeHrolfr]

You're also welcome for Holberg ;D

[@landersen8173]

@@GangeHrolfr Thanks ☺and we´ve practically stolen Henrik Ibsen too.

[@GangeHrolfr]

@@landersen8173 So has the rest of the world, it's all good my friend :D

[@hansmarheim7620]

​​@@GangeHrolfrYeah. And Krøjer, and Haakon the VI.

[@citizenVader]

My ancestors were hired by the king and moved from the Netherlands (Gelderland) to Copenhagen along with 3 other families of builders to help defend the Danish against the Swedish kingdom. They specialised in building star fortresses and after finishing the older part of the first permanent ramparts/citadel (Kastellet) gained nobility and knighthood and were awarded a lectureship award in complicated architecture at the King's University. We are still in Denmark, around 600 members of the former Wan der Borchs and the Bartholin branch of the family's.

[@vrenak]

A small mistake, the 1814 treaty of Kiel, ceding Norway to Sweden was absolutely not signed voluntarily, it was an absolute demand from the victors of the napoleonic wars. They ha promised Sweden they could get Norway if the Swedes would join them, so that's who you need to blame for it.

[@NATIK001]

Yeah, the Danish king did everything he could to get out of it, including sending his own son to Norway to set the Swedish takeover up for failure and provide a way for Norway to return to the Danish royal line via succession.

[@ianbrowne8871]

This provided stepping stones through several centuries and filled in several blank decades! A serious reflection on our shared values, well done.

[@katjaisaksen1382]

Awesome work. Feels a bit like an extended trailer for a 10 episode series though! Would have loved more detail but can see how that would be a bit much. 😊

[@NorthernHistory]

I will definetly make a more in-depth film on an interesting subject related to Denmark-Norway in the future.

[@wadesaleeby2172]

Search and ye shall find oh ye of little faith.

[@MesiterSode]

Finally, it's here! 🙌

[@davidlandsnes326]

Fascinating topic, and equally fascinating and captivating channel. Your exhaustive research on Norwegian history is evident, and I look forward to much more on your channel. Thank you.

[@filippoguidi9544]

Thank you so much!

[@eldelflowerwater]

What a fantastic video- thank you! I am interested in Scandinavian history and visit Scandinavia often. Warm regards from Australia, Andy

[@Jens_Heika]

I recently looked into the period of the union between Denmark-Norway, and I find a few of the statements you make to be wrong, or misleading, as well as leaning into a particular view of the time period that lacks a lot of nuance. The biggest one was about Denmark ceding Norway over as property, which is not true. Denmark was on the losing side of a war, where they fought on bitterly to keep Norway, because Sweden had joined the opposite side under they condition they would gain Norway when they won. And the only reason they'd join Napoleon was because the British attacked Copenhagen in an unprovoked attack. Denmark desired to be neutral and didn't want to take part in the war, but was forced into it. They'd also have switched sides a lot earlier if that didn't mean having to cede Norway, which as I mentioned was why they fought on so bitterly. Further you heavily lean into the romantic national ideas about the union, like the quotes you reference, referring to either a "long night", or a "false period" without putting them into context, or mentioned where those ideas originated from and comparing them to more modern, nuanced ideas about the time.

[@NorthernHistory]

Hi Jens. You are of course entitled to your opinion. I merely state my views in this video, and there are hundreds of ways to interpret and analyse these 400 years of history. Norway as 'property' is of course polemic, as Norway was traditionally thought of as its own crown and territory - but no Norwegians were consulted on the matter. I mentioned the "false period" because that was a quote what came to taint the romantic view of the period and I tried to nuance that view. I don't try in this video try to dig too deeply in how to judge such a long period of time that is now so steeped in myth and nation-building, but tried to give a brief glimpse of what some thinkers thought of it in its aftermath. Thanks for watching!

[@Jens_Heika]

@@NorthernHistory Is it worth pointing out that no Norwegians were consulted, when the Danes involved didn't have a choice? In either fighting in the war, or having to give up Norway after they lost?

[@NorthernHistory]

@@Jens_Heika I felt it was worth pointing this out to a modern viewer, yes - in the context of seeing Denmark-Norway from a Norwegian point of view. Most people don't really know what an absolute monarchy was like or operated like in that day and age.

