Editing History of Denmark

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{{More citations needed|date=March 2021}}
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|name = History of Denmark
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|country = Denmark
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{{Tree list}}
*'''[[#Prehistoric Denmark|Prehistoric Denmark]]''' {{color|#999|c. 6000 BC–700 AD}}
**[[Kongemose culture]] {{color|#999|c. 6000 BC–5200 BC}}
**[[Ertebølle culture]] {{color|#999|c. 5,300 BC – 3,950 BC}}
**[[Funnelbeaker culture]] {{color|#999|{{c.}} c. 4300–2800 BC}}
**[[Corded Ware culture]] {{color|#999| c. 3000 BC – 2350 BC}}
**[[Nordic Bronze Age]] {{color|#999| c. 2000/1750–500 BC.}}
**[[Pre-Roman Iron Age]] {{color|#999| c. 5th/4th–1st centuries BC}}
**[[Roman Iron Age]] {{color|#999| c. 1–400 AD}}
**[[Germanic Iron Age]] {{color|#999| c. 5th to 8th centuries AD}} 
*'''[[Viking Age]]''' {{color|#999| c. 793–1066 AD}}
**[[Sigfred|House of Sigfred]] {{color|#999| 	c. 770–c.870 AD}}
**[[House of Olaf]] {{color|#999|late 9th century and early 10th AD}}
**[[House of Knýtlinga]] {{color|#999| 916–1042 }}
***[[Harald Bluetooth#Reign|Reunification]] {{color|#999| c. 916-973}}
*** [[Christianization of Scandinavia#Denmark|Christianization]] {{color|#999| c. 960}}
*** [[North Sea Empire]] {{color|#999| 1013-1042}}
** [[House of Fairhair]]{{color|#999| 1042-1047}}
*'''[[#Middle Ages|Medieval Times]]''' {{color|#999|1047–1536}}
**[[House of Estridsen|Estridsen era]] {{color|#999|1047–1412}}
*** [[Sweyn II of Denmark#Family|Reign of Sweyn II and his sons]] {{color|#999|1047–1134}}
*** [[Danish Civil Wars|Civil War era]] {{color|#999|1131–1157}}
*** [[Dominium maris baltici#Danish dominium maris baltici|Danish Baltic Empire]] {{color|#999|1168–1319}}
***[[#Count rule|Kingless times]] {{color|#999|1319–1340}}
***[[Valdemar IV of Denmark#Mortgage of Denmark|Solidification of Denmark]] {{color|#999|1340–1360}}
**[[Kalmar Union]] {{color|#999|1397–1523}}
***[[House of Griffin]] {{color|#999|1397–1442}}
***[[House of Palatinate-Neumarkt]] {{color|#999|1440–1448}}
***[[House of Oldenburg]] {{color|#999|1448–1523}}
***[[List of wars between Denmark and Sweden#Union Wars|Union Wars]] {{color|#999|1497–1523}}
**[[Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein|Reformation]] {{color|#999|1520s–1536}}
***[[Count's Feud]] {{color|#999|1534–1536}}
*'''[[Denmark-Norway]] {{color|#999|1536–1814}}'''
**[[Denmark-Norway#History|Rise]] {{color|#999|1536-1626}}
***[[Sound Dues|Baltic Trade monopoly]] {{color|#999|16th and 17th centuries}}
***[[Danish overseas colonies|Dano-Norwegian Colonial Empire]] {{color|#999|1620–1814}}
**[[Denmark-Norway#History|Fall]] {{color|#999|1626–1814}}
***[[Thirty Years' War]] {{color|#999|1625-1645}}
***[[Little Northern War]] {{color|#999|1657-1660}}
***[[Great Northern War]] {{color|#999|1700-1720}}
***[[Neutral country|Dano-Norwegian neutrality]] {{color|#999|1720–1801}}
***[[Napoleonic wars]] {{color|#999|1801–1814}}
*'''[[#19th century|Danish unitary state]]''' {{color|#999|1814–1864}}
**[[Danish Golden Age]] {{color|#999| c. 1800–1870}}
**[[#Nationalism and liberalism|Rise of National-liberalism]] {{color|#999|1830s–1864}}
***[[Revolutions of 1848#Denmark|Revolutions of 1848]] {{color|#999|1848}}
****[[March Revolution (Denmark)|March Revolution]] {{color|#999|1848}}
****[[First Schleswig War]] {{color|#999|1848}}
***[[Constitution of Denmark|Constitutional Monarchy]] {{color|#999|1849-present}}
**[[House of Glücksburg]] {{color|#999|1863-present}}
***[[Constitution of Denmark#Parallel constitution for the Unitary State (1855–1866)|November Constitution]] {{color|#999|1863}}
***[[Second Schleswig War|Loss of The Duchies]] {{color|#999|1864}}
*'''[[Denmark|Danish national state]]''' {{color|#999|1864-present}}
**[[Christian IX|Reign of Christian IX]] {{color|#999|1863-1906}}
***[[#Industrialisation|Industrialisation]] {{color|#999|19th century-20th century}}
***[[Constitution of Denmark#The Revised Constitution (1866)|Revised Constitution]] {{color|#999|19th century-20th century}}
**[[Christian X|Reign of Christian X]] {{color|#999|1912-1947}}
***[[Denmark during World War I|World War I]] {{color|#999|1914-1918}}
****[[1920 Schleswig plebiscites|Schleswig Reunification]] {{color|#999|1920}}
****[[Easter Crisis]] {{color|#999|1920}}
***[[Danish–Icelandic Act of Union|Dano-Icelandic Union]] {{color|#999|1918-1944}}
***[[Denmark during World War II|World War II]] {{color|#999|1940-1945}}
****[[Occupation of Denmark|Occupation]] {{color|#999|1940-1945}}
****[[Denmark in World War II#Protectorate government (1940–43)|Protectorate]] {{color|#999|1940-1943}}
****[[Denmark in World War II#Hardship and the end of the war (1940–43)|Liberation]] {{color|#999|1940-1943}}
**[[Frederik IX|Reign of Frederik IX]] {{color|#999|1947-1972}}
***[[#Post war|Post-war]] {{color|#999|1947-1953}}
****[[Constitution of Denmark#Current Constitution (1953)|Constitution of 1953]] {{color|#999|1953-present}}
***[[Cold war]] {{color|#999|1947-1991}}
****[[NATO|Creation of NATO]] {{color|#999|1949}}
****[[Cold War (1953–1962)]] {{color|#999|1953–1962}}
**[[Margrethe II of Denmark|Reign of Margrethe II]]  {{color|#999|1972-2024}}
***[[Denmark and the European Union#History|Joining the EC]] {{color|#999|1979-1985}}
***[[Cold War (1979–1985)|The New Cold war]] {{color|#999|1979-1985}}
***[[Post-Cold War Era|Post-Cold War]] {{color|#999|1991-present}}
****[[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]] {{color|#999|2001–2021}}
****[[Iraq War]] {{color|#999|2003-2011}}
**[[Frederik X|Reign of Frederik X]]  {{color|#999|2024-present}}
{{Tree list/end}}
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*[[List of Danish monarchs|List of monarchs]] {{color|#999|8th century–present}}
*[[Military history of Denmark|Military history]]
*[[List of Danish Prime Ministers|List of Prime Ministers]] {{color|#999|1849–present}}

