I AM NOT MAD [A Radical Enlightened Denmark-Norway]

[Zillian]

Chapter 1: King Christian VII

King Christian VII of Denmark-Norway, painting in 1772 by Alexander Roslin

Christian VII of Denmark was born in 1749 in an age of enlightenment and absolutism as son of King Frederik V of Denmark and Queen Louise of Great Britain. His father was absent in his young years and he was depended on a small court of tutors. Two of those had a huge impact on his personality. The Danish landowner Ditlev Reventlow and the Swiss scholar Élie Salomon François Reverdil with each own method of parenting.

Reventlow was a hard and authoritarian tutor and believed the corporal punishment was an educated method to force necessary knowledge into the boy’s mind. Most of the lessons Christian learned were of a superficial nature which consisted of hymns, etiquette and linguistic education with the art of rule a kingdom was to reduce the monarch to a puppet doll. His contribution to the young prince’s education was damaging to the young prince’s frail mind.

Élie Salomon François Reverdil was inspired by Jean-Jacques Rousseau with his pedagogical teaching method and had a bright and cheerful mind. He became a positive counterweight to Reventlow and allowed the boy to explore the world around him in his own pace. When the prince was absent or fell into heavy thought, he put his books aside and started regular conversations on topics that might interesting the boy or walking a long trip in the park with him.

Sadly, Reverdil’s positive education model was drowned out by Reventlow’s authoritarian education model and reduced the future King Christian VI to a spiteful and malice person using his time in commit adultery, drinking and orgy with a broken mind. As a consequence of his upbringing and the very nature of absolutism, the Kingdom of Denmark saw two dark yet peaceful decades with coup upon coup.

When Christian VII inherited the throne, the conservative faction in the new administration managed to take control and put down many progressively reforms as his father had begun. Soon the administration was overthrown by Doctor Johann Friedrich Struensee with his revolutionary reforms. Without supports in the court and military, the dictator was overthrown by Frederik V’s second wife and her son with their reactionary reforms and rolled all reforms back to the status que. Lastly the administration was usurped by Christian VIII’s son Frederik VI and his radical administration. He managed to push through many reforms such as military, agriculture and abolition of slavery but then it was too late.

The Napoleon Wars was already over their head and the British fleet had lay siege to Copenhagen. Denmark came out of the war as a broken and backward country.

What if king Frederik V didn’t appoint Ditlev Reventlow as the young prince’s tutor and he had François Reverdil from the beginning? A mentor who truly saw the best in the boy and not turning the future king into another marionet to be pushing around but to an enlightenment monarch? In this timeline, Ditlev Reventlow somehow fell in disfavour with king Frederik V and didn’t returned to the court but stayed as Danish ambassador in Paris.

Without a present of the crude Reventlov and his idea of upbringing in Christian VII’s small court of tutors, the young prince gotten a well-rounded education and allowed to explore the world in his own pace. Many of his good traits drowned out the bad ones. In the end, Denmark got a king with a shrewd mind, very social friendly and an empathic person. His tutor had of course noted the prince’s frail mind and recommend him a hobby where he can focus on it as a break from the life of the court. While it normally would have been frowned upon, the court allowed Christian to pursue art and expressed his madness on the painting.

Thanks to Reventlov’s commoner background, the prince had gotten an insight in the life outside the court and turned himself into an energetic supporter for his subjects’ well-being, in particularly the agricultural reforms. As a few in the court, he could speak and understand Danish – the common tongue. The crown prince may be mad, but he was loved by the commoners.

After a long period of infirmity, King Frederik V passed away the 14 January 1766 only 42-year-old. Later the same day, Christian was proclaimed king from the balcony of Christiansborg palace weeks before his seventeen birthday. Despite the horror of having to take over the royal profession with the many representative duties so early, he had an enough self-confidence to learn the art of rule a kingdom.

The new king sat upon the throne just a few year after the end of the Seven years’ War where Great Britain found itself as a one of world’s predominant power, France lost her supremacy in Europe and the 13th Colonies in America protested over the increasing taxes while the Prussia had expanding.

[Note1] Today we know the importance of an good education, especially if you have disabilities which required a special education that addresses their individual differences and needs. Of course it does not exist such a education in 18th century and the modern education system was just starting to surfacing back then.

