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

[Zillian]

Chapter 10: Privy Council of 1772

Prime Minister Andreas Peter Bernstorff, painting in 1790 by Jens Juel

With the passing of J.H.E. Bernstorff, the prime minister post was taken over his nephew Andreas Peter Bernstorff who helped to drafting the treaty of Vienna 1772 concerning the partition of Poland and the Gottorp Question. Solving both the Gottorp Question and forming an anti-Swedish alliance with Russia had been proved successful for the Danish foreign affairs and King Christian VII saw himself as an enlightened monarch having implemented three radicals reforms in his early years of reign – ban on slave trade, land reform and military reform – but not many was happy.

Many landowner was unhappy with the land reforms and wrote a letter of complaint to King Christian VII, but their mouth was shut down when the money began to overturn them, and their farms increased in value once the market forces of the free peasantry kept running the agricultural economy instead of the serfdom. In Holstein, the peasants happily implanting the land reform in the duchy as well leading to an increasing in royal support and weakening of the Knighthood’s control over the peasantry.

The Knighthood of Schleswig-Holstein streamed bloody murder over the centralisation of the duchies, the introducing land reform in Holstein and the weakening of their powers over the duchies, claimed it to be against the spirit of Treaty of Ribe signed back in 1460. King Christian VII refuse to give in and with the Treaty of Vienna the knighthood had no option to complain to the Roman-German emperor. The treaty was basically a repeat of the coup of 1660 where King Frederik III usurped power from the aristocracy and implemented absolutism in Denmark-Norway. Besides King Christian VII will not risk a repeat of the Gottorp Question where a greater power such as Russia usurping control over the duchies. Instead he summoned the Knighthood to a diet in Kiel to discuss the new order in the duchies.

In the Danish West Indies, the plantation owners showed their displeasure in the ban on the slave trade at another route. As slavery itself was not banned, the plantation owners started to buy up female Africans to secure a self-supporting class of slaves. During the next ten years, the Danish slave trade ironically flourished. In an attempt to counter this blossoming slave trade, King Christian VII encourage the poorer population of Denmark-Norway to immigrating to the Danish West Indies.

With the increasing in wealth for the Landowner and the growing free peasantry, the proletariats stood behind as the biggest loser of the land reform and now lived at a minimum with poor conditions and no privileges. The result of this new order of society was a three-tier class system with the aristocracy in top, peasantry in middle and the proletariat in bottom. Instead trying to survive the poor conditions at the farms and villages, the proletariats seek against cities, joining the army or immigrating to the Danish West Indies.

Everything what king Christian VII had built in his early years of rulership was treated by a dark cloud in horizon. The natural enemy of Denmark-Norway had crowned a new king in 12 February 1771 and just next year on 19 Augustus 1772, King Gustav III of Sweden had made a coup against the Swedish Diet, Riksdag of the Estates, and introduced absolutism in Sweden with a policy of expansion target against both Denmark-Norway and Russia. As being from the House of Holstein-Gottorp, he refused to acknowledge the Treaty of Vienna and considered Duchy of Holstein as rightfully his. Furthermore he desired to separate Norway from Denmark and put it under his own crown. Of this reason, Denmark-Norway had bound itself to Russia as a lesser partner in an anti-Swedish alliance to combat Gustavv III’s policy of expansion.

Despite the Swedish fleet and army were smaller than the Danish-Norwegian ones, the rising tension between the two eternal rivals leads to both King Christian VII, Prime Minister Bernstorff and Minister of War Saint-Germain wanted to expand the Danish military to secure the realm. The stadtsholder post in Norway was abolished and Carl of Hessen was inset as Commander-in-chief in Norway with the Norwegian army consisted by 5 infantry regiment and 1 artillery battalion tasking in defending the border against Sweden. The Danish army with its 14 infantry regiments, 12 cavalry regiments and 2 artillery battalion were tasking with defending the southern land border and refuse an attack on Zealand and Copenhagen. The Danish-Norwegian fleet was the largest fleet in the Baltic Sea and the fifth in Europe consisted by 40 Ship of the line, 20 frigates and a numbers of gunboats. Its main task was to maintain domination in Øresund against Swedish attempt in a sea invasion against Zealand and an attack on Copenhagen as well secure the maritime connection between Denmark and Norway and protecting its colonies and merchantmen.