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[[File:1730 Homann Map of Scandinavia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and the Baltics - Geographicus - Scandinavia-homann-1730.jpg|thumb|Homann's map of the [[Scandinavian Peninsula]] and [[Fennoscandia]] with their surrounding territories: northern [[Germany]], northern [[Poland]], the [[Baltic region]], [[Livonia]], [[Belarus]], and parts of [[Northwest Russia]]. [[Johann Homann|Johann Baptist Homann]] (1664–1724) was a German geographer and cartographer; map dated around 1730.]]
The '''history of Denmark''' as a [[Kingdom of Denmark|unified kingdom]] began in the 8th century, but historic documents describe the geographic area and the people living there—the [[Danes (tribe)|Danes]]—as early as 500 AD. These early documents include the writings of [[Jordanes]] and [[Procopius]]. With the [[Christianization of Scandinavia#Denmark|Christianization of the Danes]] c. 960 AD, it is clear that there existed a kingship. King [[Frederik X]] can trace his lineage back to the [[Viking]] kings [[Gorm the Old]] and [[Harald Bluetooth]] from this time, thus making the [[Monarchy of Denmark]] the oldest in Europe.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.sky.com/story/frederik-x-denmark-has-new-king-as-queen-margrethe-ii-abdicates-in-historic-moment-for-europe-s-oldest-monarchy-13048144|title=Frederik X: Denmark has new King as Queen Margrethe II abdicates in historic moment for Europe’s oldest monarchy|website=Sky News}}</ref> The area now known as Denmark has a rich [[prehistory]], having been populated by several prehistoric cultures and people for about 12,000 years, since the end of the [[Paleolithic|last ice age]].

