When the Raven Flies

Étienne-François (comte de Stainville, duc de Choiseul) the French secretary of war and navy had a vision. In his vision he saw a French reconquest of Canada. This idea included using Iceland as a base for the invasion. The only problem was that Iceland belonged to Denmark-Norway a neutral somewhat pro-British kingdom. He had begun the secret negotiation where he offered to trade La Louisiane west of the Mississippi River for the island[1], it was unlikely France would keep the territory if they didn’t regain Canada, so it was a good deal for France. But it was clear that the Danish had little interest in the deal and only negotiated out of politeness. But when something had changed Peter III had become Tsar of Russia in january 1762 and had begun peace negotiation with Prussia, and it was clear that he planned a war with Denmark.


While Peter III insane decision was bad for France, it did offer an opportunity. The Danes was desperate, they was on the way to war with one of the greatest European empires. So Étienne pushed the deal by offering Denmark 1 million Rigsdaler (around 16% of the Danish annual state budget) on top of the American colony. The Danes took the deal against Danish traders still having access to Iceland, that the French respected the Icelanders Lutheran faith (including a Danish right to elect their bishops) and that Icelanders was free to emigrate.


The French and Danes finished the negotiations the 5th may 1762. This gave the Danes a much needed influx of money to the war in Russia. Ironic as Denmark was readying itself for the first battle with Denmark occupying the Mecklenburgs and meeting the Russians in the first battle. The Russian forces stopped. Peter III had been overthrown by his wife.


The Danes was of course pleasantly surprised and the 500 000 Riksdaler enabled Denmark to pay the cost of the almost war without needing to raise taxes significant. So there was happiness in Copenhagen in avoiding the war. Of course some was a little unhappy over the loss of Iceland, but the guarantee of the Icelanders faith and the continued access to the island kept people content[2].


Of course it raised the question, Denmark had suddenly gotten a vast territory in the New World and what should they do with it. Also now Denmark had to deal with the British who was rather unhappy over the French takeover of Iceland.


Of course Iceland didn’t serve as a base, as the war ended before France could attempt a reconquest of Canada. The British accepted the new status quo, especially when the Danish takeover of La Louisiane now meant that it could serve as a buffer state against New Spain.


In Denmark the state begun to plan how the territory could be used. A garrison and a governor (Peter Güntelberg) was sent to Nouvelle Orleans early 1764. French experts (both military and civilian) on the vast new colony was hired. Another problem was a number of Icelanders who wanted to emigrate rather than living under “papist” rule. So already in 1764 Denmark began to regularly sending the Icelanders to La Louisiane where they was given land on Côte des Allemands (German Coast). But this early the administration of the colony was mostly on ad hoc basis with no real plan. French currency and law was kept and the Catholic population was allowed to practice their law in peace. This didn’t keep the German and Acadian population for rebelling in 1765 in protest over the takeover. The revolt was mostly bloodless, but it demanded that the Danish send 1400 soldiers to the colony


Finally in 1766 a plan was made. In the areas where sugar could be grown, the land would be split up in plantage much like Denmark had done on St. Croix after the takeover of that island. A new company was established the Danish Louisiana Company (Louisiansk-Amerikanske Handelskompagni) which would have a monopoly with trade to Ny Orleans the next 30 years and would sell the new plantages. African slaves would be imported to the new plantages in Lower Louisiana. Away from the coast settlers would be brought in to farm other crops. These settlers would also serve as a protection against new uprising among the local Catholics, which meant that Protestant settlers would be used. At the same time in Upper Louisiana the trading post network should be expanded and new settlement established to protect the area for intrusions for other European powers (British). Also Lutheran Mission should be established to weaken any Catholic missionaries in the area.


Of course with this plan the Danish state began the development of the new colony.


[1]This is a real plan, it never reached negotiations, but ITTL it end up a little different


[2]IOTL the taxes was raised significant and the king became very unpopular, it’s believed that this lead him to drink himself to death by 1766. Here the king continue his unhealthy lifestyle, but he doesn't drink himself to death this early.
 