In German, across the Sounds, the Prussian’s king Frederick the Great showed off his muscles and with the partition of Poland, the kingdom had become a great power and he change his title from King in Prussia to King of Prussia to show off his new status. For now, the kingdom was also in an alliance with Russia and thus friendly against Denmark and Prussia had a focus in contain the Habsburg Monarch and its policy of expansion in central Europe, but it would not stay that way forever. Soon or later, Prussia would maybe seek to dominate the Holy Roman Empire and uniting German under it. Denmark may be secured against a naval invasion, but whole of the Jutland peninsular down to Elbe was deeply exposed for a land invasion so of this reason, Minister of War Saint-Germain seek to updating the Danevirke fortification to modern standard and create a new line of fortification between Hamburg and Lübeck.

Over in France, across Europe, the kingdom had a close relationship with Danish arch-rival Sweden and would support the Swedish kingdom in an eventual conflict between Denmark-Norway and Sweden as well seeking a revenge on its own arch-rival across the English Channel after its loses in the seven-years’ war. Therefor Prime Minister Bernstorff also saw France as a hostile power. Having Europa’s second biggest fleet and an alliance in Spain and Holland each respective controlling third and fourth biggest fleet of Europe. Of this reason, France and hers alliance was a dangerous threat for the Danish dominance in the seas.

The islands across the North Sea was home to an empire with a mighty fleet greater than French and Spanish fleet put together and a powerful mercantilist economy, Great Britain was a great power to behold and Denmark-Norway had an advantageous trade relationship with the kingdom. Great Britain and France were clearly rearming themselves for a war and a tension between the kingdom and her North American colonies was at a boiling point. Of this reason, Prime Minister Bernstorff wanted to secure a much closer relationship with the kingdom and persevere the Danish-Norwegian colonial- and trade empire. He claimed the British empire was Denmark-Norway’s natural friend.

Soon the North American powder keg exploded, and it not only upset the balance between the colonial powers but also put Denmark-Norway into an economical golden age.

 

[arctic warrior]

I could not find the Dansk Krigshistorie besides library. Do you where I can buy those and the udenrigspolitiks historie? And maybe also in the Danish Naval history?
Library are all good and useful but I need to delivered them after one month and I wanted to own them as reference book

I don't think they're available in a bookstore any longer. Think they went out of print by 2010 - at least off the shelves of bookstores. I have vol. 1, 2 and 4 as surplus (Christmas Presents in duplo! Dansk Udenrigspolitiks Historie)
Try Saxo.com or some other antiquarian.

 

[arctic warrior]

Sending off the Proletariat to replace the Black Slaves in the West Indies isn't a good idea as such. They'll die in droves due to tropical diseases. Not being advocating slavery merely that the Danes won't know but learn the hard way - as should happen if such a policy is decided upon!

The land border - well I is my belief that Denmark since more or less the Bronzeage have been maintaining a security zone in Northern Germany!
If you look at our history that have traditionally been an area of interest. The Slavs/Wends - Pommern - Lüneburg - Bremen/Verden - Lübeck - Mecklenburg - even Prussia (Christian 4).
That would only be the natural area of interest for Denmark-Norway to if not secure then build a trip-wire should the Swedes begin building up the Army in Pommern and Wismar. The way to get it there is across the Baltic so the place for the Frigates to scout with a battlefleet in backup when it comes thus far.

Denmark in a Golden Age during war in the Americas - depends very much our course of action as mentioned earlier. Which power do we want to please? As OTL more Navy ships will be needed in the Caribbean. And theres going to be some skirmishing with the Dutch on the Gold Coast. The Navy isn't just there to deter the Baltic Powers but also protect the Colonies spread worldwide and convoy merchantmen!
Oh and the Austrians tried their hand in Indian waters by occupying the Nicobars during 1778.

 

[Zillian]

As @arctic warrior had pointed it out, I had interpret my sources wrongly so I had editing Chapter 10 to it clearly stands Denmark had increasing its warships supported with materials from Russia.

Also I have a question here:
Is that an option for Denmark to buy both the British and Spanish Virgin Islands? Also Wikipedia stated that the two Spanish Virgin islands were not colonised by Spain but merely claimed them and first created settlements on them in mid-19th century.

 

[Jürgen]

As @arctic warrior had pointed it out, I had interpret my sources wrongly so I had editing Chapter 10 to it clearly stands Denmark had increasing its warships supported with materials from Russia.

Also I have a question here:
Is that an option for Denmark to buy both the British and Spanish Virgin Islands? Also Wikipedia stated that the two Spanish Virgin islands were not colonised by Spain but merely claimed them and first created settlements on them in mid-19th century.