Denmark's history has particularly been influenced by its geographical location between the [[North Sea|North]] and [[Baltic Sea|Baltic]] seas, a strategically and economically important placement between [[Sweden]] and [[Germany]], at the center of mutual struggles for control of the Baltic Sea ({{lang|la|[[dominium maris baltici]]}}). Denmark was long in disputes with Sweden over control of [[Skånelandene]] and with Germany over control of [[Schleswig]] (a Danish [[fief]]) and [[Holstein]] (a German fief).

Eventually, Denmark lost these conflicts and ended up ceding first [[Skåneland]] to Sweden and later [[Schleswig-Holstein]] to the [[German Empire]]. After the eventual cession of [[Norway in 1814]], Denmark retained control of the old Norwegian colonies of the [[Faroe Islands]], [[Greenland]] and [[Iceland]]. During the 20th century, Iceland gained independence, Greenland and the Faroes became integral parts of the [[Kingdom of Denmark]] and [[North Schleswig]] reunited with Denmark in 1920 after a referendum. During [[World War II]], Denmark was [[occupation of Denmark|occupied]] by [[Nazi Germany]], but was eventually liberated by British forces of the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] in 1945,<ref>The remote Danish island of [[Bornholm]] in the Baltic Sea was liberated by Soviet forces of the Allies. This led to some political turmoil and conflict, occasionally resurfacing in modern times.</ref> after which it joined the [[United Nations]]. In the aftermath of World War II, and with the emergence of the subsequent [[Cold War]], Denmark was quick to join the military alliance of [[Member states of NATO|NATO]] as a founding member in 1949.

== Prehistoric Denmark ==
{{see also|Scandinavian prehistory}}
The Scandinavian region has a rich [[prehistory]], having been populated by several prehistoric cultures and people for about 12,000 years, since the end of the [[Weichselian glaciation|last ice age]]. During the ice age, all of Scandinavia was covered by [[glacier]]s most of the time, except for the southwestern parts of what we now know as Denmark. When the ice began retreating, the barren tundras were soon inhabited by reindeer and elk, and [[Ahrensburg culture|Ahrenburg]] and [[Swiderian culture|Swiderian]] hunters from the south followed them here to hunt occasionally. The geography then was very different from what we know today. Sea levels were much lower; the island of [[Great Britain]] was connected by a land bridge to mainland Europe and the large area between Great Britain and the [[Jutland|Jutlandic peninsula]] – now beneath the [[North Sea]] and known as [[Doggerland]] – was inhabited by tribes of hunter-gatherers. As the climate warmed up, forceful rivers of meltwater started to flow and shape the virgin lands, and more stable flora and fauna gradually began emerging in Scandinavia, and Denmark in particular. The first human settlers to inhabit Denmark and Scandinavia permanently were the [[Maglemosian culture|Maglemosian people]], residing in seasonal camps and exploiting the land, sea, rivers and lakes. It was not until around 6,000 BC that the approximate geography of Denmark as we know it today had been shaped.

Denmark has some unique natural conditions for preservation of artifacts, providing [[Archaeology of Denmark|a rich and diverse archeological record]] from which to understand the prehistoric cultures of this area.

