Editing Royal Norwegian Navy (section)

=== Early history ===
The history of Norwegian state-operated naval forces is long, and goes back to the [[leidang]] which was first established by King [[Haakon I of Norway|Håkon the Good]] at the [[Gulating]] in 955, although variants of the Leidang had at that time already existed for hundreds of years. During the last part of the Middle Ages the system of levying of ships, equipment, and manpower for the leidang was mainly used to levying tax and existed as such into the 17th Century.

During most of the union between Norway and [[Denmark]] the two countries had [[Royal Danish-Norwegian Navy|a common fleet]]. This fleet was established by [[John, King of Denmark|King Hans]] in 1509 in Denmark. A large proportion of the crew and officers in this new Navy organisation were Norwegian. In 1709 there were about 15,000 personnel enrolled in the common fleet; of these 10,000 were Norwegian. When [[Peter Tordenskjold]] carried out his [[Battle of Dynekilen|famous raid at Dynekil]] in 1716 more than 80 percent of the sailors and 90 percent of the soldiers in his force were Norwegian. Because of this the Royal Norwegian Navy shares its history from 1509 to 1814 with the [[Royal Danish Navy]].

The modern, separate Royal Norwegian Navy was founded (restructured) on April 12, 1814, by Prince [[Christian VIII of Denmark|Christian Fredrik]] on the remnants of the Dano-Norwegian Navy. At the time of separation, the Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy was in a poor state and Norway was left with the lesser share. All officers of Danish birth were ordered to return to Denmark and the first commander of the Norwegian navy became Captain [[Thomas Fasting]]. It then consisted of 39 officers, seven [[brig]]s (one more under construction), one [[schooner|schooner-brig]], eight gun [[schooners]], 46 gun chalups and 51 gun barges.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.idi.ntnu.no/~anders/books/Fra_Krigens_Tid/Marinen-1814.html|title=Den norske Marine i 1814.|access-date=14 December 2014|archive-date=9 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209084903/http://www.idi.ntnu.no/~anders/books/Fra_Krigens_Tid/Marinen-1814.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> April 1, 1815, the Royal Norwegian Navy's leadership was reorganized into a navy ministry, and Fasting became the first navy minister.

Norway retained its independent armed forces, including the navy, during the [[Sweden-Norway|union with Sweden]]. During most of the union the navy was subjected to low funding, even though there were ambitious plans to expand it. In the late 19th century, the fleet was increased to defend a possible independent Norway from her Swedish neighbours.

In 1900, just five years prior to the separation from Sweden, the navy, which was maintained for coastal defence, consisted of: two British-built [[coastal defence ship]]s ({{HNoMS|Harald Haarfagre}} and {{HNoMS|Tordenskjold}} – each armored and displacing about 3,500 tons), four ironclad [[Monitor (warship)|monitors]], three unarmored gun vessels, twelve gunboats, sixteen small (sixty ton) gunboats, and a flotilla of twenty-seven [[torpedo boat]]s.<ref name=Keltie>Keltie, J.S., ed. ''The Stateman's Year Book: Statistical and Historical Annual of the States of the World for the Year 1900''. New York: MacMillan, 1900. (Retrieved via Google Books 3/5/11.)</ref>{{rp|1066}} These were operated by 116 active duty officers (with an additional sixty reserve) and 700 petty officers and seamen.<ref name=Keltie />{{rp|1067}}
[[File:HaarfagreOgTordenskjold.jpg|thumb|Hårfagre og Tordenskjold]]