[@Jens_Heika]

@@NorthernHistory Eneveldet.

[@mortenalstrand3644]

It is said that frederik 3 would rather give up skåne in 1658 to sweden, than norwegian land? Norway was not handed over so easy as it is told in the video in 1814. Norway was not a colony, but always regarded as a independant people. The norweigian sailors and soldiers where highly valued in the navy and in the army. Copenhagen was full of norweigian students and sailors and also many Germans. If denmark had contiued the fight for Norway, denmark would probably had been split up to the swedes and Britania. This idea did the swedish King (who was now a french former officer) propose to the britts. Denmark was even offered the most of the northen German baltic sea borders ,by the russians, if they gave norway to schweden and then joined up against napoleon. This was rejected period by the danish King.. so the King did everything he could to keep his beloved norway under the crown. It is important to be objektiv and not colored by nationalism when the history is told. Nationalism did not exist as we know it today. Norwegian policy was danish policy and vice versa at the time. Like it it not. That said, norway would had become indepent over time, because of the rise of nationalism. Which also happend in Holsten and schleswig. Denmark always mentioned norway as an independant People under the crown. Denmark was in danish history described as denmark-norway. Unlike scania, Halland , Blekinge, bonus len which where delibertly forced in to the swedish state to wash away there danisch ,and for bonus len, norwegian history, language and mentality The pursuit to kill norwegian tradition and habbits was never a political goal. However the writing was danish, which of course had a big impackt and did actually wipe out the original norwegian language. But the norwegian was still regarded as norwegians by the danes and the King, danish writting or not. That is the big difference.

[@michaelprobert4014]

You need more subscribers and deserve them too .

[@8ktavian]

Sykt bra film, ekstremt spennende saker.

[@Incognito-co6og]

Nice video!

[@andreoliveira685]

Nice video! Thanks!

[@nikolasbeckerandersen1383]

Very good video. Dont know why i havent seen this before today.

[@petterwesterstrom690]

Thank you for an insightful video about my neighboring countries. It is interesting to see both combined together. I come from Bohuslän and our local dialect contains many Norwegian words but has specific Danish pronunciation patterns thus gata in Swedish becomes gada en Bohuslänish. If you know any more insightful videos about Norway, please tell me. Takk!

[@danskehans]

Bravo! Very informative and informative. Thank from an old Dane and I apologize for ruling your country for so many years.

[@nolifergustav3741]

Should rather appologize for taking all of our colonies away from us in 1814

[@2Zemog]

Hi, I'm a teacher. May I use parts of this video for upper secondary history education (VG2)?

[@NorthernHistory]

Hi, of course.

[@wadesaleeby2172]

My dog is Danish and he is much loved!

[@Vingul]

Episk!

[@janlindtner305]

400 years of darkness. With best regards. Jan

[@kknudsen4907]

Danes and Norwegians are brothers and there is a lot of love between the 2 countries now… now the Swedes.. that’s a whole other story… haha. In all seriousness Scandinavian like to razz each other but we do love each other. 🇩🇰🇳🇴🇩🇰🇳🇴

[@janlindtner305]

@@kknudsen4907 Vi er Vikinger!!!!! Jan

[@ReginnKunnr]

Undskyld.

[@Leif-vc9ek]

My dad looks just like king Christian II it’s actually weird

[@jaenmartens5697]

Skoll og takk. The global controllers will not succeed indefinitely. Cruelty is not sustainable. 🇲🇽👍

[@johnolsen2754]

Tell the real truth of how Norway was on b the losing end of a 500 union with Denmark and Sweden.

[@Diddiwehy]

Are you danish, by any chance?

[@Darkstar-se6wc]

So sad that Scandinavians are committing suicide through immigration.

[@heno02]

So sad that you are beset with delusions.

[@SoelengaaerbagAaseneed]

lmao

[@user-nk5es9iy8i]

I'm not gonna take a political stance on this, but Sweden's immigration policies differs extremely from Denmark, it's basically night and day. Look it up.

[@gingerconnoisseur7395]

Letting you into Scandinavia would also be suicide.

[@Darkstar-se6wc]

@@gingerconnoisseur7395 - A few sexual assaults and grenade attacks are a small price to pay for the joys of vibrant diversity, eh?