The British Virgin Island was strategic important for UK as the access to the Caribbean, there's little reason for them to give it up. Next there's little reason for Denmark to buy it, the Danish West Indies lost most of their value with the ban on the slave trade. Banning the slave trade fuindamental meant that slaves couldn't be worked to the death anymore (at least not as fast), this was a productivity loss, which meant a significant fall in income from the island. Fundamental Denmark are better off going after another pierce of real estate than those island. It was why Denmark in OTL set up plantages on the Gold Coast instead, which early in was a pretty significant failure, but a success long term, but Denmark never reallyt saw the success, as the Gold Coast was cut offunder the Napoleonic Wars, local wars lay them in ruins and the plantages had to be rebuild, only to for drought to hit them, before the colony was sold and afterward it became a economic success.

https://www.duda.dk/download/pdf/guldkysten-og-danmark-indtil-1850.pdf

Here with a early abolishment of the slave trade these experiments begins earlier, and we likely see greater Danish expansion on the Gold Coast, and gaining control over the hinterland by using the Danish biracial population in the colony.

 

[AnonymousSauce]

Here with a early abolishment of the slave trade these experiments begins earlier, and we likely see greater Danish expansion on the Gold Coast, and gaining control over the hinterland by using the Danish biracial population in the colony.

Is there any other place where Denmark could realistically set up another settler colony in this era?

 

[Jürgen]

Is there any other place where Denmark could realistically set up another settler colony in this era?

Denmark could set up colonies everywhere, where there wasn’t state like structures to stop them (Australia, New Zealand, Namibia, Oregon as examples) or where the local or other colonial power couldn’t stop them. But the main problem is why should Denmark set colonies up these places? A colony is a investment there should be a reason to create it.

I would say one single place Where I could find the best argument for Denmark to colonize would be Perth in Australia, for the same reason Denmark tried to colonize the Nicobar Islands. But it demand that the Danish government knows of the place and have a idea how and why they would use it.

 

[AnonymousSauce]

Denmark could set up colonies everywhere, where there wasn’t state like structures to stop them (Australia, New Zealand, Namibia, Oregon as examples) or where the local or other colonial power couldn’t stop them. But the main problem is why should Denmark set colonies up these places? A colony is a investment there should be a reason to create it.

I would say one single place Where I could find the best argument for Denmark to colonize would be Perth in Australia, for the same reason Denmark tried to colonize the Nicobar Islands. But it demand that the Danish government knows of the place and have a idea how and why they would use it.

A place to dump the proletariat so they're not dying of tropical diseases in the Virgin Islands?

 

[Zillian]

A place to dump the proletariat so they're not dying of tropical diseases in the Virgin Islands?

As it is right now, Denmark-Norway don't have resources to expand their colonial empire besides a few more forts on gold coast, maybe the two Spanish virgin islands. I am also based my timeline on @arctic warrior timeline where the the Scandinavian empire had Virgin Islands, Ghana, Cameroon, Nicobars Islands, Northern half of New Guinea and some Pacific Ocean islands as its colonies.

In this timeline, I am planning to go along the same route exempt Denmark-Norway is more richer and have a bigger colonial empire neighbouring to a powerful kingdom of Sweden-Finland and a disunited German

 

[arctic warrior]

As it is right now, Denmark-Norway don't have resources to expand their colonial empire besides a few more forts on gold coast, maybe the two Spanish virgin islands. I am also based my timeline on @arctic warrior timeline where the the Scandinavian empire had Virgin Islands, Ghana, Cameroon, Nicobars Islands, Northern half of New Guinea and some Pacific Ocean islands as its colonies.

In this timeline, I am planning to go along the same route exempt Denmark-Norway is more richer and have a bigger colonial empire neighbouring to a powerful kingdom of Sweden-Finland and a disunited German

Wow - imitation! It happened..

 

[Zillian]

Chapter 11: Queen Caroline Matilde

Caroline Matilde in colonel uniform, painting in 1770 by Peder Als

As King George III of Great Britain tried to blow out the spark that threating the powder keg of North America despite being bounded by constitutional powers, his sister Caroline Matilde had an entire difference role as an absolute Queen of Denmark. The Danish administration had that option she was there to do hers duty and sire a new heir, especially after the dead of the Crown Prince Frederik, but she wanted something else entirely. She refused to be a passive Queen with the only task to shire heirs and strongly provoking the court and administration with her liberated spirit, dressing in the latest fashions and appeared in leather pants and men’s boot as well riding without woman saddle. Having been raised by her strict mother away from the English court, she was informal and uninterested in politics and court intrigues. Coming from a constitutional kingdom, Queen Caroline Matilde was used to pollical liberalism and an openness for political debate and the laws needed to be passed through the parliament of United Kingdom. In Denmark, hers words was the law.