This is what I am questing here. How would Denmark-Norway be if the mad king had a education suited to his need.

[Note2] This is my first timeline and I would much like to receive feedback from the AH community. My first question: how would the economic development of Denmark have looking if they had the Freeport of Copenhagen back in 1770s?

 

[Atterdag]

Interesting premise, always interested in a good Scandinavian TL.

 

[Some Bloke]

Seconded.

 

[Jürgen]

General thoughts Christian VII have been suspected to suffer from a youth depression, his later behavior was likely a result of him self medicate with alcohol and that ended up developing into a alcohol psychosis. Walk outside or sitting outside and drawing in the sunshine would likely have been the best cure at the time.

as for the free port, it wouldn’t necessary make a lot of change to the Danish economy. Denmark had monopoly on the access to the Baltic at the time. Free ports purpose is to outcompete competitors. But that doesn’t mean there couldn’t be benefits, it could be a way around the sound dues, you sail to Free Port Copenhagen from Danzig, Riga or Stockholm, sell to a Danish traders who sail it to western Europe. It mean some loss to the Danish treasury, but it makes Copenhagen a more important port, make Danish merchants richer, increase the size of the Danish merchant marine.

I expect that for the Danish treasury it will likely be at best a minor gain in the short term, but it will mean a richer and bigger Copenhagen, which likely mean increase in domestic manufacturing and greater private investment. This could very well end up strengthening the economic boom which hit around 1780. If the port lies outside Copenhagen, we could also see a earlier expansion outside, likely with new fortification being build.

I think @Bastiram have some good ideas where the port could lies.

 

[Zillian]

General thoughts Christian VII have been suspected to suffer from a youth depression, his later behavior was likely a result of him self medicate with alcohol and that ended up developing into a alcohol psychosis. Walk outside or sitting outside and drawing in the sunshine would likely have been the best cure at the time.

This are many theories what Christian VII had suffered from but in this timeline, I chose to let him have a form of mental illness but had proved to be sane enough to rule the country thank to the education which was suited for his needs.

 

[Zillian]

Chapter 2: Privy Council of 1766

Prime Minister Johann Hartwig Ernst Von Bernstorff, painted in 1759 by Louis Tocqué

The newly crowned king Christian VII inherited a realm with a finances in disintegration, an expensive court only surpassing by the court of Versailles in France and a strong army while the government debt was growing. His first task was to draw up a new political program for his reign and many of his father’s ministers stayed in the Privy Council. The old guards were Johann Bernstorff and Minister of Agriculture Adam Moltke. Despite his mental illness, the king managed to stand against the landowners, administration and military who struggle to gain power over the king. Christian was fully aware of situations and had a sharp and clear approach to the problems within his realm.

Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff was an extremely talented diplomat and was appointed as Prime Minister in in 1751 by the former King Frederik V. He had worked tireless to secure Denmark’s neutrality with a desire to keep Denmark out of both the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Year’s war by two main goals: to achieve a solution to the Gothenburg question and prevent the reintroduction of Swedish monopoly in the Baltic Sea, thereby preventing Swedish aggression. These goals were sought to be realised by forming alliances. Thus, in 1765, Denmark charged from a French alliance to a Russian one. To achieve these goals, Bernstorff was also prepared to intervene in other countries' internal affairs and on several occasions where it was deemed appropriate to start a war on their own.

Adam Gootlob Moltke was one of the largest landowners in Denmark and did much service to agriculture during the reign of Frederik V, by lightening the burdens of the countrymen and introducing technical and scientific improvements which greatly increased production. However, he was extremely unpopulated among his minister colleague, suspected of enriching himself at the public expense, but he managed to convince the new king that he was wrongly accused. Lucky the king supported his agriculture reforms and allowed him to stay in the Privy Council on the recommendation of his swiss tutor.

Another reformer was the field-marshal Claude-Louis de Saint-Germain. He was appointed by Frederik V as Minister of War to reorganise the Danish army under huge protest from the landowners, but his reforms were halfway done when King Frederik V died. The landowners attempted to pressure the new king to replace Claude with Carl of Hessen – a opponent to the military reforms, believed they can just push the weak-minded king around, but this backfired and resulting into one of the king’s famous eruption of madness. “I AM THE KING!” he yelled, and stubbornly kept Claude as his minister of war.