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longsword14

Banned
Interesting stuff, this is the first time I have read about the possibility of such a deal. What does Denmark hope to do with Louisiana anyway? It cannot have enough settlers to fill the land and never had as large colonial ambitions either. How far have tensions between the British and Danes escalated?
The big problem sticking out seems to be the lack of naval strength of both Denmark and France compared to Britain. So, is a stronger French-Danish alliance on the cards?
 
Interesting stuff, this is the first time I have read about the possibility of such a deal. What does Denmark hope to do with Louisiana anyway?

Getting it are purely accidental, right now it hope to make southern Louisiana into a sugar producing territory.

It cannot have enough settlers to fill the land

If America was colonised by the countries, which had the population to send enough settlers to America, we would have this discussion in French. Denmark-Norway in a period where it grew from 1 million people to 1,5 million people over 80 years send 100000 people to Netherlands. Danish Louisiana will have problems with it eastern neighbour/s, but I have some idea for how to get enough settlers

and never had as large colonial ambitions either. How far have tensions between the British and Danes escalated?

UK are pissed, but Denmark are pretty much the closest thing to friend UK have left outside Hesse-Cassel. So they're insulted, but it's pretty obvious that Denmark need the money to fight the Russians

The big problem sticking out seems to be the lack of naval strength of both Denmark and France compared to Britain. So, is a stronger French-Danish alliance on the cards?

No, Denmark are a pro-British neutral strong middle power with a cordial relationship with pretty much everybody except Russia right now.
 

longsword14

Banned
No, Denmark are a pro-British neutral strong middle power with a cordial relationship with pretty much everybody except Russia right now.
Makes sense to keep Britain on its side. With the French deal being completed maintenance of stronger links with North American colonies requires keeping the British on side.
 
Makes sense to keep Britain on its side. With the French deal being completed maintenance of stronger links with North American colonies requires keeping the British on side.

Danish Louisiana are pretty unimportant to the Danes, and the British doesn't care either. What they care about are French Iceland. Of course the Danes are going to find something useful to do with Louisiana, now that they have it, but right now it's just another pierce of large unpopulated wasteland under Danish crown. Of course it's more useful than some of the other wastelands, because they can grow sugar there, lower amount than in their Caribbean colonies, but beggars can't be choosers.
 
I wonder if the Saltzburger Lutherans might relocate from Georgia given the relatively recent imposition of slavery in that colony? Nlorthern parts of Louisiana might be more hospitable for them. Could provide another community of Lutherans.

Heavy Icelandic settlement in the northern territories seems plausible. I don't see a lot of them settling in the south, meaning you could have a Catholic Protestant divide between northern and southern Louisiana.

And I also wonder where the Acadians will go, now that Louisiana isn't under French control? Will they still go there, or possibly emigrate somewhere else?
 
I wonder if the Saltzburger Lutherans might relocate from Georgia given the relatively recent imposition of slavery in that colony? Nlorthern parts of Louisiana might be more hospitable for them. Could provide another community of Lutherans.

They was a lot less anti-slavery than it's general told, they had a general dislike of it, but not enough to move. Also the Danes are going to embrace slavery as much here as they did on the Virgin Islands. But in the aftermath of the ARW, we may see them decide that Louisiana are preferable.

Heavy Icelandic settlement in the northern territories seems plausible. I don't see a lot of them settling in the south, meaning you could have a Catholic Protestant divide between northern and southern Louisiana.

Let's say that southern Louisiana will be the most Catholic place, but it won't be the main difference between Upper and Lower Louisiana.

And I also wonder where the Acadians will go, now that Louisiana isn't under French control? Will they still go there, or possibly emigrate somewhere else?

Iceland
 
In Denmark the avoided war with Russia had been a shock for the Danish regime, it had shown that the Danish army was unready to the conflict. The French born general count de Saint Germain, who had been hired in 1761 to reform the army and had served as commander of the army in 1762, had come with suggestion to improving. The Danish army size should be increased from 70 000 to 108 000 thousand man. It should mostly build on conscripts and the recruited soldiers should mostly be recruited among Danes, Norwegians and Holsteiners to limit desertions and raise its morale. The army’s prestige needed to be raised, its wages also, the economy should be changed from a company to regiment economy[1] and it should shift from natural economy to monetary economy[2].


