From Province to Independent State: Norway and its people 1536-1814

Arne Solli

Assoc. Professor

Department of Archaeology, History, Cultural Studies and Religion

University of Bergen, Norway

Oslo every 17th of May

What are the Norwegians celebrateing on May the 17th?

The MONARCH?

Celebrating Monarchy? No?

• Freedom

• Independence

• Constitution

• Democracy

Constitution

Norwegian Parliament

Freedom and Free from… • Freedom as

«Liberté», «Liberty»

• But also:

– Free from Danish rule and domination (Union ended 1814)

– Free from Nazi occupation (1940-45)

Independence – No more unions!

1814

1. Kalmar union – 1389-1522

2. Denmark – Norway 1522-1814

3. Sweden – Norway 1814-1905

EU referendum 1972 and 1994: NO

Democratic constitution of 1814

17th of May 1814

4th of November 1814

1814 – «The Year of Miracles» • Peace treaty January 1814

– Norway “sold as cattle” from Danish King to Swedish king

• March 1814 – elections in Norway • April-May 1814 Constitutional assembly

– creates a democratic constitution – Declare Norway independent of Sweden – Elects Christian Frederic As king of Norway

• Late July – Swedish army returns from France – War (2 weeks) Norway – Sweden

• August: Peace and king CF resigns • October: 2nd Constitutional assembly

– Adjust the constitution – Elects the Swedish king as king of Norway – A personal union

• As Result Norway got – Separate Norw. Constitution – Sep. government except foreign ministry – Separate law and judicial system – Separate national bank and currency (NOK) – Separate supreme court

Why independence in 1814?

• 1536: A province of Denmark

• 1660: Absolute king, no political institutions

• 1814: Independent state

• Two conflicting explanations

– The Freedom as a present: Result of great power policy

– Result of growth of nationalism in Norway, an urge for freedom and independence

Norway a province of Denmark • Christian III of Denmark and Norway.

(1534-59)

• 1536: «Norway is not a kingdom anymore, just a province of Denmark»

• Traditional 19th c. view : • «4 hundreårs natten» • =«The 4 hundred year long night»

The State 1536-1660: Norway a Province of Copenhagen?

• The Protestant Reformation: the Catholic church abolished in Denmark-Norway

• The Danish king seizing land and wealth from Church and Monasteries.

• No Norwegian nobility – Danish noblemen gaining land and power in Norway

• Norwegian Privy council dissolved

• Labels of the time period 1536-1660: – «Noble dominium»

– ”Monarchy of the Nobility” Martin Luther (1483-1546)

1660 – a revolution from above

• 1660: King Frederik III declared himself as absolute ruler

• Why?

• Long term changes: – Administrative changes: Non-

aristocratic and loyal civil servants replaced nobles in state positions (esp. Toll)

– Military technology changes. The nobles proved their incompetence in modern warfare

– Economic changes: The rise of merchant capitalist class.

– War and state-building: The fall of the noble class as ruling elite King Frederick 3. (r. 1648-1670)

1660 – a revolution from above • Fall 1660: King Frederik III declare

himself as absolute ruler

• Why?

• Short term – War against Sweden (1657-60). Sweden nearly

seized Denmark.

– Drastic state measures needed to beat Sweden in war

– King allies with clergy and merchant class against the noble elite.

– King promised political power to merchants in return of absolute rule

– Was the merchants fooled?

• Geo-politics – The Dutch wanted two equal state powers in

the Nordic area

– The Dutch supported Denmark against Sweden. King Frederick 3. (r. 1648-1670)

Growth of Norwegian “Embetsstand”

• 1660 Absolute king

• The ”embetsstand” (civil servants) becomes the Norwegian elite – Descended from Denmark and Germany

– Gradually established as a ruling class

– Hereditary positions

– Shared cultural values – distanced from the peasant population

– The ”embetsstand” until 1814 and beyond

• 18th Cent. The ”embetsstand” (civil servants) developed “national feelings” for Norway?

Changing Power of the People • No nobility

• 1660: The civil servants and merchants as ruling elite

• 17th cent. State growth: Norwegian peasants integrated into the state on low level (municipal)

• Late 18th century – Peasant revolts (1765-1787)

– Peasants resisting the Danish domination?

– Peasants becoming anti-Danish?

– Hauge-movement (c. 1800). Anti-clergy

• Peasants becoming land-owners – King sell land to get money for war

National feelings for Norway: Norwegian Students in Copenhagen

Norwegian Student Association (1771): Det norske selskap

For Norge, Kjæmpers Fødeland, Vi denne Skaal vil tømme, Og naar vi først faae Blod paa Tand,Vi sødt om Frihed drømme; Dog vaagne vi vel op engang Og bryde Lænker, Baand og Tvang; For Norge, Kjæmpers Fødeland, Vi denne Skaal udtømme! (Brun 1771)

Pentru Norvegia, giganți pământul natal Noi acest bol va goli, iar când primim prima sânge pe dentar, Noi dulciuri de vise de libertate, Câine treaz ne bine din nou și rupe cătușele, obligațiuni, și necesitate, pentru Norvegia, giganți uscat nativ, Noi bolul obositoare!

1st National Hymne for Norway With the help of Google Translate

Independence as a present (gift)

• Background – Napoleonic wars

• 1807 – Battle of Copenhagen – England capture the

fleet

• 1807-1814 Denmark-Norway allied to France

Emperor of France Napoleon Bonaparte, ally of Denmark

Independence as a present (gift) • 1809: Finland from

Sweden to Russia • 1810: Jean Baptiste

Bernadotte elected as crown prince of Sweden

• 1810-12: Sweden allied with France. War Sweden- England

• 1812: Peace – Sweden will have

Norway as compensation for loss of Finland , war against France

– Tsar Alexander: Perfect – England say OK

Carl Johan (XIV) of Sweden, Tsar Alexander I of Russia

(1801-1825)

Independence as a present

• 1814: January 14. The Peace Agreement of Kiel: Denmark cedes Norway to Swedish King

• Sweden got a problem: Carl Johan (Sweden) fully involved in war with France

• Crown prince of Denmark starts a resistance (January).

Crown Prince of Denmark Christian Frederick, regent of Norway, king of Norway in 1814

Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, former French general under Napoleon, Crown Prince of Sweden in 1810 – future King of Sweden and Norway

1814 - Independence • Winter and spring of

1814: Norwegian Revolution: – National mobilization under

leadership of Christian Frederick

– Constitutional assembly at Eidsvoll 10. April 112 rep.

– 17. May: Norwegian Constitution adopted and Norwegian King elected (Christian Frederik)

– Both very democratic for its age and undemocratic (Jews not allowed to enter the country)

• War of 1814: CF surrenders to Crown Prince Carl Johan of Sweden, but the Constitution remains in place when Norway enters loose union with Sweden

Scene from Eidsvoll 1814

Eidsvoll today

Crown Prince of Denmark Christian Frederick, regent of Norway, king of Norway in 1814

To sum up • Reformation: Norway becoming a

Province of Denmark

• Lack of Norwegian nobility

• The free position of the Norwegian peasant population

• Absolutism 1660

• ”embetsstand” as a professional and loyal ruling elite

• 1814: Independence and Constitution – The most radical and democratic

Constitution in Europe at the time • But: Women did not get the vote, and

Jews prohibited from entering the country

• Both a result of war and the long term inner developments

• The Norwegian people was well prepared when they got independence as a present

17 th of May in Bergen

Small children with guns?