Editing Denmark (section)

=== Constitutional monarchy (1849–present) ===
[[File:Grundlovgivende rigsforsamling - Constantin Hansen full.jpg|thumb|The National Constitutional Assembly was convened by King [[Frederick VII of Denmark|Frederick VII]] in 1848 to adopt the [[Constitution of Denmark]]]]
A nascent Danish liberal and national movement gained momentum in the 1830s; after the European [[Revolutions of 1848]], Denmark peacefully became a [[constitutional monarchy]] on 5 June 1849. A new constitution established a [[Rigsdagen|two-chamber parliament]]. Denmark faced war against both [[Prussia]] and the [[Austrian Empire]] in what became known as the [[Second Schleswig War]], lasting from February to October 1864. Denmark was defeated and obliged to [[cession|cede]] [[Province of Schleswig-Holstein|Schleswig and Holstein]] to [[Prussia]]. This loss came as the latest in the long series of defeats and [[Danish Royal Enclaves|territorial]] losses that had begun in the 17th century. After these events, Denmark pursued a policy of neutrality in Europe.

[[Industrialization|Industrialisation]] came to Denmark in the second half of the 19th century.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tellier|first=Luc-Normand|title=Urban world history an economic and geographical perspective|date=2009|publisher=Presses de l'Université du Québec|location=Québec|isbn=978-2-7605-2209-1|page=457|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cXuCjDbxC1YC&pg=PA457|access-date=21 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412182836/https://books.google.com/books?id=cXuCjDbxC1YC&pg=PA457|archive-date=12 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[History of rail transport in Denmark|nation's first railways]] were constructed in the 1850s, and improved communications and overseas trade allowed industry to develop in spite of Denmark's lack of natural resources. [[Trade union]]s developed, starting in the 1870s. There was a considerable migration of people from the countryside to the cities, and Danish agriculture became centred on the export of dairy and meat products.

Denmark [[Denmark during World War I|maintained its neutral stance]] during [[World War I]]. After the defeat of Germany, the [[Treaty of Versailles|Versailles powers]] offered to return the region of Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark. Fearing German [[irredentism]], Denmark refused to consider the return of the area without a [[plebiscite]]; the two [[Schleswig Plebiscites]] took place on 10 February and 14 March 1920, respectively. On 10 July 1920, Northern Schleswig was recovered by Denmark, thereby adding some 163,600 inhabitants and {{convert|3984|km2|sqmi}}. The country's first social democratic government took office in 1924.<ref name="Politico">{{cite web|title=Lost in translation: Epic goes to Denmark|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/06/epic-denmark-health-1510223|website=Politico|date=6 June 2019|access-date=10 June 2019|archive-date=12 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412163058/https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/06/epic-denmark-health-1510223|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1939, Denmark signed a 10-year nonaggression pact with [[Nazi Germany]]. However, [[German invasion of Denmark (1940)|Germany invaded Denmark]] on 9 April 1940, and the Danish government quickly surrendered. However, as around 10% of the German army's foodstuff was supplied by Danish agricultural output and Germany wanted that supply line to continue, the occupation was more cooperative and less harsh than many other countries in Europe.  [[Denmark in World War II|World War II in Denmark]] was characterised by economic co-operation with Germany until 1943, when the Danish government refused further co-operation and [[Royal Danish Navy|its navy]] [[Operation Safari|scuttled most of its ships]] and sent many of its officers to Sweden, which was neutral. At that point the government fell and was taken over by the professional beaucracy which did a splendid job of leading the country. The [[Danish resistance movement|Danish resistance]] performed a [[Rescue of the Danish Jews|rescue operation]] that managed to evacuate several thousand [[History of the Jews in Denmark|Jews]] and their families to safety in Sweden before the Germans could send them to death camps. Some Danes supported [[Nazism]] by joining the [[National Socialist Workers' Party of Denmark|Danish Nazi Party]] or volunteering to fight with Germany as part of the [[Frikorps Danmark]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Rugg |first=Andy |title=Traitor Danes: most soldiers return heroes, but this lot came home total zeroes |url=http://cphpost.dk//culture/through-looking-glass/traitor-danes-most-soldiers-return-heroes-lot-came-home-total-zeroes |work=Copenhagen Post |access-date=30 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129130650/http://cphpost.dk/culture/through-looking-glass/traitor-danes-most-soldiers-return-heroes-lot-came-home-total-zeroes |archive-date=29 January 2013 }}</ref> Iceland severed ties with Denmark and [[Founding of the republic of Iceland|became an independent republic]] in 1944; [[Liberation of Denmark|Germany surrendered]] in May 1945. In 1948, the Faroe Islands gained [[home rule]]. In 1949, Denmark became a founding member of [[NATO]].

[[File:Tratado de Lisboa 13 12 2007 (081).jpg|thumb|Denmark became a member of the European Union in 1973 and signed the [[Lisbon Treaty]] in 2007.]]

Denmark was a founding member of the [[European Free Trade Association]] (EFTA). During the 1960s, the EFTA countries were often referred to as the [[Outer Seven]], as opposed to the [[Inner Six]] of what was then the [[European Economic Community]] (EEC).<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Finland: Now, the Seven and a Half |magazine=Time |date=7 April 1961 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,874317,00.htm |access-date=18 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104144427/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,874317,00.htm |archive-date=4 November 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1973, along with Britain and Ireland, Denmark joined the European Economic Community (now the [[European Union]]) after a [[1972 Danish European Communities membership referendum|public referendum]]. The [[Maastricht Treaty]], which involved further European integration, [[1992 Danish Maastricht Treaty referendum|was rejected]] by the Danish people in 1992; it was only accepted after a [[1993 Danish Maastricht Treaty referendum|second referendum]] in 1993, which provided for [[Opt-outs in the European Union|four opt-outs]] from policies. The Danes rejected the euro as the national currency in [[2000 Danish euro referendum|a referendum in 2000]]. Greenland gained home rule in 1979 and was awarded [[self-determination]] in 2009. Neither the [[Faroe Islands and the European Union|Faroe Islands]] nor [[Greenland–European Union relations#Outside the EU|Greenland]] are members of the European Union, the Faroese having declined membership of the EEC in 1973 and Greenland in 1986, in both cases because of fisheries policies.

Constitutional change in 1953 led to a [[unicameralism|single-chamber]] parliament elected by proportional representation, female accession to the Danish throne, and Greenland becoming an integral part of Denmark. The [[centre-left]] [[Social Democrats (Denmark)|Social Democrats]] led a string of coalition governments for most of the second half of the 20th century, introducing the [[Nordic model|Nordic welfare model]]. The [[Venstre (Denmark)|Liberal Party]] and the [[Conservative People's Party (Denmark)|Conservative People's Party]] have also led [[centre-right]] governments.