Editing Christian X (section)

===World War II===
[[File:Christian X.jpg|thumb|upright|During the German [[Denmark in World War II|occupation of Denmark]], the King's daily ride through Copenhagen became a symbol of Danish sovereignty. This picture was taken on his birthday in 1940|left]]

On 9 April 1940 at 4&nbsp;am Nazi Germany [[German invasion of Denmark (1940)|invaded Denmark in a surprise attack]], overwhelming Denmark's Army and Navy and destroying the Danish Army Air Corps. Christian X quickly realized that Denmark was in an impossible position. Its territory and population were far too small to hold out against Germany for any sustained period of time. Its flat land would have resulted in it being easily overrun by German [[panzer]]s; [[Jutland]], for instance, would have been overrun in short order by a panzer attack from [[Schleswig-Holstein]] immediately to the south. Unlike its Nordic neighbours, Denmark had no mountain ranges from which a drawn-out resistance could be mounted against the German army.<ref name="RiseFall">William Shirer, ''The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich'' (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990), p. 663.</ref> With no prospect of being able to hold out for any length of time, and faced with the explicit threat of the [[Luftwaffe]] bombing the civilian population of [[Copenhagen]], and with only one general in favour of continuing to fight, Christian X and the entire Danish government capitulated at about 6&nbsp;am,<ref>[[Peter Rochegune Munch]]: Erindringer 7, p. 29.</ref> in exchange for retaining political independence in domestic matters,<ref>[http://www.milhist.dk/besattelsen/9april/9april.html The German occupation of Denmark] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015025325/http://www.milhist.dk/besattelsen/9april/9april.html|date=15 October 2013}}</ref> beginning the [[Denmark in World War II|occupation of Denmark]], which lasted until 5 May 1945.

In contrast to his brother, [[Haakon VII of Norway|King Haakon VII of Norway]], and [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands]], [[George II of the Hellenes|King George II of the Hellenes]], [[Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg|Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg]], [[Peter II of Yugoslavia|King Peter II of Yugoslavia]], [[Edvard Beneš|President Edvard Beneš of Czechoslovakia]] and [[Władysław Raczkiewicz|President Władysław Raczkiewicz of Poland]], all of whom went into exile during the Nazi occupation of their countries, Christian X (like [[Leopold III of the Belgians|King Leopold III of the Belgians]], unlike [[Albert Lebrun|President Albert Lebrun of France]] who was deposed) remained in his capital throughout the [[occupation of Denmark]], being to the Danish people a visible symbol of the national cause (Haakon escaped the German advance after [[Haakon VII of Norway#Resistance during World War II|refusing to accept a Nazi-friendly puppet regime]].)

[[File:Kongemærker.jpg|thumb|Two versions of the King's Emblem Pin (''Kongemærket''), showing Christian's CX [[royal cypher|cypher]]; a popular symbol of patriotism during the war|alt=]]

Until the [[Occupation of Denmark#Increasing resistance after the August 1943 crisis|imposition of martial law]] by Germany in August 1943, Christian's official speeches reflected the government's official policy of cooperation with the occupying forces, but this did not prevent his being seen by the Danish people as a man of "mental resistance." During the first two years of the German occupation, despite his age and the precarious situation, he took a daily ride on his horse, Jubilee, through Copenhagen, unaccompanied by a groom, let alone a guard. A popular way for Danes to display patriotism and silent resistance to the German occupation was wearing a small square button with the Danish flag and the crowned insignia of the king.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kongehuset.dk/menu/nyheder/historien-bag-konge-emblemet|title=The History Behind the King's Emblem|author1=Danish Royal Family|date=27 November 2012|website=Kongehuset.dk/|publisher=The Danish Royal Family|language=da|access-date=5 February 2017|archive-date=9 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409024259/https://www.kongehuset.dk/menu/nyheder/historien-bag-konge-emblemet|url-status=dead}}</ref> This symbol was called the ''Kongemærket'' (''King's Emblem pin''). In addition, he helped finance [[Rescue of the Danish Jews|the transport of Danish Jews to unoccupied Sweden]], where they would be safe from Nazi persecution.<ref>[http://www.b.dk/kultur/christian-x-gav-penge-til-joedetransporter Christian X gav penge til jødetransporter – Kultur| www.b.dk<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

In 1942, [[Adolf Hitler]] sent Christian a long telegram congratulating him on his seventy-second birthday. The king's reply telegram was a mere, ''Spreche Meinen besten Dank aus. Chr. Rex'' (''Giving my best thanks, King Christian''). This perceived slight, known as the [[Telegram Crisis]], greatly outraged Hitler and he immediately recalled his ambassador from Copenhagen and expelled the Danish ambassador from Germany. German pressure then resulted in the dismissal of the government led by [[Vilhelm Buhl]] and its replacement with a new cabinet led by non-party member and veteran diplomat [[Erik Scavenius]], whom the Germans expected to be more cooperative. (In any event, whatever independence Denmark had been able to maintain during the first years of the occupation ended abruptly with the German ''Putsch'' in August 1943.) After a fall with his horse on 19 October 1942, Christian was more or less an invalid for the rest of his reign.<ref>{{cite web|url-status=dead|url=http://www.faktalink.dk/publish.php?linknavn=besahele|website=FaktaLink|title=2005 – Besættelsen – Kilder<!-- Bot generated title -->|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070610015309/http://www.faktalink.dk/publish.php?linknavn=besahele|archive-date=10 June 2007}}</ref> The role he played in creating the [[Easter Crisis of 1920]] had greatly reduced his popularity, but his daily rides, the Telegram Crisis, and the admiring stories spread by [[Danish-American]] circles once again made him popular to the point of being a beloved national symbol.