While the influx of money from France enable meant that Denmark had avoided many of the negative effect of the “almost” war. It was clear that the Danish state couldn’t afford a army the size Saint Germain suggested. But it was clear that it was needed. It was decided that Saint Germain’s reform suggestion would serve as a long term goal. In the discussion in how the Denmark could afford it, Saint Germain suggested abolishing Stavnsbaandet (a serfdom like institution) to free up conscripts[3]. Adam Gottlob Moltke, the king’s closest adviser and de facto the leader of the country, who normal was a reformer and supporter of Saint Germain was quite hostile to this suggestion, as he was a major landholder. But while Moltke was a man who had enriched himself, he was also a patriot. So instead Moltke suggested a commission should look into it, and in the short run a smaller army (70 000 men) was kept. But many of the other reform was pushed through.


The national peasant militia was abolished. Instead the peasants conscripts would serve together with the recruited soldiers in mixed companies (49/51). The number of conscript should be raise in the future.

A canton system to fund the army and conscript the peasantry was established.

The Danish, Norwegian and Holsteinian engineer and artillery corps was made united into one engineer and artillery corps.

Several fortresses was closed, but the one which was kept was expanded.

Criminals was banned from being recruited.

The garrison regiments abolished, and the grenadier corps integrated into the regularly infantry regiments (12 musket companies and 2 grenadiers).

The standing army would be 40 000 infantry and 8400 cavalry in peacetime. The infantry would be increased to 60 000 in war times with conscripts who had served being called to service.

At least 25% of new recruits needed to be nationals[4].

The number of recruits serving in Norway would be increased from 1500 to 9000. While the same number of Norwegians would serve outside Norway[5].

The buying of officer titles was also banned, the soldiers wage raised and a pension based on an insurance model was established.


At last the army was split between German and Danish regiments. The recruits and conscripts raised in Denmark, Norway and Schleswig would have Danish as command language, Swedish and Finnish recruits also served in the Danish regiments . While the recruits and conscripts raised in Holstein and Oldenburg would serve in the German regiments. Most foreign non-Nordic recruits would also serve in those regiments. The Danish regiments also kept their tradition of a ban on corporal punishment, while the German regiments kept it. So even German speaking Schleswigers was happy with serving in Danish regiments.


The Danish military reforms had large effect. It meant a significant increase in the quality of the army. But the biggest effect was in the indirect element. The commission who began look into the abolishment of “Stavnsbaandet” came with the results in 1768 where it supported its removal as it no longer served its original purpose, and in general supported large land reforms. The result was the major “Landbore” (land dweller/peasant) reforms in 1771[6].


The military result of this reform was that the army was increased to 108 000 men by 1777.


The ban of (less serious) convicts serving in the army, also opened up for other uses for this group. Instead these was exiled to Louisiana (from 1767), where they serve their sentence as slaves, before becoming free. More serious criminals would still be used as slaves in Denmark. This would inspire the Danish government to offer able body people in the poorhouses land in Louisiana and paying trip. A increased number of wandering poor (Danish Travellers) was often just deported to Louisiana.

At last to increase the population of the colony, the garrisons in the colony would be manned mostly with older married recruited soldiers. This allowed Denmark not only to increase the number of settlers, but also fasten the change of recruited soldiers from the mostly older German recruited soldiers to younger Danes, Norwegians and Holsteiners. At the same time these soldiers was also offered land if they wanted it.



[1]Instead of every officer being responsible for feeding, clothing etc his men, this suggestion means that the officers are no longer responsible for the company's finances


[2]The army no longer receive naturals instead it get money and can buy what it need.


[3]This suggestion didn’t happen in OTL, and a less ambitious reform was made


[4]As the recruits after the reform make up around 28000, it means that the number nationals when you put conscripts and recruits together you get around 27000 nationals in the army in peacetime and 47000 in wartime. The national recruited soldiers can only be recruited in the cities and towns, with the exception of a few elite regiments who could recruit among the free peasantry.


[5]The Norwegian army in general had higher morale because the army there was mostly conscripts. At the same time the foreign recruits serving in Norway also had a higher morale, mostly because Norway’s geography made desertions close to impossible.