The businessman and banker Heinrich Carl von Schimmelmann were appointed as the new Minister of Finance to deal with the large external debt and bad economy. He was the richest men in the Nordic countries and the biggest owner of the plantation in Danish West Indies and was tasked with bringing the economy in balance. Despite his own trade empire, he had the country’s best interest in his heart and developing a close relationship with the court and the king himself.

The most unpopulated decision was however the apportion of his tutor Francois Reverdil to the new position of Minister of Science. The landowners, ministers and rest of the court dislike Reverdil’s ideas, believed to be injurious to the Danish state but Reverdil convinced them to let him stay. He pointed out the Privy Council could better handle the king’s madness if Reverdil was in the council to keep the king in check as well and the king trusted him fully. Eventual the remaining ministers grumpily accepted the king’s decision – after all Reverdal had accomplish a miracle and birthing a mostly sane king.

The final minister to sit on the Privy Council, was his royal dog Gourmand appointed as an honourable member of the council

The ministers prayed the king didn’t dismiss and hire ministers as he change clothes or interference in their ministerial business, but lucky Christian just leave the ruling of Denmark over to the Privy Council and focused on his hobbies on the recommendation of Reverdil. Based on the kings wishes, the new program was finally outlined. His father’s agricultural and military reforms would be completed according to the plan and the economy would be looked at.


[Note1] Moltke was dismissed by Christian VII in OTL because he disliked the minister and reference his lanky figure as “stork below and fox above” and was easily pushed by the Privy Council to dismiss the minister due to his poor popularity at that time. Claude-Louis did also become a victim to court intrigues, professional jealousy and hostile criticism. Loses of the two figures had in my option hurt Denmark heavily. Later J.H.E. Bernstorff and Otto Thott was dismissed by Struensee when the dictator toke over the administration in a coup and Schimmelmann was later forced out. This did also hurt the foreign relations and Danish trade while the Agriculture and military was set back for decades

 

[chateauroux]

Love the sound of this. Please keep it coming!

 

[Bastiram]

My first question: how would the economic development of Denmark have looking if they had the Freeport of Copenhagen back in 1770s?

Well it will result in a bigger Copenhagen. How you exactly do this is of course still not been told yet. But one of the reason that the Sound Dues were lifted OTL is because of A) It became increasingly clear that the merchants of Copenhagen/Denmark suffered due to it (it limited trade) B) the major powers also increasingly became less tolorant of the sound dues.

Arguably the effect on the merchants of Copenhagen is already happening, so removing the sound dues early will probably help in this regard. Even Denmark is not aware of this effect.

as for the free port, it wouldn’t necessary make a lot of change to the Danish economy. Denmark had monopoly on the access to the Baltic at the time. Free ports purpose is to outcompete competitors. But that doesn’t mean there couldn’t be benefits, it could be a way around the sound dues, you sail to Free Port Copenhagen from Danzig, Riga or Stockholm, sell to a Danish traders who sail it to western Europe. It mean some loss to the Danish treasury, but it makes Copenhagen a more important port, make Danish merchants richer, increase the size of the Danish merchant marine.

I like this.

So before WW1 or Second Schleswig War, Copenhagen had a large German population. If the Freeport is set up like you mentioned. I think it would be fair to assume that the population of Dutch and English people in Copenhagen will raise significant to facilitate this change of goods. Maybe even enough to get proper "Foreign quaters" in the city?

I think having the sound dues till the 1850 makes sense, and using this concept to circumvent it.

I expect that for the Danish treasury it will likely be at best a minor gain in the short term, but it will mean a richer and bigger Copenhagen, which likely mean increase in domestic manufacturing and greater private investment. This could very well end up strengthening the economic boom which hit around 1780. If the port lies outside Copenhagen, we could also see a earlier expansion outside, likely with new fortification being build.

I think @Bastiram have some good ideas where the port could lies.

While it could be fun to say Altona I really think Copenhagen is the ideal place for such a place. unlikely to be where it OTL happened due to technologies. reclaiming parts of the sea might be an option ala a New New Harbour

Definitely think they would build new fortification it is a part of the time IMO.

Money wise I also agree, it will not be a great moneymaker immediately but significant (good) consequences later on.

likely this should happen after the economic boom where the king's position is more secure. Remember Denmark is arguably the most absolute monarchy at the time in Europe, as long as his advisers are not in open rebellion he should be able to make rather radical changes.

