1814 - pt. 2

Hello. Vavva here, and here is part 2 of the Norwegian independence story.

Norway hadn't been independent since 1397, and in 1814, Norway had been in an union with Denmark for 434 years. As probably understood, the Norwegians were quite fed up with this, though it wasn't that bad a reign, and wanted independence. As partially mentioned in part 1, the Kiel treaty of January 1814 took away Norway from Danish rule and gave it to Sweden as "punishment" for the Danish support to Napoleon in exchange for lesser territories as a symbolic compensation in Germany.

Norway had been waiting  quite a long time for this moment. This was the time to claim Norwegian independence before it was too late and the Swedish union was nailed! Representatives from all over the country came to Eidsvoll, north of Oslo, Norway, and discussed a Norwegian constitution. At the 17th of May, the Norwegian national day, they agreed and declared Norway an independent state.

Of course, the Swedes didn't like this, and declared war on this newly formed state. Now, Norway and its temporary king Christian Frederik was in big trouble. Sweden had experienced troops from the Napoleonic wars, one of France's best marshalls as commander (Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, now known as prince Carl Johan). Norway had newly conscripted peasant-soldiers, green and unexperienced, and few good commanders. They were fewer than the Swedes too, and the Norwegians only had bare luck to trust during this war.

Norwegian troops boarded up all along the Swedish front, or primarily the souther one, along Østfold's Swedish border. Here fights broke out, but not rather decisive ones like in Europe. Those kinds of battle would come in Rakkestad, Østfold, where the Norwegian main army lined up. And a possible Norwegian independence's chance of survival was fought here during the summer of 1814...

...or not. The Norwegians let their senses overcome the courage and glory of a possible victory, and signed a peace treaty with Sweden. Norway became Swedish, though with a looser connection than expected by the Swedes. The Norwegians could have their own constitution (a quite liberal one, by the way), their own Prime Minister, and internal politics were separated in Norwegian and Swedish politics. However, the Swedish kept, as planned by them, foreign policy, trade and diplomacy to themselves. This union lasted for 91 years, and after quarrels over the Norwegian trade fleet sailing under Swedish flags (the Norwegian fleet was amongst the largest in the world at the time) and other issues, the Swedish opened for a referendum over abolishing the union. A great majority voted yes, and the modern Norwegian state was founded in 1905. Maybe, just maybe, 91 years too late, if Rakkestad would've been won...

Please feel free to correct me if some numbers, dates or facts are incorrect.

Vavva