Inspired by Rousseau’s method of child rearing, she simply takes over the care of her daughter Louise Augusta and refused to hand over her daughter to the nannies. To great happiness for the Royal Couple, a son was born on 28 May 1773 and King Christian VII declare his son’s new name shall be Valdemar named after his ancestor for he was desire for greatness. Allied herself with King Christian VII’s old tutor and minister of science Élie Salomon François Reverdil, she set up an education program for her children. Besides breastfeeding her own children, she let them play freely and explore the world naturally under her sharp supervision and the new Crown Prince Valdemar had two playmates of the same age from the peasantry whose were treated equally with Valdemar.

Here and there, Queen Caroline Matilde decided Rousseau’s method of child rearing should be introducing into Denmark at large. She persuaded her husband and the minister of science Reverdil to set up a commission of education to look at the Danish education system. A second thing the queen har in hers mind was the censorship. She disliked how the Danish censorship restricted the printing freedom in Denmark and wanted it gone so the Danish-Norwegian people can be encouraged to having a free and public debate. She asked hers husband to set up another commission to look at the censorship as well.

Prime Minister Bernstorff sat in the commission of censorship and he was also against the censorship and argued in the privy council that the will of the nation must be the law for the king. He presented the Act of Freedom of Printing in 27 September 1773 with the abolition of censorship and the bill was passed in 20 October after several rounds of debate. Denmark was once again the first in Europe to implementing such a law, and the new law quick reached a popularity within the population and some of the first writing in the papers was the praising to the enlightened absolutism as the best government form in Denmark. Some of the famous books such as the French encyclopaedia and the “Emile or On Education” spread into the Danish society due to royal support.

Reverdil present his report on the Danish education system within the same year. He recommended the privy council to reforming the University of Copenhagen into an institution for education of state officials and adopting the Prussian education system by expanding the currently Cavalry Schools created in 1721 to covering the whole realm and proving free state-sponsoring primary schooling for young children. The Cavalry School was a type of schoolhouse where 240 of those were erected in Denmark in the years 1721-1721 for the education of common children. They were created by King Frederik IV and the 240 schoolhouse bearing the royal insignia and was called Cavalry school after a military administration division within Denmark. The privy council agreed to form a commission called “The Great School Commission” focusing on total structuring of the Danish education system leading by Reverdil.

Then to the world at large, the United Colonies of America declared themselves to be a free and independent state in 4th July 1776.

[note1] A short update. It didn't happen much in early 1770s and Caroline Matilde needed a spotlight

 

[Jürgen]

A place to dump the proletariat so they're not dying of tropical diseases in the Virgin Islands?

In that case Denmark have plenty of empty land itself, we need a better reason.

 

[Jürgen]

As it is right now, Denmark-Norway don't have resources to expand their colonial empire besides a few more forts on gold coast, maybe the two Spanish virgin islands. I am also based my timeline on @arctic warrior timeline where the the Scandinavian empire had Virgin Islands, Ghana, Cameroon, Nicobars Islands, Northern half of New Guinea and some Pacific Ocean islands as its colonies.

In this timeline, I am planning to go along the same route exempt Denmark-Norway is more richer and have a bigger colonial empire neighbouring to a powerful kingdom of Sweden-Finland and a disunited German

I woulod say further Caribbean expansion makes little sense, The Danish West Indies delivers a useful naval base and making them bigger won't benefit Denmark. Eastern Ghana and Togo would deliver most of what the Danish West Indies deliver just in greater quantities in a few decades. Niocobar Islands are not rrally worth a lot, but honestly Denmark would have a hard time finding better real estate in the region.

But if I had to suggest some potential colonies, i would suggest Perth in Australia, it's a excellent stopover for Danish vessel travelling to East Asia and a Danish Western Australia would be a good colony down the road, It also have potential as a Danish settlement colony. You could also look at Labrador, it could be a interesting trade for Denmark giving up its claims to Orkney and Shetland. For the British the trade makes some sense, as the region aren't strategic important. For Denmark the colony would simply be a bird in the hand situation. The region are rich in minerals, and its vast iron reserves could fuel the Danish induistrialization, it also have vast hydro-power potential, its agricultural potential are very limited, but it's no worse which have a 0,5 million inhabitants.

 

[Zillian]

In that case Denmark have plenty of empty land itself, we need a better reason.

