AHC: Scandinavian microstates

Alkahest

Banned
It seems that on althist maps, nothing fun ever happens to Scandinavia. It's all Sweden this and Denmark that or, if we're feeling adventurous, some big "Scandinavian Federation" or whatever. How boring. But you know what's always fun? (Yes, always.) Microstates!

Your challenge is to create at least one, preferably many, tiny-ass independent states somewhere in Scandinavia (define that however you want, Finland and Iceland can join the party if they want to).
 
One obvious candidate would be Lappland, though I don't know how will this be achieved, and an independent Karelia might be on the cards as well.
 
It seems that on althist maps, nothing fun ever happens to Scandinavia. It's all Sweden this and Denmark that or, if we're feeling adventurous, some big "Scandinavian Federation" or whatever. How boring. But you know what's always fun? (Yes, always.) Microstates!

Your challenge is to create at least one, preferably many, tiny-ass independent states somewhere in Scandinavia (define that however you want, Finland and Iceland can join the party if they want to).

the HRE gets Jutland and Denmark becomes just three small islands in the Baltic.
 
In the 1400s, Eric of Pomerania manages to hold on to an independent Gotland.

In the 1500s, Småland could have become independent under Nils Dacke, and the Duchies of Finland (only a small part of todays Finland), Södermanland, and Östergötland stays on as semi-independent states. http://www.tacitus.nu/historical-atlas/scandinavia/s2.htm
Dalarna/Dalecarlia did have a kind of separate deal with the King, so it might have become semi-independent as well.
 
Actually Scania/Skåne was an independent state for a time in the middleages. They have regional seperatist party there since a couple of decades but not a very successful one.

Samiland maybe could make a claim in the north of scandinavia and Finland?

Åland have some level of independence?
 

Dorozhand

Banned
Independent Svalbard :D


Svalbard2.png

Svalbard2.png
 
Border regions like Småland and Dalarna did have more independence from the Swedish Crown before the 1500´s, Sweden then being a federation more than a national kingdom. These two examples also had special economy, cattle and mining incomes with free(er) traderights across the border to Norway and Denmark. Being in the middle of the fighting everytime there was a war, also led to that the people in these regions were well armed and much better prepared for rebellion as frequently occured in Dalarna, but also in Småland during the Dackerebellion.
 
An independent Gotaland always interests me. A POD I can think of is that it stays in Denmark, and eventually, Denmark, which also controls Norway splits apart, and Gotaland becomes indpendant
 
The really obvious choice is the Åland Islands. With a POD ar a few during WWI, the *LoN could enforce a decision that the islands should become a perpetually nonaligned, independent state instead of a part of Finland or Sweden in the early 20s.

(And don't bloody well say Åland is not Scandinavian. A stone's throw from the Swedish coast, fully Swedish-speaking since the 11th century, living on fishing and seafaring for centuries. The Ålanders are a blueprint for Scandinavians.:p)
 

Alkahest

Banned
Thanks for your replies! Gotland, Åland and Bornholm do seem like the most obvious choices. I especially like Åland and Bornholm, since I can see both islands becoming "neutral zones" between two bigger powers - Sweden and Finland/Russia in the case of Åland, Sweden and Denmark in the case of Bornholm.

The best times to create an independent Bornholm seems, to me, to be the 1658 Treaty of Roskilde or the 1660 Treaty of Copenhagen. The Bornholmians obviously weren't happy with their Swedish overlords, something you'd think the Swedes could have figured out on their own. Could independence for Bornholm be on the table if the Swedes wanted to deny Denmark the island but also didn't want the headache of trying to pacify some unruly islanders, or was the Zeitgeist strictly focused on grabbing as much delicious clay as possible?
 

Alkahest

Banned
Would an independent Schleswig or Schleswig-Holstein count as Scandinavian?
Hmm, good question. From what little I know, it's culturally been a mix of German and Danish, so I guess it half-counts? Anyway, did you have a POD in mind?
 
If the Faroes count as part of Scandinavia, they passed an independence referendum in 1948. If Denmark had recognized the result rather than suppressing it and then granting home rule, the Faroes could have become a state with a population of about 30,000.

Going a bit further afield, there have been independence movements in the Orkney and Shetland islands. If such a movement were to succeed sometime in the early twentieth century (no, I can't imagine how either), would the islanders assume a Scandinavian identity?
 
Going a bit further afield, there have been independence movements in the Orkney and Shetland islands. If such a movement were to succeed sometime in the early twentieth century (no, I can't imagine how either), would the islanders assume a Scandinavian identity?

Orkney is difficult, but for Shetland:

Scotland votes for independence (either in 2014 or otherwise), while Shetland votes universally against and demands the right to retrosecede. They don't get this, but do manage to get the right to their own referendum on independence (it's pointed out as being highly hypocritical of Holyrood to refuse), and does so, signing treaties of free association a la Palau with Britain and taking half of Scotland's oil with them.

They'd probably be culturally Nordic at the very least.
 
Scotland votes for independence (either in 2014 or otherwise), while Shetland votes universally against and demands the right to retrosecede. They don't get this, but do manage to get the right to their own referendum on independence (it's pointed out as being highly hypocritical of Holyrood to refuse), and does so, signing treaties of free association a la Palau with Britain

Or maybe an arrangement like the Isle of Man or Jersey? (Come to think of it, do the IoM and Channel Islands count as Scandinavian microstates? The former was once a Norse kingdom and the latter is Norman, after all. But that's probably stretching a cultural point way too far.)
 
Åland is the big possibility. It could even be argued it is a FH possibility.
I can't remember the specifics but I recall reading about their special tax status and relationship with the EU. Certainly a fair bit of their economy is based on tourism due to Swedes and Finns wanting to buy tax free alcohol and cigarettes. IIRC they may also have some tax dodging schemes going on there like in the Channel Islands.
Were the EU to try and close this for some reason and in some way then they might well decide a further loosening of their ties with Finland is in order.
 
Top