[6]In OTL these only happens in 1788, here they hit 17 years earlier.
 
How exactly did the French give Louisiana in exchange for Iceland. That place is too far away and the climate is too cold for the French army to conduct any operations. Also, right between Iceland and France is the UK which would definitely move in on Iceland if the French get it before the end of the war. Just curious hiw did they solve that problem. Anyway an interesting theory though but looks very difficult to pull off
 
Actually, the initial Saltzburger settlers were pretty staunchly anti-slavery. I have a history of the Saltzburg Lutherans if you're interested. Boltzius was opposed to slavery in Georgia for a lot of the same reasons Oglethorp was: he thought it would undermine the work ethic of the settlers, transforming them into an indolent planter class. They reconciled to it after the first generation of course, but the option to live under a Lutheran state might be appealing, and might shift the calculus toward relocation.
 
Actually, the initial Saltzburger settlers were pretty staunchly anti-slavery. I have a history of the Saltzburg Lutherans if you're interested. Boltzius was opposed to slavery in Georgia for a lot of the same reasons Oglethorp was: he thought it would undermine the work ethic of the settlers, transforming them into an indolent planter class. They reconciled to it after the first generation of course, but the option to live under a Lutheran state might be appealing, and might shift the calculus toward relocation.

I think there's a good chance several Lutheran groups will choose to emigrate to Louisiana especially under and after the ARW

How exactly did the French give Louisiana in exchange for Iceland. That place is too far away and the climate is too cold for the French army to conduct any operations. Also, right between Iceland and France is the UK which would definitely move in on Iceland if the French get it before the end of the war. Just curious hiw did they solve that problem. Anyway an interesting theory though but looks very difficult to pull off

The British are told that Denmark have bought Louisiana before the end of the war, while what Denmark have "bought" it with isn't told before after the war is over.
 
But while these reforms was on the way the tragedy hit in late 1764, Frederik V’s two son died in a freak accident. The Danish king still had three daughters. The oldest was engaged to the crown prince of Sweden, the second was married to the crown prince of Hesse-Cassel and the last engaged to the latter’s younger brother. The succession was unclear, but both the Swedish and Russian monarchs had good claims. But the Swedish king did have a better claim through his engagement with Danish king’s oldest daughter.


Russia couldn’t permit a Danish-Swedish Union, on the other hand the idea of a Russian-Danish Union was pretty much unacceptable to everyone. But Frederik V was still alive through in great grief, so deep grief that he stopped drinking for a period. Frederik felt little interest in either of the two Gottorp line succeeding him. William (Vilhelm in Danish) of Hesse-kassel on the other hand, was his beloved first wife’s nephew, and he and his brothers had been raised in Denmark at Frederik’s court after their father had converted to Catholicism. So Frederik and his court decided to use Vilhelm as a compromise candidate. None of the Oldenburg lines was happy about this, but Sweden couldn’t afford a war with Russia and Russia couldn’t afford a major succession war, while the minor lines wasn’t happy.


The result was conference in Vienna, where Austria, France and UK had representatives, as result an agreement was reached. Vilhelm would end up inherit all of Frederiks titles and claims. If his line died out, Frederik youngest daughter’s line would inherits, after that the line would go back to the Oldenburgs. The price of this was that Sweden was freed from Sound Dues for 20 years. While Russia and Denmark negotiated a deal over Gottorp, where Denmark bought it for 1,2 million Rigsdaler, and a future veto over which Oldenburg line could inherit in case of a new succession crisis. At last HRE, France, UK, Russia and Sweden recognised that Denmark and the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein was forever united. The Danish king would give up his vote as Duke of Holstein in the Imperial Diet, but keep it as Count of Oldenburg.


Political this was triumph Frederik had kept his possession unified, he had gotten Gottorp a long term goal of the Danish monarch, the Holstein estates had been weakened. Of course his status as German prince had been extremely weaken, but his son-in-law as count of Hanau-Münzenberg and crownprince of Hesse-kassel would reclaim any lost position. Of course he had to raise taxes at home to pay for Gottorp, but it was still a triumph. So Frederik ended the conference with going on a bender like no other and returned to Denmark in a coffin. Long live Vilhelm of Denmark-Norway.
 
