Denmark 1920: Anti royalist faction of danish army capture and execute King

In real life Denmark went through what some called the most survier test to it democracy then King Christian the 10th fired the who danish government in what danish historians called "The East Crisis of 1920". In OTL the King backed down eventually and democracy was restored.

But what if he hadn't? What if insteed a wing of the danish army had stormed Amalienborg and arrested King Christian, and executed him. Thereafter proclaiming the "Republic of Denmark" and restoring democracy!

How do You Guys think this would have changed Denmark? Would a danish republican violent revolution have had a influence on how Denmark was view in Europe?
 
Perhaps a Republic of Denmark, which was formed through violent means, may build up the Danish military, and put up a better defence when Hitler invaded.
 
Perhaps a Republic of Denmark, which was formed through violent means, may build up the Danish military, and put up a better defence when Hitler invaded.

How would a violent anti royalist revolution in Denmark effect the Kingdom of Norway and Sweden?
 
In real life Denmark went through what some called the most survier test to it democracy then King Christian the 10th fired the who danish government in what danish historians called "The East Crisis of 1920". In OTL the King backed down eventually and democracy was restored.

But what if he hadn't? What if insteed a wing of the danish army had stormed Amalienborg and arrested King Christian, and executed him. Thereafter proclaiming the "Republic of Denmark" and restoring democracy!

How do You Guys think this would have changed Denmark? Would a danish republican violent revolution have had a influence on how Denmark was view in Europe?

Haven't you read our history? Apparently you haven't!
Army making a coup during Easter crisis 1920? Come on.
The Army was the most royalist institution at the time. King Christian X was primary a GENERAL it was his son who was the Admiral.
The Army would have seized power from the Socialdemocrats and Liberal Left and returned it to the King!
 

Redbeard

Banned
Haven't you read our history? Apparently you haven't!
Army making a coup during Easter crisis 1920? Come on.
The Army was the most royalist institution at the time. King Christian X was primary a GENERAL it was his son who was the Admiral.
The Army would have seized power from the Socialdemocrats and Liberal Left and returned it to the King!

Agree, the Army, or any significant part of it, interveening against the King would require substantial PoDs well ahead. Perhaps something like Denmark becomming involved in WWI, probably on Germany's side, but with strong fractions, also in the Army, finding that traiterous. After the war, that could produce a situation where parts of the army find the King the foremost traitor, as he was loyal to the Government's pro-German policy. But in such a scenario, the fate of the King or the Monarchy really appear to be the insignificant part.

But in OTL strong political forces, mainly socialdemocrats and centrist liberals were close to (seriously) demanding the republic in 1920. You could imagine sentiments accelerating in such a situation, perhaps have the Royal Lifeguard fire on demonstrators and next arming demonstrators firing back - or vice versa. I doubt that would evolve into civil war right away, there wasn't any armed opposition, but I guess general strike, riots etc., and that could mean a full fledged military coup with the King in front.

I doubt however such a regime could stay in the saddle for long, its best chance probably being if the communists become too prominent in the opposition.

If the military government stays in power, it will be ahead of an economy clapped out by strikes and riots - i.e. a bad starting point for a rearmament before 1940. If/when it falls, the resentment towards the military probably will be bigger than ever.

IMHO the most likley PoD for a militarily stronger Denmark in 1940 would be the negotiations about a Nordic alliance in the early 1930s not being given up. That would mean maintaining the concept of armed neutrality, and not giving up military defence as it was in OTL. Probably the 5 Division strength of the army from pre 1932 would be maintained, but with new weapons and equipment, as well as naval construction and a real air force. Plans and designs existed for a class of coastal battleships with 10" guns.

Regards

Steffen Redbeard
 
Agree, the Army, or any significant part of it, interveening against the King would require substantial PoDs well ahead. Perhaps something like Denmark becomming involved in WWI, probably on Germany's side, but with strong fractions, also in the Army, finding that traiterous. After the war, that could produce a situation where parts of the army find the King the foremost traitor, as he was loyal to the Government's pro-German policy. But in such a scenario, the fate of the King or the Monarchy really appear to be the insignificant part.

But in OTL strong political forces, mainly socialdemocrats and centrist liberals were close to (seriously) demanding the republic in 1920. You could imagine sentiments accelerating in such a situation, perhaps have the Royal Lifeguard fire on demonstrators and next arming demonstrators firing back - or vice versa. I doubt that would evolve into civil war right away, there wasn't any armed opposition, but I guess general strike, riots etc., and that could mean a full fledged military coup with the King in front.

I doubt however such a regime could stay in the saddle for long, its best chance probably being if the communists become too prominent in the opposition.

If the military government stays in power, it will be ahead of an economy clapped out by strikes and riots - i.e. a bad starting point for a rearmament before 1940. If/when it falls, the resentment towards the military probably will be bigger than ever.

IMHO the most likley PoD for a militarily stronger Denmark in 1940 would be the negotiations about a Nordic alliance in the early 1930s not being given up. That would mean maintaining the concept of armed neutrality, and not giving up military defence as it was in OTL. Probably the 5 Division strength of the army from pre 1932 would be maintained, but with new weapons and equipment, as well as naval construction and a real air force. Plans and designs existed for a class of coastal battleships with 10" guns.

Regards

Steffen Redbeard

Problem was that all the parties except the Conservatives generally wanted a lowering of military budget.

Something like a political commitment to the other Nordic countries would be needed - like some conservative politicians tried to make The League of Nations put a demand on Denmark to keep a decent military force.

But then we would have the Conservatives to come to power in say 1929 or 1932 AND especially Sweden demand a strong Danish defence to get it into the Nordic Defence Alliance and some reason for Denmark to feel obliged to do so.

Perhaps a communist Germany bend on world revolution!!!
 
But in OTL strong political forces, mainly socialdemocrats and centrist liberals were close to (seriously) demanding the republic in 1920. You could imagine sentiments accelerating in such a situation, perhaps have the Royal Lifeguard fire on demonstrators and next arming demonstrators firing back - or vice versa. I doubt that would evolve into civil war right away, there wasn't any armed opposition, but I guess general strike, riots etc., and that could mean a full fledged military coup with the King in front.

I doubt however such a regime could stay in the saddle for long, its best chance probably being if the communists become too prominent in the opposition.

Doing a read of the 1914-45 of Dansk Udenrigspolitisk Historie. Stauning did not consider a republic seriously - he even looked outside the Socialdemocrats for a Min. of Foreign Affairs.
The threat of general strike was real but Stauning had the control to dismantle it within a minute and apparently having no serious intention of a state coup.
Going on to the possibility of Christian X not backing down Stauning would send the workers on strike which would trigger lock-out which would mean use of un-organised labour to keep the country running and then you'd have some fighting among labourers of Union and those of non-Union and Police and probably military as in Nakskov on the other side.
I don't see the communists coming to power on this agenda - Stauning seems to have been quite anti-communist like his big brother in Germany but he himself would at some point come to power and perhaps then dissolve the Monarchy proclaiming the Republic.

If the military government stays in power, it will be ahead of an economy clapped out by strikes and riots - i.e. a bad starting point for a rearmament before 1940. If/when it falls, the resentment towards the military probably will be bigger than ever.
Regards

Steffen Redbeard
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And Stauning would have room for his no armaments policy - unilateral disarmament.

This could have both the Swedish and Norwegian workers look to Denmark as to how to reorganize society.
There was at least one big strike in Norway in the 1930'ties AFAIR but I'm not sure which year. That was probably the basis for the Norwegian socialist scare which in 1940 made the military have rifle locks for the mobilization force being locked up in the local Police HQ.
 
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