I find the premise interesting, but to be fair, I am more exited how it is going to affect foreign policy than the development of Copenhagen

 

[Jürgen]

Money wise I also agree, it will not be a great moneymaker immediately but significant (good) consequences later on.

likely this should happen after the economic boom where the king's position is more secure. Remember Denmark is arguably the most absolute monarchy at the time in Europe, as long as his advisers are not in open rebellion he should be able to make rather radical changes.

I find the premise interesting, but to be fair, I am more exited how it is going to affect foreign policy than the development of Copenhagen

I think we should underestimate the economical and demographic effect of a bigger Copenhagen and a earlier Landborereform (land reform) would have on the Danish state and its foreign policy. A booming Copenhagen would demand a greater need for manufactured goods and a massive increase in capital to invest in it. Denmark-Norway was at this point one of the biggest "custom unions" in Europe with relative few internal barriers for domestic trade. By creating a domestic need for goods, it could drive a manufacturing boom.

What's more the Landborereform created a large rural middle class (250.000 in Denmark proper) who was both consumer for manufactured products and later producers. So this only push the same way. At the same time the Landborereform also resulted in earlier marriage (because people's future prospect became clear earlier), this lead to a large population boom following the reforms, so while the population had only grown 12% in the 80 years before the reforms it doubled in the 80 years after (http://www.populstat.info/). This creates a large poor rural proletariat, which suddenly have a physical mobility, they had lacked beforehand. This means cheap workers to manufacturing. In other countries the result of this was a beginning industrialization. Denmark of course lack coal, so early industrialization in Denmark mostly means wind and water mills. But as this hit while Denmark still have Norway and not in the middle of a large war, this could mean that Norway became center of Danish heavier industry, as they have access to raw material (iron, timber and copper), fuel (timber) and are excellent for water power. The Viken/Oslofjord region would be excellent for this, as the bread basket of Norway, large coastline with lot of rivers, and close in travel time to Copenhagen. We could a influx of poor Danish and Norwegian workers to the region. The primary reason this didn't happen in OTL was Napoleonic War and the loss of access to Danish and Holsteinian capital and little reason for the Swedes to invest in Norway, as Sweden had the same geographic benefit only moreso. For Norway this would also mean that urban areas could suck up surplus population.

What's more the Landborereform was never fully implemented in Holstein a somewhat more stubborn king, could very well push harder to implement them there. This would weaken the Holsteinian nobility, strengthen royal support among the peasantry and ion general create a even larger group of middle class consumers. Of course this depend on whether @Zillian still keep the Gottorp-Oldenburg trade with Russia.

A earlier population boom and greater capital, would likely also push for earlier start of the "terraforming" of the heath and moors of Jutland, and we could also the heath and moors of coastal area of Vestlandet in Norway also be made into farmland and forest plantages.

All in all this would radical change Danish foreign policy a few decades down the road, when we a generation after the land reform have a younger Danish population, meaning more conscripts which create a excellent synergy with the Saint Germain's proposed military reforms. Which means a both richer and military stronger Denmark which moving into 1790ties and the trouble arriving there. Of course a larger younger and a larger urban population could also spell trouble with the rise in cereal prices in the late 1780ties (the likely cause of the French Revolution and all the other smaller revolts we saw in these years), of course at the same time the land reform would result in a increased agricultural production and as the crisis would result in a Danish state with more money in these years.

 

[Zillian]

This is what I have in mind. A more sane Christian VII and without the Struensee coup would led to an richer and military stronger Denmark who not only could surviving the Napoleon Wars but also become one great power ever without Sweden-Finland. Speaking of the rival country - as a consequence of a stronger Denmark-Norway, Sweden will ironically also keeping Finland.

This was yours, @Jürgen, thread a union undivided or survival of the kingdom of Denmark-Norway that inspired me to write this timeline

I find the premise interesting, but to be fair, I am more exited how it is going to affect foreign policy than the development of Copenhagen

I will come to the foreign policy in a few chapter
But we are still in 1760s which didn't happen much in Danish foreign policy and are much like in OTL. Butterfly would start to flapping its wing in 1770s when J.H.E. Bernstorff still sit in the Administration as Struensee didn't come in power. Until then, the next few chapters would be the internal development of Denmark and Norway to set the stage

 

[Jürgen]

This is what I have in mind. A more sane Christian VII and without the Struensee coup would led to an richer and military stronger Denmark who not only could surviving the Napoleon Wars but also become one great power ever without Sweden-Finland. Speaking of the rival country - as a consequence of a stronger Denmark-Norway, Sweden will ironically also keeping Finland.