A map showing the expansion of Denmark-Norway from 1764-1789 in Germany
Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp 1765
Saxe-Lauenburg 1777
Hesse-Kassel 1785

danishhesssianunion1785_by_valravn74-dajmlhe.png
 
We are running into the problem here that not every idea entertained historically can be embraced allohistorically. Sometimes, especially in this era, a negotiation occurs not because either side wants to do what they propose, but because they want a read on other powers and to keep options open. Giving Denmark what would have become the Louisiana Purchase is a fascinating idea, but not a very plausible one, even with informal talks having briefly occurred historically. Also, it's not plausible for France to trade a breadbasket (Louisiana) for an icebox (Iceland), even for an ulterior motive. Besides, doing this hoping to recover lands inhabited by Francophones is self-defeating, as it costs the French another Francophone population, however small.
 
We are running into the problem here that not every idea entertained historically can be embraced allohistorically. Sometimes, especially in this era, a negotiation occurs not because either side wants to do what they propose, but because they want a read on other powers and to keep options open. Giving Denmark what would have become the Louisiana Purchase is a fascinating idea, but not a very plausible one, even with informal talks having briefly occurred historically. Also, it's not plausible for France to trade a breadbasket (Louisiana) for an icebox (Iceland), even for an ulterior motive. Besides, doing this hoping to recover lands inhabited by Francophones is self-defeating, as it costs the French another Francophone population, however small.

Louisiana may have produced grain for Haiti, but they cede it once and sold it once anyway, and it kept exporting grain to Haiti after the first sale (which the French could be pretty sure Denmark wouldn't stop with either). In fact Iceland had six times the population of Louisiana (only counting French subjects and their slaves in Louisiana, I have no idea of the numbers of natives) and was a major fish harbour. In 1763 Iceland was worth far more than Louisiana and likely still was in 1803. I expect that the French plan to buy it back, when they have reconquered Quebec, they likely expect that they can browbeat the Danes (it wouldn't be the first time). The Danes are likely aware of this or at least expect it, but they develop the colony anyway, mostly to if the French never come in a position where they reclaim Quebec.
 
It’s unclear how many people lived in Louisiana in 1764 when Denmark took it over. Ignoring any natives it’s believed that around 10 000 lived in the vast colony of those around 6000 was African slaves.

Denmark began early on to send the first settlers, Icelanders who wasn’t willing to live under French rule, in the period 1764-1770 all in all 10 000 Icelanders emigrated to the new colony, after which the Icelandic migration would slow down but still continue until 1788. All in all in the period 1770-1788 another 10 000 Icelanders (5 000 each decade) would arrive in Louisiana

The Icelander would first be settled on German Coast, but the revolt of the Germans and Acadians in 1765 and the hot and humid climate, ensured that it lost its position as the main Icelandic settlement area. Instead the Icelanders migrated further up the Mississippi and Arkansas Post and St. Louis became the main early settlements for Icelanders. Many Icelanders would soon migrate further up into the Ozarks, while the climate was still hotter than they was used to, they thrived in Ozark highlands. The Icelanders of the Ozarks would become small farmers, while the Icelanders who stayed in the lowland would mostly become ranchers.


But Icelanders wasn’t the only group migrating to the new colony. Around 1500 hundred soldiers plus their families had also been placed in the colony to avoid a new uprising. The majority was placed in Ny Orleans, but both Arkansas Post and Saint Louis got their own forts with a company each. The soldiers was mostly Germans (60%) with Lutherans making up the majority and with a large Catholic and a small Calvinistic minority. The soldiers would be given land and a pension when their service ended. Most of the soldiers was in their 30ties and had served the king for 10 years. They would mostly settle on German Coast, where their influx would make the area more loyal to the Danish state. All in all it’s believed that in the period 1764-1780 they together with their families would count for 12000 settlers, as the number of regiment was increased to tree


After 1766 with the decision to develop the colony an influx of African slaves began. Denmark with its already existing slave network was able to send significant amount of slaves to the colony. 15000 slaves would arrive by 1780, with the slaves also followed a heterodox mix of different White people with experience in the sugar production and trade. The Dutch was the biggest group but there was also a significant amount of Danes, Englishmen, Frenchmen and Jews among them. This group counted for 2000 settlers. The Danish administration ruled that all unfree men should be baptised by the Lutheran Church, they had a dutyt to not work sunday and had to go to church service on the sunday.