=== Stone and Bronze Age ===
[[File:Brænde-Stene.jpg|right|thumb|Stone Dolmen near Vinstrup, Nørhald. Built in the 3rd millennium BC.]]History of Denmark{{see also|Neolithic|Nordic Stone Age|Nordic Bronze Age}} 
The [[Last glacial period|Weichsel glaciation]] covered all of Denmark most of the time, except the western coasts of Jutland. It ended around 13,000 years ago, allowing humans to move back into the previously ice-covered territories and establish permanent habitation. During the first post-glacial millennia, the landscape gradually changed from [[tundra]] to light forest, and varied fauna including now-extinct [[megafauna]] appeared. Early prehistoric cultures uncovered in modern Denmark include the [[Maglemosian culture]] (9,500–6,000 BC); the [[Kongemose culture]] (6,000–5,200 BC), the [[Ertebølle culture]] (5,300–3,950 BC), and the [[Funnelbeaker culture]] (4,100–2,800 BC).

[[File:Solvognen-00100.jpg|thumb|The famous [[Trundholm sun chariot]] (called ''[[Solvognen]]'' in Danish), a sculpture of the sun pulled by a mare. Scholars have dated it to some time in the 15th century BC and believe that it illustrates an important concept expressed in [[Nordic Bronze Age]] mythology.]]
The first inhabitants of this early post-glacial landscape in the so-called [[Boreal (period)|Boreal period]], were very small and scattered populations living from hunting of [[reindeer]] and other land mammals and gathering whatever fruits the climate was able to offer. Around 8,300 BC the temperature rose drastically, now with summer temperatures around 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit), and the landscape changed into dense forests of [[aspen]], [[birch]] and [[pine]] and the reindeer moved north, while [[aurochs]] and [[moose|elk]] arrived from the south. The [[Koelbjerg Man]] is the oldest known [[bog body]] in the world and also the oldest set of human bones found in [[Denmark]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www2.natmus.dk/saer/mislink/uvmateriale/koelbjer.htm|title= Koelbjergkvinden fra Danmark|access-date= 2011-11-30|language= da|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20050306125009/http://www2.natmus.dk/saer/mislink/uvmateriale/koelbjer.htm|archive-date= 2005-03-06}}</ref> dated to the time of the [[Maglemosian culture]] around 8,000 BC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.archaeology.org/online/features/bog/koelbjerg.html|title=Koelbjerg Woman|year=1997|work=Bodies of the Bogs|publisher=Archeology Magazine|access-date=21 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url =http://www.kulturarv.dk/fundogfortidsminder/Lokalitet/141623|title =Koelbjerg|work =og Fund Fortidsminder|access-date =2011-11-30|language =da|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120404130537/http://www.kulturarv.dk/fundogfortidsminder/Lokalitet/141623/|archive-date =2012-04-04}}</ref> With a continuing rise in temperature the [[oak]], [[elm]] and [[hazel]] arrived in Denmark around 7,000 BC. Now [[boar]], [[red deer]], and [[roe deer]] also began to abound.<ref>Jensen 2003:12–18</ref>

A burial from Bøgebakken at [[Vedbæk]] dates to c. 6,000 BC and contains 22 persons – including four newborns and one toddler. Eight of the 22 had died before reaching 20 years of age – testifying to the hardness of hunter-gatherer life in the cold north.<ref>Jensen 2003:24</ref> Based on estimates of the amount of game animals, scholars estimate the population of Denmark to have been between 3,300 and 8,000 persons in the time around 7,000 BC.<ref>Jensen 2003:32</ref> It is believed that the early hunter-gatherers lived nomadically, exploiting different environments at different times of the year, gradually shifting to the use of semi permanent base camps.<ref>Jensen 2003:34</ref>

With the rising temperatures, sea levels also rose, and during the [[Atlantic (period)|Atlantic period]], Denmark evolved from a contiguous landmass around 11,000 BC to a series of islands by 4,500 BC. The inhabitants then shifted to a seafood based diet, which allowed the population to increase.