Yes I could see Denmark-Norway stay a major European actor, and a earlier population boom would help that a lot on the way.

This was yours, @Jürgen, thread a union undivided or survival of the kingdom of Denmark-Norway that inspired me to write this timeline

I’m happy it could serve as inspiration, through I would say your POD are much greater for it, as it create fundament for the capital necessary to invest into Norwegian industry, when hydro power becomes possible. electrical hydro power only happened relative later, but Denmark was a pioneer on electricity in the early 19th century, and there’s no reason that hydropower couldn’t have been implemented almost a 30-40 years earlier. The technology are relative simple.

I will come to the foreign policy in a few chapter
But we are still in 1760s which didn't happen much in Danish foreign policy and are much like in OTL. Butterfly would start to flapping its wing in 1770s when J.H.E. Bernstorff still sit in the Administration as Struensee didn't come in power. Until then, the next few chapters would be the internal development of Denmark and Norway to set the stage

I would say the big is issues in European politics between the 7YW and the French Revolution, are the 1st Polish Partition, the American Revolution, the Bavarian Succession War and the Time of the Patriots in Netherlands.

The 1st Polish Partition, Denmark are unlikely to react differently, some better diplomacy could use this opportunity to get a better deal over the Gottorp-Oldenburg trade, the American Revolution/4th Anglo-Dutch War in OTL Denmark used it as opportunity to destroy the African tribes allied to the Dutch on the Gold Coast (as Denmark and Netherlands had a proxy war going there), not really a reason to change a lot there, it would be stupid to be the British allies and nothing are gained by going to war with them either. In the Bavarian Succession War, Denmark could potential ally with the Austrians (not the brightest idea, and I have a hard time seeing what Denmark could gain, but it’s a better idea than allying with Prussia).

The Time of the Patriots and the Prussian Invasion of the Netherlands likely offer the best opportunity for Denmark for a opportunistic low risk foreign intervention, where the Denmark could intervene and then take some Dutch property elsewhere. The Prussians was careful not to cause a international incident with their invasion, so they took nothing. But Denmark as junior partner could get away with more.

 

[Zillian]

Chapter 3: Family Schimmelmann

Heinrich Carl von Schimmelmann with his servant of African descent, painting in 1773 by Lorenz Lönberg

Heinrich Carl von Schimmelmann was a son of a merchant and city councillor in Demmin, Swedish Pommerania and had earned his wealth through the Triangular trade. He owned a share of forts in in Danish Gold Coast, where slavers, ivory and spices were shipping to their own plantations in Danish West Indies. From the isles in Caribbean, they exported tobacco, sugar and cotton to Denmark to their own sugar refinery in Copenhagen and family estates in Ahrensburg Castle, Holsten and Lindeborg Castle, Jutland. They also owned a weapon factory in northern Zealand producing weapons and from their estates, they produce grain, schnapps and clothes and in the refinery, they produced rum. Alcohol, weapons and cloths were sold to the African tribes. This was the very model of the Danish trade in 18th century.

As the head of family, Henrich Carl, had other duties as the Danish minister of Finance, and of this reason he sent his nephew Heinrich Ludwig to his plantations in Caribbean as his administrator in 1768.

Having been rose up in sheltered environment in the family estate, arriving in West Indies had been a chock for the nephew. Upon arrival he witnessed an African slave hung alive by the ribs in a gallows and the correct general governor of the Danish West indies and other plantation owners was brutal to the poor Africans.

Slave rebellion was an ever-present threat to the plantations for a huge expense to the family’s treasure with harsh penalties for petty misconduct. A slave who had fleeing had his feet cut off and a slave who encouraged others to escape was pinched with glowing iron and then executed. It was said Denmark had the most barbaric laws in whole Caribbean.

It made Heinrich Ludwig sick in his stomach and his uncle’s plantations had one thousands of those poor souls. He put a stop for this barbaric penalties in his uncle’s plantations and tried to improve the conditions of his own slaves. What make it worse was the slave labour was much more expansive than the few hirelings he could find on the isles.

