United Scandinavia

Scandinavia could have become a united country in the 19th century. Presuming this happens, what would be its impact on the course of the 20th and 21st century, if any? I would presume that this country would include modern Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland in 1900.
 
Sweden was always the "odd man out".

Despite language, culture, etc (schnapps and heering), in essense they are very different countries.

Sweden is and always was a Baltic force. Its wars were (mostly) with Russia. Finland was in its sphere.

Norway, facing the Atlantic, is much more of a seafaring nation.

it's like Spain and Portugal. Not resally the same.

Denmark was sort of it in the middle. one of the "old"powers in the Baltic, but just as much seafaring - after all - Vikings, Danegeld, those things.

The last who tried t uite it was Margareth I, Kalmar union. And that was held together with brute force.


She was, btw, the first to introduce canon into Nordic wars. She rented (yes!) 3 of them in Germany and trekked around in Denmark, asking the local knight if he would like to submit to her or die. Some told her to f@@@ off and died when she started the artillery (or when she beheaded them afterwards).

Parts of Sweden were a part of the Danish Kingdom, but it was not really a natural alliance, like Schleswig could be a part of Denmark, but not really Holstein.

The cultural border is to be felt in everyday life.

A swedish politician in the 1990's started to dig a canal around the Swedish province of Skåne, to promote independence. When they took him serious, he stopped.

So: No. 3 different countries altogether. Mixing in Iceland just makes it worse.

Ivan
 

yourworstnightmare

Banned
Donor
This is not after 1900. But the only way is really to make the Union of Kalmar last with all the butterflies that belong if the PoD is in the 14-1500s.
 
The POD may not be strictly after 1900, but most of the interesting butterflies occur after 1900.

I assume the OP is assuming a successful Pan-Scandinavian movement that saw a unity sometime between 1848 and 1900. Although unlikely, it's at least possible. Certainly no less improbably than Italy uniting.

The Nordic countries had similar foreign and domestic policies. They'd probably still sit out of WWI. The real interesting question is what happens afterwards. Do they encourage Finland to join them afterwards? Do they try to protect the Baltics? Does their unity make them too difficult for any Nazi type Germany to attack them afterwards?

All very fun questions, but they can't be answered unless we start filling in definite events. The interwar period IOTL is one of those areas where small events can have big impacts.
 
There fixed it for you. Sweden and Denmark hold the world record of most wars fought between two countries.

Are you sure about that? I thought it was England and Scotland. It certainly would be if all the Reiving and cross border fueds were counted.
 

Rubicon

Banned
Are you sure about that? I thought it was England and Scotland. It certainly would be if all the Reiving and cross border fueds were counted.
It would of course depend upon the definitions of 'war' and 'country'.

If we define it as a declared war fought between two sovereign nations. Then Sweden and Denmark have fought no less then 12 wars between each other, more then any other two countries (between 1520 and 1814)

If we define it more loosely as a conflict between two at least semi-coherent groups of people belonging to a geographical area that later will be defined as a country. Sweden and Denmark have fought at least 36 different conflicts with each other from 1026 to 1814. I do not know though with this definition if it is the most fought between two 'countries'.

In either case, I think it's quite safe to say that Sweden and Denmark has fought a lot with each other and can be considered each others arch enemies.
 
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