This was meet with protest from the Catholic clergy and slaveowners and almost lead to a diplomatic conflict with France. So instead a compromise was reached slaves belonging to Catholic slaveowner had to go to a Catholic church. But the Danish king could veto new Catholic clergy entering the colony. The Danish crown would use this to limit new Catholic clergy to French speaking members of the Ultrajectine Church. This would over the decades lead to the Mississippi delta being one of the centres of the Jansenist tradition.



From Denmark slaves also arrived, these on the other hand was criminals. Denmark who had bad experience with settling Danish convict in tropical climate placed many of them on farms at Arkansas Post and St. Louis under the local garrisons control, but if they had practical skills they ended up work around Ny Orleans. 9000 had arrived by 1780.


A interesting group which also arrived was Huguenot tobacco farmers from Fredericia in Denmark. While only 300 of them immigrated to Louisiana by 1780, where they settled in St. Louis, they would have a large influence on the development of the area. They often rented convict slaves from the garrisons to help their harvest, and St. Louis would become centre of the Danish tobacco production, especially as the crop was introduced to the Icelanders in the Ozarks, which would change the Huguenots from tobacco farmers to traders. Of course the Huguenot came into conflict with the local Catholic French settlers, both groups despised each others. One of the result was that the Huguenot got the settlement renamed to Fredericia after their old town.


Another 25000 poor Danes and Danish travellers also arrived by 1780. These was a mix of people from the poor houses and Travellers who had been rounded up to fill the ships, when they had room to a few more settlers.


At last 10 000 mostly Danes and Norwegians but also a number of Germans and Jews migrated to the new colony. These was voluntary migrants. They mostly founded new settlement along the Mississippi


All in all Louisiana (with natural increase) had by 1780, 130 000 people, of those around 20% was Black. Around 50% spoke Danish, 20% Icelandic, 20% French, while the rest was mostly German speakers. Around 75% of the population was Lutheran, 20% Catholic, 4% Calvinist and 1% Jewish.


What enable the large influx of settlers was the fact that a trading network already existed thanks to the Danish colonies in the West Indies and the infrastructure already put in place by the French. Ny Orleans developed in this period from a town 3500 people in 1764 to a town with 12 000 people by 1780. Of course compared to the rest of the Louisiana colony it stay far more French. Especially as the French dominance in the city resulted in French becoming the town lingua franca. But it also meant that almost ⅓ of the French speakers of the colony lived in the town.


Of course the influx of so many settlers made conflicts with the local natives unavoidable and in the Ozarks the Icelanders settlers began the war with local natives in what would become known as the Danish Indian Wars. In the short run this conflict ended with a Icelanders getting rid of most of the tribes in the Ozarks.
 
but can the Danes defend it 0r send people ?

Denmark had something like the fifth or sixth biggest army in Europe in the 19th century and one of the bigger navies (it's also in the top fifth or sixth). Of course if UK or France is willing to go to war over it, Denmark lose it, UK can simply take it, while France can move a army into Jutland if the Danes doesn't agree to give it up.. Of course they're not, both France and UK tried in much of the 18th century to get a alliance with Denmark or bribed Denmark to stay out of wars. Of course now Denmark have increased the army's size, it have also gotten a union with Hesse-Kassel in 1785, the result will be a army almost the size of the Prussian one.

As for people the last post are about that. But it's pretty much a question about whether Denmark want to make the investment, France had the biggest European population in the 18th century and New France got next to no settlers, because France was pretty much one of the best places to live in Europe. Denmark on the other hand have much smaller population, but at the same time many live in shitty areas, for a second son in Norway deciding between clearing some Norwegian forest to set up a farm or getting free land in Upper Louisiana there's not much of a choice, which was why USA saw so many Norwegian immigrants in OTL.
 
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