Indeed. As debated in this thread "Maximum population of Denmark", Jutland can easily be resettle and the country can have up to 30 million people if it had all of Schleswig, Holstein, Scania, Halland and Blekinge based on modern Danish food production in 21th century. So no reason to set up a settle colony.
Those colonies Denmark want to set up would be based on exploitation

But if I had to suggest some potential colonies, i would suggest Perth in Australia, it's a excellent stopover for Danish vessel travelling to East Asia and a Danish Western Australia would be a good colony down the road, It also have potential as a Danish settlement colony. You could also look at Labrador, it could be a interesting trade for Denmark giving up its claims to Orkney and Shetland. For the British the trade makes some sense, as the region aren't strategic important. For Denmark the colony would simply be a bird in the hand situation. The region are rich in minerals, and its vast iron reserves could fuel the Danish induistrialization, it also have vast hydro-power potential, its agricultural potential are very limited, but it's no worse which have a 0,5 million inhabitants.

Good suggestion. I have including that Orkney-Shetland pawning issue in this TL to see about how Denmark will get the two islands back by diplomatic means but trade Danish claims for those islands in return for Labrador (what about Newfoundland?) is win-win for both parties. Which reason would Denmark have for colonising Perth?

 

[Jürgen]

Good suggestion. I have including that Orkney-Shetland pawning issue in this TL to see about how Denmark will get the two islands back by diplomatic means but trade Danish claims for those islands in return for Labrador (what about Newfoundland?) is win-win for both parties. Which reason would Denmark have for colonising Perth?

When you travel from Europe to East Asia, the winds allow fast passage from South Africa to Western Australia

As such it would be a great place to make a outpost. It would pretty much be the Danish version of the Cape Colony early on. You could of course go with all of Australia being Danish or Denmark taking South Africa in the Prussian Invasion of Netherlands. But both of those colonies are large and important enough that they would overshadow what I think you want the timeline to be about.

As for Newfoundland, it's too valuable to trade to Denmark. Labrador have some benefit for the British pretty much no settlement at this point and not a strategic threat to Hudson Company or the Bay of St. Lawrence. Denmark will likely see it as pretty worthless, but could see a opportunity to develop it. It could be settled by a few fishing villages of Norwegian, Icelanders and Danes early on and by Forest Finns (who dwelled in Eastern East Norway), whose slash and burn agriculture fit the region, even if they would never be prosperous, but it could create the population base for later mining in the region. Of course to be a success Denmark would need to get the mosty the modern inland borders, luckily they mostly follow wastershed borders, so there would be a argument for Denmark ending up with them.

 

[Zillian]

Chapter 12: Earl Henry Howard

Earl Henry Howard of Suffolk, painting in 1770 by Joshua Reynold

The United Colonies of America refused to contribute to the colonial administrative and military expenses as long they were not politically represented – a demand the British parliament and King George III refused. Suddenly a war broken out between the colonies and its motherland in the Battles of Lexington and Concord on 19 April 1775. One year later, in 4 July 1776, the colonies declared themselves to be a free and independent state. In 9 September, the new country renamed themselves to United States of America. Against its treaty obligations of 1763, France secretly supporting the new country with weapons and ammunition. A move that Great Britain was aware off but refused to intervene and risking a war with France unprepared. As France also was allied with Spain, a united French-Spanish fleet was equal with the Royal navy and thus Great Britain can’t both defend the English Channel and maintain an effective blockade of the American East Coast at the same time. Secondly Great Britain was politically isolated with no continental ally to keeping the French military power at bay.

In Denmark, the war created a disturbance in the North Atlantic trade routes and the Danish prime Minister Bernstorff had no sympathy for the American rebels, either personally or politically. On the contrary, he clearly saw that with a strong state in America, the Danish West Indies would over time become vulnerable to its expansionist attempts. Of course, a restriction on British rule at Sea would be of benefit to Denmark-Norway, but a weakened Great Britain and thus a strengthened France would be harmed for the Kingdom. Of this reason, Bernstorff consistently took a friendly attitude towards Great Britain.

In February 1775, the Secretary of State for the Northern Department, Lord Henry Howard of Suffolk, let Bernstorff known that the British warships now had orders to stop and inspect all ships heading for American ports and seize those carrying war supplies. With this discreet warning, Bernstorff could easily answer that his government approved those conditions as Denmark itself was obliged in its treaty with England from 1670 to refrain from supporting rebels against the English crown. In late summer of 1775, when the British government received information on a large shipment of war material from Germany to America aboard Danish merchantmen, Lord Suffolk therefore recommended Bernstorff to issue a ban on the export of weapons from the European ports of the entire Danish-Norwegian realm and threatening to seize ships if the ban was not issued.

