Today’s topic takes
us to Northern Europe- a region that brings to mind in most people fierce
Vikings and frigid weather. The Kalmar Union describes the various unions
between the Nordic territories, including Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway,
Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands.
From 1397 to 1523, they were all one entity. But the Swedish
powers, then encompassing Finland, were unhappy with the Danish rulers’ threat
to Swedish exports and self-government. Many conflicts erupted, beginning in
1430 and culminating in a break of the Kalmar Union into the kingdoms Sweden-Finland
and Denmark-Norway. However, the conflicts did not end there. In 1809, Sweden’s
war with Russia led to Sweden ceding the Finnish territories to Russia, thereby
creating an independent principality of Finland within the Russian empire. Just
a few years later in 1814, the Treaty of Kiel ending Danish-Swedish hostility
in the Napoleonic Wars forced the Kingdom of Denmark to cede most Norwegian
territory to Sweden. This led to a union known as Sweden-Norway, which broke up
not only Denmark-Norway but Norway itself, as Norway formerly included Iceland,
Greenland, and the Faroe Islands. However, these former Norwegian territories
remained as dependencies of Denmark. Finally, today, Finland, Norway, and
Iceland are independent nations. Faroe Islands remains within the Kingdom of
Denmark while Greenland sees self-government within the Kingdom of Denmark.
As territories with
such long history, the Scandinavian region has certainly seen its share of
conflict and union. The neighboring countries have had long, hostility-wrought
relations which have culminated in pleasant and diplomatic relations between
the nations today. A Scandinavian Monetary Union and other amicable
interactions suggest the improved relationships between the Nordic nations
today.
Join me this Friday for the first Presidential Friday and this Monday for the first Monthly Micronation Monday!
Sources: Wikipedia,
Wacra, University of Washington
