1814 - pt. 1

Hello, and welcome to my second post here at VHB. The first dedicated history post will be about 1814 and the temporary Norwegian independence story. A classic story for Norwegians (I am one), and quite fascinating for other people.

The story, or the prologue, begins in Copenhagen 1807. The Napoleonic wars rages, and Denmark (including Norway)'s side in the war is quite undecided, though they favour the French, primarily because the UK (France's nemesis as always) attacked Copenhagen in 1801, but they were still fence riding for some more. The British knew that the Danish trade fleet was one of the largest ones at the time, and the British feared that the French could get their hands on this, or, maybe, the British just wanted it for themselves. As a quite strange act, the British went into the waters outside Copenhagen and simply demanded the Danish fleet. The Danes obviously said no. The British then bombed Copenhagen with fire bombs as the history's first terror bombing until the Danes gave away their fleet. (!)

This clear act of war forced the Danes onto Napoleon's side in the war, not surprising, as the nemesis Sweden was a part of the Coalition (the anti-Napoleonic side).

The other prologue starts two years later, in 1809. Sweden, including Finland at the time, got attacked by the Russians, who conquered Finland in this year. The Swedes just lost an 800-year-old part of the once-great Swedish empire. After the failure in Finland, the Swedish officers did a regular coup d'etat and kicked the Swedish king Gustav VI Adolf. The military dictatorship didn't want to abandon the monarchy, they just wanted another ruler, and the old king was replaced with Carl XIII, the old king's uncle. He was not married, had no brothers or sisters, and was over 60 years old, and everyone knew that he wouldn't have a long time left. The Swedish monarchy was running out of time. They ask around for possible princes. Firstly, a Danish prince is requested, but he dies shortly after the selection. Then, after a long feud I'll probably explain another time, the French marshall Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, one of the best, actually, is chosen as new Swedish throne heir.

Bernadotte realises that Russia is too big an enemy for Sweden to handle to get back Finland, and he gives up taking Finland back. He instead realises the weak nemesis in west, Denmark, and thinks of a plan to get Norway ripped away from them. And yes, this happens, in the treaty of Kiel of 1814, where Denmark gives Norway to Sweden. But the Norwegians have other plans...

TBC

Vavva