Icelandic Greenland

Devvy

Donor
Rather unlikely to be honest; Greenland was an integral part of the Danish Kingdom I believe. Iceland had become a self governing entity within the Realm in 1904 when an Minister of Icelandic Affairs was appointed, and the Althingi gained full powers of home rule. Independence was reached in 1918 when the Danish-Icelandic Act of Union passed, making the two states in personal union, with very close co-working, but both fully sovereign.

At the time Iceland was very poor (people lived in grass roofed huts), and just wanted independence and neutrality to continue with Icelandic affairs. I don't think they had any interest in power over Greenland - Greenland is 20 times bigger then Iceland is, and Iceland only had circa 90,000 residents in the 1910s; hardly enough to administer Greenland as well. Iceland also has no military, so can't defend Greenland either from any perceived threats; Iceland de facto outsourced it's own defence to Denmark as part of the Act of Union.
 
Why Iceland even would want Greenland? Greenland was just Danish colony and Iceland was semi-independent kingdom which shared common king with Denmark. Greenland would be totally useless and even economic burden to Iceland probably too expensive even for modern day Iceland. If Denmark in some odd reason decide give Greenland to Iceland the government will happily sell Greenland whomeever who wants buy that.
 
We would need a POD in the the early 19th century and a different occupation of Denmark and WWII. So a POD and a century without buftterflies afterward.

So let’s say that the Icelandic national awakening hit 50 years later and are far less successful. So instead of two decades constitutional crisis about Icelandic relationship with Denmark, Iceland simply accept a full integration into the Danish state. We likely see Reykjavik turning into a Danish speaking city, after the loss of Schleswig-Holstein, Denmark invest heavily into develop Iceland much as it did in the Jutish moorland. As WWI hit and Denmark are isolated from its oversea possessions Reykjavik administrate them ad how. After the war Denmark plan for this better in case of a new Great War. As WWII break out in 1939, the Danish crown prince and his family travel to Iceland. As Denmark are occupied the Iceland set up a free Danish government and the crown prince is made regent of Free Denmark which includes Iceland, Faroes Island, Greenland and the Danish West Indies. The war ends and core Denmark end up on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain. Free Denmark renamed itself the Danish Commonwealth and keep claim to Denmark, but de facto are a greater Icelandic state. When the Iron Curtain falls, reunification are discussed, but the Danish Commonwealth are too small to afford a reunification with the much poorer Denmark and Denmark aren’t interested in becoming a monarchy again, preferring to stay a republic. As such the two states divorce official in 1992 on good terms.
 
Top