Prime Minister Bernstorff saw it as a welcome opportunity to demonstrate Denmark’s courtesy to Great Britain and argued in privy council strongly to meet the British request and stressed that Great Britain, Denmark-Norway and Russia belonged to the same political system and that a weakling of Britain would therefor be a weakling of Denmark. By 4 October 1775, King Christian VII issue a ban on export of war materials to Danish West Indies. Bernstorff hoped that the Britain would refrain from seize and inspect Danish merchantmen but to his great disappointed, one Danish ship had been seized and inspected to Danish protest even before the King had signed the decree.

Suspicion of weapon shipping on Danish merchantmen proved to be unfounded and the ship was released with compensation, but Lord Suffolk stated the British existence was at stake and his government would not renounce from inspecting foreign merchantmen. Despite some setback, the relationship between Great Britain and Denmark-Norway begun to improve thank to Bernstorff talented diplomatic skill. However this was partly done at the expense of the relationship with the American rebels.

Soon the war against the colonies became much more complicated for Great Britain once the British army under command of General John Burgoynes surrounding to the American rebels on 17 October 1777 at Saratoga. The British capitulation was known in London and Paris in December and convinced France to enter the war against Great Britain and openly proving money, soldiers and munitions to United States of America. On February 6, 1778, a treaty of friendship and trade as well an alliance was signed between the two countries. In Marts, the French government notified Britain of the treaty while recalling its ambassador. However Britain was still hesitated and thus King Louis XVI of France formal declared war on Britain on 19 July 1778. A few days later, on 26 July, King Louis XVI issued a regulation allowing the neutral countries to shipping British property and formulating a narrow war contraband concept.

A formal declaration of war was in fact not proclaimed but it became a reality from the British eyes on 5 August when Great Britain finally issued privateering licenses permitting the seizing of French property and at the same time the war contraband provisions laid down in British treaties with the neutral maritime nations hereby entered in force. The North Atlantic Ocean became a warzone and Great Britain will not allow cargo from hostile powers aboard neutral ships. Denmark now faced a pressing problem in how Britain would interpret the contraband provisions defined in the 1670 treaty that in addition to actual war materials, included unspecified everything that was appropriate and necessary to wage war. The Danish government claimed that the war contraband could not possible include Norwegian timber, stock and salted fish as well salted beef from Schleswig-Holstein.

Bernstorff sent a note to Lord Suffolk with the Danish principles from the seven-years war where he suggested the British government to use the war contraband provision from Utrecht treaty of 1713, allowing the neutral countries to sail and trade with whomever they wanted, and the inspecting of ships should be limited to inspection of ship- and cargo papers. As expected, Lord Suffolk bluntly rejected this principle and demanded a more modern definition – one that at last including what was involved in the building of warships. Besides the war contraband, Britain on the other hand had no objection to the neutrals trade with the enemy. The British envoy Dreyer stated that the Denmark-Norway’s export of salted meat, dry and salted fish and similar products were not considered as war contraband.

[Note1] In OTL the diplomatic connection between Britain and Denmark at that time was at its lowest point due to the scandal from Queen Caroline Matilde’s affair with Johann Fredrich Struensee and his coup. This didn’t happen in this timeline and thus British-Danish relationship was not that bad.

 

[Zillian]

The next chapter would be about the situation on the Danish West Indies and two new building projects in Denmark whose including a map of Copenhagen anno 1779. As I need to drawing up the map and the new Stellaris DLC "Lithoids" arrives on Thursday, this timeline would be put on pause for around one week

 

[arctic warrior]

Nice updates - so You had a look at the TV programme.
Perhaps the enlightenment may spread to the Norwegians claiming their part of it such as an University of Trondhjem or Kristiania! With relative peace with Sweden-Finland this shouldn't be totally out of possibilities but if the Russians put their eye to Finland.. OTL the loss made the Swedes look for compensation - that being Norway which would be a loss to Denmarks and hence no improvements of the Norwegian cultural position.

Labrador wouldn't be that bad as it would put Danish-Norwegian Icelandic fishermen closer to the Grand Banks. It would also provide a source for timbers for the inhabited west coast of Greenland. It would only be a small contribution but it would make for some very longterm benefit come the exploration of the North Pole i.e. warding off everybody claiming parts of Greenland. And may in the process butterfly Knud Rasmussen..
Gold Coast and perhaps Cameroun should be quite satisfying in Africa to suck up any Danish-Norwegian potential settlers; forced or not.

