How big can Denmark realistically be without Sweden and with/without Norway in a personal union?
+ Island, Färöer, West India and Greenland. Markland and Vinland Danish North America would be interestingI can imagine a nice core territory:
1 - all of Jutland down to and including Hamburg and Lubeck:
2 - a bigger chunk of today's southern Sweden, including Oland and Gotland Islands.
3 - Mecklemburg and Pommerania (bigger than OTL - no losses to Brandenburg)
4 - all of Sword Knight's territory
5 - Finland, Karelia, Ingria, Polotsk, Novgorod - conquered during Muscovy's collapse after Ivan the Terrible.
Bonus:
Most of North America which Denmark had colonised![]()
Thought I'd might as well enter.
Dania
By 1000 the Danish Kingdoms of Gothenland, Scaneland, Sealand, and Jutland, had been unified and redivided enough times that Haricnut's accession to each crown was not considered unique; his expansion to include the Danish colony-kingdoms of Vickenland, Yorwick, and the Norwegian lands, was also considered a one off and it was expected his empire would die with him. Unusually however this empire was passed down intact to Erik I (regnal numbering traditionally starts here) also known as Happy Axe for his boistrous personal executions of his enemies. Though in his later years the Norwegian Kingdoms, Vickenland, and Yorwick were lost, Erik passed on the union known as Dania or Danerike and tradition holds that the first known banner consisted of a crown surrounded by 4 sealeaves...
..folkore recounts that King Harald III sorely beset at Rygen implored God for a sign to continue battle and down from the sky drifted the Dannebrog formed from the tatters of the old Royal Banner smeared with bloody cross. Taking this as his new standard Harald fought on, maintained his throne, and added the West Wendish March to his Kingdom.
View attachment 185665
This was my take some years back: