North Sea Empire - Brainstorming

Hello all!
I'm trying to start a timeline involving one of the Nordic countries taking over the rest (and more) and starting a great nation/kingdom that'd end up as a world power. Pod can be anywhere from the earliest vikings to the Medieval times. What would it take to have a North Sea Empire last through the Medieval Era at least up to WW1?

- Must have Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.
- Bonus points if it involves the Baltic countries, Ireland, Normandy, or Great Britain in it somehow.
- More bonus points if there's a way to make it last until modern ages (maybe under a commonwealth type group?)
 
No there's that nasty William of Normandy hanging around. One of Canute's sons consolidating his hold on the throne of England is a better bet to get England in this "Empire".
 
No there's that nasty William of Normandy hanging around. One of Canute's sons consolidating his hold on the throne of England is a better bet to get England in this "Empire".
I'd say start specifically with Canute's son Hardecanute, King of Denmark and King of England, living for significantly longer than he did IOTL and leaving a competent heir.
 
There's a TL around, named something like "one clumsy maid" in which a son of Canute indeed holds power and a "Kingdom of North" unites the British isles, Scandinavia, Finland, the Baltics, Denmark, Lower Saxonia and the Netherlands plus parts /all of the Southern Baltic coast. Later the Kingdom of North becomes a major colonial power.

To have it as a world power, you'd need to add lands that hold a more sizeable population than Scandinavia plus Denmark. IOTL, there's about what, 25 million living there? Add parts of Northern Germany and you'll already have 35, add the Baltics and get another 10, add the Netherlands and get 20 more, add Britain and get 60 more. A European country with 125 million or more people will most probably be a world power. As such a country holds the rivermouths of most central European countries, it also controls emmigration from there which means you get a decent chance of settler colonies with sizeable immigration from others, adding to the possible power.
 
There's a TL around, named something like "one clumsy maid" in which a son of Canute indeed holds power and a "Kingdom of North" unites the British isles, Scandinavia, Finland, the Baltics, Denmark, Lower Saxonia and the Netherlands plus parts /all of the Southern Baltic coast.

Which is the one i linked to in the post before you :D
 
well as you write a north sea empire, there is also the possibility of the area of what is now the netherlands to stay successful.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Lorraine
If lower lotharingia stays around maybe even expands a little (maybe east wards towards germany/ saxony & franconia) then you have another possibility for another influential country
 
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