[[Agriculture|Agricultural]] settlers made inroads around 4,000 BC. Many [[dolmen]]s and rock tombs (especially [[passage grave]]s) date from this period. The [[Early European Farmers|Funnelbeaker farmers]] replaced the Ertebølle culture, which had maintained a [[Mesolithic]] lifestyle for about 1500 years after farming arrived in Central Europe. The Neolithic Funnelbeaker population persisted for around 1,000 years until people with [[Western Steppe Herders|Steppe-derived ancestry]] started to arrive from Eastern Europe.<ref>{{cite news |title=New study unearths our Scandinavian ancestors |url=https://www.gu.se/en/news/new-study-unearths-our-scandinavian-ancestors |work=University of Gothenburg |date=10 January 2024}}</ref> The [[Single Grave culture]] was a local variant of the [[Corded Ware culture]], and appears to have emerged as a result of a migration of peoples from the Pontic–Caspian steppe. The [[Nordic Bronze Age]] period in Denmark, from about 1,500 BC, featured a culture that buried its dead, with their worldly goods, beneath [[Tumulus|burial mounds]]. The many finds of gold and bronze from this era include beautiful religious artifacts and musical instruments, and provide the earliest evidence of [[social class]]es and [[Social stratification|stratification]].

=== Iron Age ===
{{see also|Nordic Iron Age}}
[[File:Gundestrup cauldron - F.I.4277.jpg|thumb|The silver [[Gundestrup Cauldron]], with what some scholars interpret as Celtic depictions, exemplifies the trade relations of the period.]]
During the [[Pre-Roman Iron Age]] (from the [[4th century BC|4th]] to the [[1st century BC]]), the climate in Denmark and southern [[Scandinavia]] became cooler and wetter, limiting agriculture and setting the stage for local groups to migrate southward into [[Germania]]. At around this time people began to extract iron from the [[bog iron|ore]] in [[peat bog]]s. Evidence of strong [[Celts|Celtic]] cultural influence dates from this period in Denmark, and in much of northwest Europe, and survives in some of the older place names.

The [[Roman Empire|Roman provinces]], whose frontiers stopped short of Denmark, nevertheless maintained trade routes and relations with Danish or proto-Danish peoples, as attested by finds of Roman coins. The earliest known [[runic]] inscriptions date back to c. 200 AD. Depletion of cultivated land in the last century BC seems to have contributed to increasing migrations in northern Europe and increasing conflict between Teutonic tribes and Roman settlements in [[Gaul]]. Roman artifacts are especially common in finds from the 1st century. It seems clear that some part of the Danish warrior [[aristocracy]] served in the [[Roman army]].<ref>Birger Storgaard, ''Cosmopolitan aristocrats'', pp. 106–125 in: ''The Spoils of Victory – The North in the shadow of the Roman Empire'', Nationalmuseet, 2003. {{ISBN|87-7602-006-1}}.</ref>

Occasionally during this time, both animal and [[human sacrifice]] occurred and bodies were immersed in [[bog]]s. In {{As of|2008|alt= recent times}} some of these [[bog body|bog bodies]] have emerged very well-preserved, providing valuable information about the religion and people who lived in Denmark during this period. Some of the most well-preserved bog bodies from the Nordic Iron Age are the [[Tollund Man]] and the [[Grauballe Man]].

From around the 5th to the 7th century, [[Northern Europe]] experienced mass migrations. This period and its [[material culture]] are referred to as the [[Germanic Iron Age]].

<gallery class="center" widths="160px" heights="130">
File:Tollundmannen.jpg|The face of Tollundmanden, one of the best preserved bog body finds.
File:Dejbjerg wagon, Nationalmuseet Copenhagen.jpg|The [[Dejbjerg wagon]] from the Pre-Roman Iron Age, thought to be a ceremonial wagon.
File:Nydamboat.2.jpg|The [[Nydam Mose|Nydam oak boat]], a [[ship burial]] from the Roman Iron Age. At [[Gottorp|Gottorp Castle]], [[Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein|Schleswig]], now in Germany.
File:Guldhornene DO-10765 original.jpg|Copies of the [[Golden Horns of Gallehus]] from the Germanic Iron Age, thought to be ceremonial horns but of a raid purpose.
</gallery>

