AHC Treaty of Kiel: Greenland, Iceland and Faroe Islands ceded along with Hegioland to UK

[RMcD94]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Kiel

Historically the Treaty of Kiel was a peace treaty between victors UK and Sweden with the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway. Denmark ceded Norway (sans Iceland, Greenland and Faroe Islands) to Sweden in exchange for Swedish Pomerania. Norway declared independence so Sweden didn't transfer Pomerania. Denmark also ceded Hegioland to the UK.

The challenge is to have in the Treaty of Kiel or Congress of Vienna Iceland, Greenland and Faroe Islands instead given to the UK (presumably added to Scotland along with Hebrides, Orkney's and Rockall). Preferably given to the government not the crown but either works.

According to Hardenberg's plan, Prussia ceded East Frisia with Emden to Hanover, and in exchange received from Hanover the Duchy of Lauenburg.[18] This duchy was then handed over from Prussia to Denmark, along with an additional payment of 3.5 million talers.[18] Prussia also took over a Danish debt to Sweden of 600,000 talers, and agreed on an additional payment of 2 million talers to Sweden.[18] Denmark and Sweden in turn relinquished their claims to Swedish Pomerania in favour of Prussia.[18] Charles XIII of Sweden then released his Pomeranian subjects from their obligations towards Sweden on 1 October 1815, and on 23 October the province was handed over to von Ingersleben, president of Prussian Pomerania.[18]

Considering how poor Denmark was, and how diplomatically isolated it had become, I could see the UK perhaps granting a stipend which Denmark sorely needed in the Treaty of Kiel. Alternatively a trade could work too. Or Denmark keeps Svalbard and Jan Mayen and other Norwegian islands instead. I doubt Sweden particularly cared about the islands.

Who could be encouraged to seek these for the UK? What would Denmark need to give them up?

The population of Faroe Islands was between 5-6,000.

The population of Iceland was around 50,000.

The population of Greenland was less than 6,000 (at least the Danish part was).

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Assuming the UK does acquire it how does this change history? In particular Denmark went a long way to preserving the possibility of other countries claiming Greenland (in large part because no one knew how big it was) including giving away the Danish Virgin Islands to the USA for recognition. The UK obviously wouldn't need to do that but would it encourage exploration to the North Pole?

How would these closer colonies impact Imperial federalisation?

 

[ArchimedesCircle]

Assuming that Canada forms like IOTL, I'd expect Greenland to get added to it like Rupert's Land was. I don't think it was ever particularly profitable, but Denmark kept it out of national pride.

The Faroes might get added to Scotland, but remember that the Hebrides and Orkneys had been part of Scotland for hundreds of years, so there really wasn't any recent precedent to expanding the kingdom. The Faroes and Iceland might wind up as protectorates a la Malta and Gibraltar due to their strategic locations controlling the North Sea. I don't see there being a whole lot of impact from this to be honest aside from there being even more red ink on the world map and a lack of the Cod Wars. Assuming that the rest of history goes similar to OTL, Iceland and the Faroes might go independent together (possibly with Greenland if Greenland remains outside of Canada).

 

[Jürgen]

If UK wanted them, Denmark couldn’t stop UK from taking them in that treaty. As for how it would change history, well Faroe Islands and Iceland are good for sheep farming, so if they’re integrated into UK we can expect the usual British mismanagement to depopulate the islands in favour of large scale sheep farming. If they’re made into crown colonies like Heligoland, they will likely do better, they will likely be treated as one colony and gain independence in a union. Faroese and Icelandic have a large degree of mutual intelligibility through not perfectly, I expect Icelandic to replace Faroese as the main language on the Faroe Islands.

 

[RMcD94]

If they end up as crown colonies then I can only expect that they end up causing a change in the dialog between government and crown in the matter. With the Channel Islands or Isle of Mann they are enclaves either within British or French waters.

If the Faroe Islands ends up with some measure of independence then the Orkney and Shetland Islands (and maybe the Hebrides too) will likely raise some issues. The Shetlands had a population in the five figures, possibly as high as 30,000, so it rivals Iceland and dwarfs the Faroes.

These acquisitions could also give Britain a more northerly eye while causing Denmark to be more internally focused. Perhaps Shackleton goes for the north pole rather than the south pole with British land so close. The Northwest passage would be entirely within British territory.

Assuming these areas aren't crown properties where, if anywhere, would the Royal Navy open a harbour? Having a secure and isolated spot in Iceland to keep ships well out of range of any threat seems good. Certainly any sort of operations which required secrecy would find plenty space in Iceland.

 

[Atterdag]

Iceland becomes the Malta of the north atlantic.