Book Lauch: Scandinavia between Napoleon and Bismarck

The monographs Scandinavia after Napoleon: The Genesis of Scandinavianism and Scandinavia and Bismarck: The Zenith of Scandinavianism explore the emergence, high tide and ultimate failure of Scandinavian unification nationalism during the nineteenth century. 

A lesson learned from the Napoleonic Wars was that the survival of states was a matter of size. Whereas their union of 1814 offered Sweden-Norway geostrategic security tempered by fear of Russia, Denmark was arguably the biggest territorial loser of the Napoleonic Wars and found its survival further threatened by separatism in the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein connected to German nationalism. A new generation of Danes, Swedes and Norwegians saw kindred language, culture and religion as a case for Scandinavian unification that could offer protection against Russia and Germany. When the European revolutions of 1848 triggered the First Schleswig War, the influence of Scandinavianist ideology was such that the war nearly turned into a Scandinavian war of unification.

The repercussions of the revolutions and the Crimean War (1854-1856) transformed the international political system and nationalism into more ‘realist’ types. The influence of Scandinavianism now extended into courts, cabinets and parliaments, and attracted interest from the great powers. The Crimean War offered another window of opportunity for Scandinavian unification, before the Danish-German conflict over Schleswig and Holstein nearly united Scandinavia upon the outbreak of the Second Schleswig War in 1864. On both occasions, Britain played a crucial role. The ultimate failure of Scandinavianism was not predetermined, although historiography has made it appear as such. Queen Victoria, Lord Palmerston, Napoleon III, Camillo Cavour and Otto von Bismarck all supported and even actively contributed to plans for Scandinavian unification, with Bismarck even declaring himself as “very strongly Scandinavian”.

Unlike traditional historiography, these volumes highlight that the failure of Scandinavianism was not a foregone conclusion—a fact to which detailed plans for Scandinavianist revolution in Copenhagen testify. The potential creation of a Scandinavian state represented not merely a regional reshuffle but could have affected the European balance of power, as is evident in secret negotiations between Bismarck and the Scandinavianists, uncovered by the authors. Thus, understanding the nuances of this historical episode compels us to explore the intricate relationships between great powers and smaller state actors, a crucial perspective that enriches both the study of international relations and the broader narrative of 19th-century history.

Rasmus Glenthøj is Associate Professor of History at the University of Southern Denmark.

Morten Nordhagen Ottosen is Professor of History at the Norwegian Defence University College.

They have previously published Experiences of War and Nationality in Denmark and Norway, 1807-1815 (2014).

Please note that registration for this seminar will close a few days in advance. Details about how to join the seminar will be circulated via email to registered attendees 24 hours in advance.