Editing Norway (section)

===High Middle Ages===
{{Main|Kingdom of Norway (872–1397)}}
{{See also|Greater Norway|Civil war era in Norway}}
[[File:Norwegian Hereditary Empire excluding Greenland.png|thumb|[[Kingdom of Norway (872–1397)|The Norwegian Kingdom]] at its greatest extent during the 13th century, including the [[Norway–Russia border#History|Open Border]] with the Novgorod Republic]]
From the 1040s to 1130, the country was at peace.<ref>Stenersen: 36</ref> In 1130, the [[civil war era in Norway|civil war era]] broke out on the basis of [[line of succession to the Norwegian throne|unclear succession laws]], which allowed the king's sons to rule jointly. The [[Archdiocese of Nidaros]] was created in 1152 and attempted to control the appointment of kings.<ref>Stenersen: 38</ref> The church inevitably had to take sides in the conflicts. The wars ended in 1217 with the appointment of [[Håkon IV|Håkon IV Håkonsson]], who introduced clear laws of succession.<ref>Stenersen: 39</ref>

From 1000 to 1300, the population increased from 150,000 to 400,000, resulting both in more land being cleared and the subdivision of farms. While in the Viking Age farmers owned their own land, by 1300, seventy per cent of the land was owned by the king, the church, or the aristocracy, and about twenty per cent of yields went to these landowners.<ref>Stenersen: 37</ref>

The 14th century is described as Norway's [[Golden age (metaphor)|golden age]], with peace and increase in trade, especially with the British Islands, although Germany became increasingly important towards the end of the century. Throughout the [[High Middle Ages]], the king established Norway as a sovereign state with a central administration and local representatives.<ref>Stenersen: 41</ref>

In 1349, the [[Black Death]] spread to Norway and within a year killed a third of the population. Later plagues reduced the population to half the starting point by 1400. Many communities were entirely wiped out, resulting in an abundance of land, allowing farmers to switch to more [[animal husbandry]]. The reduction in taxes weakened the king's position,<ref>Stenersen: 44</ref> and many aristocrats lost the basis for their surplus. High [[tithe]]s to church made it increasingly powerful and the archbishop became a member of the [[Norwegian Council of State|Council of State]].<ref name=s45>Stenersen: 45</ref>
[[File:Barrio de Bryggen, Bergen.jpg|thumb|[[Bryggen]] in [[Bergen (city)|Bergen]], once the centre of trade in Norway under the [[Hanseatic League]] trade network, now preserved as a [[World Heritage Site]]]]
The [[Hanseatic League]] took control over Norwegian trade during the 14th century and established a trading centre in [[Bergen (city)|Bergen]]. In 1380, [[Olaf II of Denmark|Olaf Haakonsson]] inherited both the Norwegian (as Olaf IV) and Danish thrones (as Olaf II), creating a union between the two countries.<ref name=s45 /> In 1397, under [[Margaret I of Denmark|Margaret I]], the [[Kalmar Union]] was created between the three Scandinavian countries. She waged war against the Germans, resulting in a trade blockade and higher taxation on Norwegian goods, which led to [[Engelbrekt rebellion|a rebellion]]. However, the Norwegian Council of State was too weak to pull out of the union.<ref name=s46>Stenersen: 46</ref>

Margaret pursued a centralising policy which inevitably favoured Denmark because of its greater population.<ref>Derry p. 75</ref> Margaret also granted trade privileges to the Hanseatic merchants of [[Lübeck]] in Bergen in return for recognition of her rule, and these hurt the Norwegian economy. The Hanseatic merchants formed a state within a state in Bergen for generations.<ref>Derry pp. 77–78</ref> The "[[Victual Brothers]]" launched three devastating pirate raids on the port (the last in 1427).<ref>Derry p. 77</ref>

Norway slipped ever more to the background under the [[House of Oldenburg|Oldenburg dynasty]] (established 1448). There was one revolt under [[Knut Alvsson]] in 1502.<ref>Derry pp. 81–82</ref> Norway took no part in the events which led to Swedish independence from Denmark in the 1520s.<ref>Derry pp. 83–84</ref>

==== Kalmar Union ====
{{Main article|Kalmar Union}}
{{Main article|First Swedish–Norwegian union}}
Upon the death of King [[Haakon V of Norway|Haakon V]] in 1319, [[Magnus Eriksson]], at just three years old, inherited the throne as King Magnus VII. A simultaneous movement to make Magnus King of Sweden proved successful (he was a grandson of King [[Magnus III of Sweden|Magnus Ladulås]] of Sweden), and both the kings of Sweden and of Denmark were elected to the throne by their respective nobles. Thus Sweden and Norway were united under King Magnus VII.<ref name=larsen>[[#Larsen|Larsen]], p. 192.</ref>

In 1349, the [[Black Death]] killed between 50% and 60% of Norway's population<ref>{{Cite journal|pmid = 2197762|year = 1990|last1 = Oeding|first1 = P|title = The black death in Norway|journal = Tidsskrift for den Norske Laegeforening|volume = 110|issue = 17|pages = 2204–08}}</ref> and led to a period of social and economic decline.<ref name=enc>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/67758/Black-Death |title=Black Death (pandemic) |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=23 July 2011 |archive-date=18 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718214050/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/67758/Black-Death |url-status=live }}</ref> Although the death rate was comparable with the rest of Europe, economic recovery took much longer because of the small, scattered population.<ref name="enc"/> Even before the plague, the population was only about 500,000.<ref name=end>[[#Larsen|Larsen]], pp. 202–03.</ref> After the plague, many farms lay idle while the population slowly increased.<ref name="enc"/> However, the few surviving farms' tenants found their bargaining positions with their landlords greatly strengthened.<ref name=enc/>

[[File:Union of Kalmar (1500).svg|thumb|The [[Kalmar Union]], {{circa|1500}}]]

King Magnus VII ruled Norway until 1350, when his son, Haakon, was placed on the throne as [[Haakon VI of Norway|Haakon VI]].<ref name=autogenerated3>[[#Larsen|Larsen]], p. 195</ref> In 1363, Haakon married [[Margaret I of Denmark|Margaret]], daughter of King [[Valdemar IV of Denmark]].<ref name="enc"/> Upon the death of Haakon in 1379, his 10-year-old son [[Olaf II of Denmark|Olaf IV]] acceded to the throne.<ref name="enc"/> As Olaf had already been elected to the throne of Denmark in 1376,<ref name="enc"/> Denmark and Norway entered a [[personal union]].<ref name=autogenerated2>[[#Larsen|Larsen]], p. 197</ref> Olaf's mother and Haakon's widow, Queen Margaret, managed the foreign affairs of Denmark and Norway during Olaf's minority.<ref name="enc"/>

Margaret was on the verge of achieving a union of Sweden with Denmark and Norway when Olaf IV suddenly died.<ref name="enc"/> Denmark made Margaret temporary ruler on the death of Olaf. On 2 February 1388, Norway followed suit and crowned Margaret.<ref name=enc/> Queen Margaret knew that her power would be more secure if she were able to find a king to rule in her place. She settled on [[Eric of Pomerania]], grandson of her sister. Thus at an all-Scandinavian meeting held at Kalmar, Erik of Pomerania was crowned king of all three Scandinavian countries, bringing the thrones of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden under the control of Queen Margaret when the country entered into the [[Kalmar Union]].