He wrote a report, where he told his uncle the slavery in their plantations and the slave trade was inhuman and led to deficits. He stated in the report that after he gave their slaves better treatment, the plantations had resulting in an increasing in production and a fewer substantially losses in slave population each year. He recommended his uncle to end the slave trade.

Back home in Denmark, the Minister of Finance Henrich Carl looked over the sorry state of Danish economy. Denmark was an agrarian country with no natural resources and the little industry that existed was mostly catering to the military but the most important resources for the little country was its coastlines. Denmark had a logistic advantage through its long coastline and no matter where one was, he would be nowhere more than 50 kilometres from the sea. Consequently, the foreign trade was most important for the economic development of Denmark.

Henrich Carl knew that and with no natural resources of its own besides agricultural production and fishery, the development of foreign trade was ever more important, and he sought after a trade surplus and to this purpose, he suggested the King Christian VII to create a free-trade zone in Copenhagen to consolidate the capital’s position as the most important maritime hub in Northern Europe. Not to forget a freeport in Copenhagen would be a way around the Sound dues which was benefited for his own pocket and other Danish merchants.

Looking over his nephews report, he agreed the inhumane slave trade need to be stopped nor was the King Christian VII amused over the rapport, demanded to end the slavery. He needed to discuss it with his merchant colleagues in the next meeting at the West India Company Headquarter.

A overview over Schimmelmann's trade empire

[Note1] The groundwork of the abolitionism movement in Denmark was in fact started by Henrich Carl and his nephew Henrich Ludwig but the movement was interrupted when Struensee came to power and the slavery was first ended when Henrich Carl’s son Ernst became Minister of Finance in 1792. If the dictator didn’t come to power, then Denmark would have ended the slavery decades earlier.

[Note2]Henrich Carl did come up with such an idea to creating a freeport but then the project never came to be when Struensee (surprise!) came to power. Copenhagen gotten its freeport first in 1890s.

 

[thekingsguard]

I'm always game for a Denmark-wank, and Denmark-Norway needs some love.

 

[Jürgen]

Looking good and yes I agree with you that Struensee was one long disaster and resulted in Denmark wasting a entire generation on both his stupidity and the reactionary and nationalist backlash to him. One aspect to his rule, the backlash result in that the new government restricted new ministers to people born as Danish citizens. This I personally see as a net negative for the time, as it meant that Denmark no longer recruited among the elite of North Germany, which meant that they began to look elsewhere, so it weakened Danish foreign policy.

 

[Zillian]

Chapter 4: Landowner and Peasantry

Count Adam Gottlob Moltke, one of pioneer in the Danish Land reforms.

By the middle of 17th country, Denmark was the 6th richest country in the world despite only have 1,8 million population and over 85% of those living in village communities and only five 5% of the rural population were freemen. The landowners owned 90% of the land in the country and however only number in 300.

Unfortunately, the country was hit by a period of period of serve agricultural crisis with declining in crop prices in 1730s and cattle plague in 1740s as well the migration from countryside to cities increased the problem of populating the farms. Attempt to sell Danish grain in Norway failed because of its low quality compare to grain from the Baltic.

In an attempt to obtain cheap labour, the landowners introduced adscription in 1733 in an hope to increase production. The adscription tied peasants to their place of birth and required them to rent farms on the estate and those who refused were subject to six years of military service.

Stavnsbånd, as it was called, proved to be counterproductive, since the peasants had no motivation to perform anything more than the absolute minimum of work and at the same time, the landowner had exploited the peasants to a point where they could not pay taxes and streamline their own taxes. On the other hand, the landowners complained about the peasant’s rebellion. Furthermore the village communities also proved to be ineffective and unproductive.

The village communities in Denmark was a partially autonomous community with the farms operating as an open-fled system based on a three-field corn rotation with each serf owning several strips scattered all over the fields. This was deeply inefficient with an increasing travel time for the serfs.

The Landowner Count Adam Gottlob Moltke had realised it was impossible for the peasants to cultivate more land as the serfdom and maintenance of the farms was so extensive that had reached a production level. The peasant needed more air and he believed their social position should be raised and the village community should be abandoned. As a landowner, he was the first in Denmark to implementing the Holsten farming method in place of the obsolete three-field corn rotation in 1761 and the result was an increasing of the peasants harvest in those estate with the new method.