During the American Revolution 1779 the British did want a defensive alliance with Denmark-Norway and to lease part of the Danish-Norwegian Navy some 12 Ships of the line and a number of Frigates.. ITTL this should come about with Bernstorff firmly in the saddle, and You'd just whisked away 1801 and 07 in a Danish context, with Denmark-Norway firmly in British alliance against France (and Sweden-Finland) and Russia doing what? Mediate peace between Britain and France or throw its lot in against Britain - Denmark-Norway (-Prussia)?
We could have peace or a serious major war in Europa and the Americas!
Looking forward to your next postings.

 

[Zillian]

Map of Copenhagen
Old Town

The medieval town itself and the very core of Copenhagen with several churches and city squares. After having been burn down in 1728, the district was rebuilt with a straighter streets and other small streets were demolished. Those new streets were lay out, so all squares were connected with each other and the new street network known as Strøgen became the heart of the city.

The Old City can be divided into nine quarters named; Nørre Quarter, Klædebo Quarter, Rosenborg Quarter, Købmager Quarter, Øster Quarter, Snarens Quarter, Vester Quarter and Old Isle.

The Church of Our Lady had home in Klædebo Quarte owned by the Diocese of Zealand. At the same square as the large cathedral, two prestigious education institutions had home there. The University of Copenhagen and the Our Lady School. The University was the only university in Denmark-Norway, built in 1479, and had four faculties: theology, law, medicine and philosophy. Despite its closeness to the cathedral, the Our Lady School was not a cathedral school but a Latin school for the elites of the Danish-Norwegian Realm. The cathedral school of the diocese of Zealand had home in Roskilde.

City Hall was located at the Old Square, Vester Quarter and at the same square, lay the Royal Orphanage built in 1728. In another part of Vester Quarter, across from the Christiansborg gate, was home to the Royal Prince’s mansion used as a residence for artists, courtiers and other peers with close ties with the Royal Court.

The Old Isle was home to the Royal Naval Shipyard in Copenhagen, created by Christian IV as a war port, and one of three naval bases, dedicated to build everything what a navy needed and Denmark-Norway’s largest workplace as well home to naval warehouses, a series of artisan workshops and the admiralty. The three Danish Cadet Schools had also home there, just next to Charlotteborg. The Charlotteborg Palace and its garden was home to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and the University of Copenhagen Botanical Garden.

Other famous landmarks were the Round Tower at Rosenborg Quarter and Royal Danish Theatre at the King’s new Square.

Castle Isle

The Castle Isle was dominate by the vast Christiansborg Palace complex built in 1745 in a Rococo style. The palace consisted by a four-winged keep connected to various buildings and serve as the official residence for Danish-Norwegian king and his court of approx. 1,000. With 348 halls and amenities, it was the largest palace complex in Northern Europe. A court theatre, royal stable and the riding ground was attached to the keep in west-wing while the castle church and the Supreme Court was attached to the north-wing and the National Archives and Central Administration was attached to south-wing. On the edge of the Castle Isle to east was home to two Stock Exchange buildings.

Below the Palace complex was home to an arsenal complex and one of three naval bases, consisted of a war port, armoury, supply house with own bakery and brewery as well a whole series of workshops. The navy’s vessels could sail into the war port and being stocked up with everything needed to sail on a cruise. In the armoury, it not only existed enough weapons to equip a modern army at that time, but it was also home to a collection of weapons and armours from all over the world dating back for centuries.

New Town

The New Town was an expansion of the fortified Medieval City by Christian IV as a part of his aspiration to strengthen Copenhagen as a regional centre. As early as 1606, he purchased 200 hectares of land and expanded the fortification to the correct border with that intention to redevelop this area into a new district. Besides the new district, he also built the Royal Arsenal Complex and the two Stock Exchange buildings on the Castle isle as well the Round Tower at Rosenborg Quarter. The district can be divided into four quarters: Rosenborg Palace Complex, Nyboder Quarter, Frederiksstaden Quarter and the Citadel.

The Rosenborg Palace was built in 1606 by Christian IV and the final version of the palace was finished in 1624. It was built in Dutch renaissance style and used to be the Royal Family’s country summerhouse until it was replaced by the larger Frederiksberg Palace in 1710 just outside the city. At the reign of Christian VII, the Rosenborg Palace was still used to coronation and had the Royal Treasure with Crown jewels and Crown Regalia. Attached to the Palace was the King’s Garden and Denmark-Norway’s oldest royal garden embellished by Christian IV shortly before the construction of the palace and was a popular retreat for the Copenhagen people. Next to the palace lay the barracks where the Royal Life Guards was garrisoned and the newly built Military Academy for Officers.

