Editing Fridtjof Nansen (section)

=== Politician and diplomat ===
[[File:Oskar II by Oscar Björck - torso small (Nationalmuseum, 38942).png|thumb|200px| upright|alt=An elderly, bearded man in ornate robes, wearing a jewelled crown surmounted by a cross, looks straight out of the picture.|[[Oscar II of Sweden|King Oscar II]], last king of the union of Sweden and Norway. He remained Sweden's king after Norway's independence in 1905.]]
[[Union between Sweden and Norway|The union between Norway and Sweden]], imposed by the Great Powers in 1814, had been under considerable strain through the 1890s, the chief issue in question being Norway's rights to its own [[Consul (representative)|consular service]].<ref name="Union">{{cite web | title = Norway, Sweden & union | url = http://www.nb.no/baser/1905/tidsl_e.html|publisher = National Library of Norway | year = 2003 | access-date =31 July 2010 }}</ref> Nansen, although not by inclination a politician, had spoken out on the issue on several occasions in defence of Norway's interests.<ref>Huntford, pp. 481–484</ref> As of 1898 Nansen was among the contributors of ''[[Ringeren]]'', an anti-Union magazine established by [[Sigurd Ibsen]].<ref>{{cite journal|issue=3|author=Terje I. Leiren|title=Catalysts to Disunion: Sigurd Ibsen and "Ringeren", 1898-1899|date=Fall 1999
|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40920149|pages=297–299|journal=Scandinavian Studies|volume=71|jstor=40920149}}</ref> It seemed, early in the 20th century that agreement between the two countries might be possible, but hopes were dashed when negotiations broke down in February 1905. The Norwegian government fell, and was replaced by one led by [[Christian Michelsen]], whose programme was one of separation from Sweden.<ref name="Union" />

In February and March Nansen published a series of newspaper articles which placed him firmly in the separatist camp. The new prime minister wanted Nansen in the cabinet, but Nansen had no political ambitions.<ref>Huntford, pp. 489–490</ref> However, at Michelsen's request he went to Berlin and then to London where, in a letter to ''The Times'', he presented Norway's legal case for a separate consular service to the English-speaking world. On 17 May 1905, Norway's Constitution Day, Nansen addressed a large crowd in Christiania, saying: "Now have all ways of retreat been closed. Now remains only one path, the way forward, perhaps through difficulties and hardships, but forward for our country, to a free Norway".<ref>Scott, p. 285</ref> He also wrote a book, ''Norway and the Union with Sweden'', to promote Norway's case abroad.<ref>Reynolds, p. 147</ref>

On 23 May the Storting passed the Consulate Act establishing a separate consular service. King Oscar refused his assent; on 27 May the Norwegian cabinet resigned, but the king would not recognise this step. On 7 June the Storting unilaterally announced that the union with Sweden was dissolved. In a tense situation the Swedish government agreed to Norway's request that the dissolution should be put to a referendum of the Norwegian people.<ref name="Union" /> This was held on 13 August 1905 and resulted in an overwhelming vote for independence, at which point King Oscar relinquished the crown of Norway while retaining the Swedish throne. A second referendum, held in November, determined that the new independent state should be a [[monarchy]] rather than a republic. In anticipation of this, Michelsen's government had been considering the suitability of various princes as candidates for the Norwegian throne. Faced with King Oscar's refusal to allow anyone from his own [[House of Bernadotte]] to accept the crown, the favoured choice was [[Haakon VII of Norway|Prince Charles of Denmark]]. In July 1905 Michelsen sent Nansen to Copenhagen on a secret mission to persuade Charles to accept the Norwegian throne.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Leiren | first = Terje | title = A Century of Norwegian Independence | url = https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1254607651.html  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160911183211/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1254607651.html  | url-status = dead  | archive-date = 11 September 2016 | journal = The Scandinavian Review | date =Spring 2005 | page = 7 | access-date =2 August 2005 }} {{subscription required}}</ref> Nansen was successful; shortly after the second referendum Charles was proclaimed king, taking the name Haakon VII. He and his wife, the British princess [[Maud of Wales|Maud]], were crowned in the [[Nidaros Cathedral]] in [[Trondheim]] on 22 June 1906.<ref name="Union" />

In April 1906 Nansen was appointed Norway's first [[Minister (diplomacy)|Minister]] in London.<ref name="Scott202">Scott, pp. 202–205</ref> His main task was to work with representatives of the major European powers on an Integrity Treaty which would guarantee Norway's position.<ref>{{cite journal |jstor=2186570 |pages=176–178 |title=The Integrity of Norway Guaranteed |volume=2 |issue=1 |journal=The American Journal of International Law |year=1908 |doi=10.2307/2186570|s2cid=246004823 }}</ref> Nansen was popular in England, and got on well with King Edward, though he found court functions and diplomatic duties disagreeable; "frivolous and boring" was his description.<ref name="Scott202" /> However, he was able to pursue his geographical and scientific interests through contacts with the Royal Geographical Society and other learned bodies. The Treaty was signed on 2 November 1907, and Nansen considered his task complete. Resisting the pleas of, among others, King Edward that he should remain in London, on 15 November Nansen resigned his post.<ref>Huntford, p. 551</ref> A few weeks later, still in England as the king's guest at [[Sandringham House|Sandringham]], Nansen received word that Eva was seriously ill with [[pneumonia]]. On 8 December he set out for home, but before he reached Polhøgda he learned, from a telegram, that Eva had died.<ref>Huntford, pp. 552–554</ref>