When King Christian VII came to power, landowner Moltke’s career in the Danish administration had almost been ended if not the young king had put his foot down. With the king’s support, Count could look over the Danish agriculture without further interference from his minister colleagues in the Privy Council.

Of this reason, Count Moltke decided to reform the agriculture to increasing production and improving the conditions of the Danish peasantry. He argued an improving agriculture production would also mean a larger population resulting in more taxes and possibility of a bigger navy and army. Lucky the demands on agricultural products rose once again in 1750s, making it possible for him to push through the reforms.

He allied himself with Andreas Peter Bernstorff, nephew to J.H.E. Bernstorff, who had been travelling aboard for some years in Italy, France, England and Holland to prepare himself for a career in the Danish Administration. A.P. Bernstorff had visited certain part of England who used some excellent farming technique as well some improved farming tools from China in Holland. He brought both those ideas and the tool back home to Denmark.

A.P. Bernstorff eagerly showed of the new tools he bought in Holland to his uncle. The farming tool was a plough from China and had the advantage of being able to be pulled by one or two oxen compared to the six or eight needed by the heavily wheeled Northern European plough. The Dutch-improved Chinese plough proved to be extremely successful on the Danish soil.

On the advising of Count Moltke, King Christian VII set up an agricultural commission in 1769 and invited both the peasantry and the landowners to debate about this situation. Such an initiative was desired by the Danish people.

A typical Danish farming village community.

The village communities in Denmark was a partially autonomous community with the farms operating as an open-fled system shared by all farmers in a public ownership. The open-field system was a common medieval system of farming where each village have a cultivated land divided into three fields with three-year corn rotation. One field would have barley, another rye and the third common land.

Each peasant within the village have a portion of each field. As the field was quite large, each fields were divided into farms and then into smaller strips. The strips were cultivated by small peasant families and when the family father dies, each strips would be divided between his sons.

Such a farming community did also exist in Norway, but they was owned by freemen, not by serfs.

All the marked strips in the above map constituted the land that belonging to the farmhouse number seven.

 

[Zillian]

Looking good and yes I agree with you that Struensee was one long disaster and resulted in Denmark wasting a entire generation on both his stupidity and the reactionary and nationalist backlash to him. One aspect to his rule, the backlash result in that the new government restricted new ministers to people born as Danish citizens. This I personally see as a net negative for the time, as it meant that Denmark no longer recruited among the elite of North Germany, which meant that they began to look elsewhere, so it weakened Danish foreign policy.

Thank.
Indeed - each time I read about Struensee, less I liked the guy

 

[Atterdag]

Just remembered a thing; will Helmut von Moltke still join Prussia in this TL or will he remain with the danish army?

 

[Zillian]

Just remembered a thing; will Helmut von Moltke still join Prussia in this TL or will he remain with the danish army?

Good question
I do not think Helmut von Moltke would ever been born due to butterflies.

Helmut's father was born in Bezirk Wandsbek, Hamburg just two year after Christian VII became a king. He serving in the Prussian military and marring to a daughter (born in 1776) of a Prussian
statesman.

In this timeline, both agriculture reforms and military reforms would be implemented one generation earlier leading to Helmut's father chose to stay within Holstein, become an officer of the Danish army and marrying to a daughter of a Danish statesman. If Helmut ever being born despite have a difference mother, then he would rather stay within the Danish army in a land where his cousins had powerful positions

 

[Zillian]

I have made a small retconning in chapter 2

Otto Thott was removed from the text and J.H.E Bernstorff was updated to Prime Minister as the former was unimportant in the Christian VII's privy council and the latter was both a prime minister and a foreign minister.
Carl of Hessen being a stadtholder of Norway from 1766 was also a error and was in fact a stadtholder of Schleswig-Holstein

Hope you don't mind.

The next chapter would be about the royal couple and their voyage aboard and it includes a hit of foreign politics and the first appearance of a butterfly and release later today or maybe tomorrow

 

[Bastiram]

Are we going to see the same marriage? Considering what is coming in the next few decades, if butterflies does not take it away. the ascension of an English Princes as Queen. Which likely won't be scorned, could be a big deal

Also wouldher early death be butterflied ?