The Nyboder Quarter was a barrack and family housing for the personnel of the rapidly growing Royal Danish-Norwegian Navy. Construction of the Quarter was commenced in 1631 and including a guard- and jailhouse. To this day today, the Nyboder Quarter was still expanding with the latest row of houses being built in 1771.

The Frederiksstaden was formerly home to Sophine Amalienborg Palace complex built in 1667 but it was burned down in 1689 just 16 years after the completion of the palace. Frederik V decided to develop the quarter to commemorate 300 years jubilee of House of Oldenburg’s ascending to the Danish-Norwegian throne named after himself. The whole quarter was designed in Rococo style and home to the elites of the Danish-Norwegian realm lined by bourgeois houses, mansions and the new Amalienborg Palaces. The new Amalienborg palace consisted by four mansions with a statue of Frederik V on a horse in the middle of the palace square. The four palaces of Amalienborg was home to four nobilities; House of Moltke, House of Levetzau, House of Brockdorff and House of Severin. A church of marble named Frederik’s Church was built directly across the Amalienborg Palace.

Other notable landmarks of the new quarter were the Mansion of Schimmelmann, the family home of the Nordic richest man Henrich Carl von Schimmelmann, and Frederiks Hospital, Denmark-Norway’s first hospital running as an independent institution with the purpose of giving free care and cure to patients without means. The custom house of the Port of Copenhagen and the tolbar barrier had its home at the dock, between Frederiksstaden and the Citadel.

The last part of the New Town was the Citadel itself. Like rest of the New Town district, Christian IV initiated the construction of the Copenhagen fortress in 1626 which leads to the star fort Citadel tasking with guarding the entrance to the Port of Copenhagen, one of the main base of the Royal Danish-Norwegian Army and also served as Copenhagen’s military and state prison.

Christianshavn

The Christianshavn was a merchant and craftsmen district, constructed by Christian IV in 1617, and home to several shipyards. The three royal chartered companies of Denmark-Norway had their headquarter in Christianshavn: Danish West India-Guinea Company, Danish Asiatic Company and Royal Greenland Trading Department.

Next to Christianshavn lay the Royal Navy Base consisted by a series of isles and the base of command for the Royal Danish-Norwegian Navy. As warships grew in size, the war port in Castle Isle became too small and the fleet moved to the Old Isle. Since the city was growing, the fleet once again needed to be moved and this time out of the city and thus the naval base at the New Isle was built. The New Isle was home to a shipyard, big enough to build the ship of the line and the other isles around the naval base was home to several warehouses used to store naval equipment.

A note about the above map

Hope you like the above map. I wanted to draw up a map to show off the develop of Copenhagen for my own amusement and it was indeed fun to create it.

I used a base map of Copenhagen from 1779 with no modern measurement technology down to millimetre. Of this reason, this map may not be very accurate. The two sea forts may be wrongly placed as they were not there in the original map obviously because the cartographer doesn’t think it was important to add those forts.

Nor were the Sundby villages and the Amagerbro Quarter outside Amager added and I could not find a quality map of Amager from this time, so I decided not to include them. If you Danes could find a good map from mid-1700s then please poke at me.

North may not be entirely at the top side as the original map’s top side was facing toward east, thus I had rotating the map’s topside hopefully at north. This is also why the corners of the map are cut off.

The original map can be found at the Royal Library of Denmark’s map collation at the link underneath

http://www.kb.dk/maps/kortsa/2012/jul/kortatlas/object66937/da/

 

[Jürgen]

Love the map.

But it also raise the question, how do plan to expand the city?

The most efficient may be to expand into the sea again, as that would make the defenses easier to expand. Alternate some new lakes to deliver water to the moat could be dug[1], and new fortification could be build further inland.

Also you said “your Danes”, you aren’t Danish yourself, that surprise me with the degree of details in the timeline.

[1] the rectangular lakes are artificial and meant as a source of water to the moat. The wetland on the border of modern Copenhagen and Gladsaxe feed the lakes (Utterlev’s Swamp). In case the fortification of Copenhagen are expanded some new lakes would be needed to dug. The new lakes could lie on the Copenhagen side of Pile Allé (to all non-Copenhagians reading this; the road east of Frederiksberg Palace).