== Middle Ages ==
=== Earliest literary sources ===
{{further|Etymology of Denmark|Danes (tribe)}}
In his description of [[Scandza]] (from the 6th-century work, ''[[Getica (Jordanes)|Getica]]''), the ancient writer [[Jordanes]] says that the '''Dani''' were of the same stock as the ''Suetidi'' (Swedes, ''[[Svitjod|Suithiod]]''?) and expelled the [[Heruli]] and took their lands.<ref>{{cite book|author=[[Jordanes]]|section-url=https://www.ucalgary.ca/~vandersp/Courses/texts/jordgeti.html#III |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010608032907/https://www.ucalgary.ca/~vandersp/Courses/texts/jordgeti.html#III |archive-date=2001-06-08 |section=III (23) |title=The Origin and Deeds of the Goths |translator=[[Charles C. Mierow]]}}</ref>

The [[Old English language|Old English]] poems ''[[Widsith]]'' and ''[[Beowulf]]'', as well as works by later Scandinavian writers — notably by [[Saxo Grammaticus]] (c. 1200) — provide some of the earliest references to Danes.

===Viking Age===
{{Main|Viking Age}}
[[File:Administrative division of denmark in medieval times.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The extent of the Danish Realm before the expansion of the Viking Age. It is not known when, but the tribal Danes divided the realm into "[[herred]]er" (marked by red lines).]]
{{Infobox country
| native_name            = Kongeriget Danmark<br />{{small|i middelalderen}}
| conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Denmark<br />{{small|in the Middle Ages}}
| common_name            = Denmark
| status                 = Kingdom
| status_text            = Part of the [[North Sea Empire]] {{nowrap|{{small|(1013–1035)}}}}<br />Independent state until 1397
| life_span              =8th century/ 936–1397
| event_start            = Formed
| year_start             = 8th century
| date_start             = 
| year_end               = 1397
| date_end               = June 17
| event_end              = Incorporated into the [[Kalmar Union]]
| image_map              = Harald bluetooth.PNG
| image_map_caption      = [[Harald Bluetooth|Harald's]] realm (red) with vassals and allies (yellow).
| capital                = [[Lejre]] in [[Zealand]]<br />[[Jellinge]] {{small|(until {{nowrap|10th cent.)}}}}<br />[[Roskilde]] {{small|(since {{nowrap|10th cent.)}}}}
| stat_area1             = 
| leader1                = 
| year_leader1           = 
| leader2                = 
| year_leader2           = 
| religion               = {{plainlist|
* [[Norse religion|Norse paganism]] <br />{{small|(state before 960)}}
* [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]] <br />{{small|(state after 960)}}
{{nowrap|{{small|'''Other and non-Danish:'''}}}}
* ''[[History of atheism#Europe|goðlauss]]'' {{small|(lack of faith in any deity)}}
* [[Estonian mythology|Estonian paganism]] {{small|([[Duchy of Estonia (1219–1346)|Danish Estonia]])}}}}
| common_languages       = [[Old Danish]], [[Latin]], {{nowrap|[[Estonian language|Estonian]] {{small|([[Duchy of Estonia (1219–1346)|Danish Estonia]])}}}}
| category               = 
| area_km2               = 
| area_rank              = 
| GDP_PPP                = 
| GDP_PPP_year           = 
| HDI                    = 
| HDI_year               = 
}}
With the beginning of the Viking Age in the 9th century, the prehistoric period in Denmark ends. The Danish people were among those known as [[Viking]]s, during the 8th–11th centuries. Viking explorers first discovered and settled in [[Iceland]] in the 9th century, on their way from the [[Faroe Islands]]. From there, [[Greenland]] and [[Vinland]] (probably [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]]) were also settled. Utilizing their great skills in shipbuilding and navigation they raided and conquered parts of [[France]] and the [[British Isles]].

[[File:Ladbyskibet.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The [[Ladby ship]], the largest ship burial found in Denmark.]]
[[File:Aros viking town.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The fortified Viking town of [[Aarhus|Aros]] ([[Aarhus]]), 950 AD.]]
They also excelled in trading along the coasts and rivers of Europe, running trade routes from Greenland in the north to [[Constantinople]] in the south via [[Russia]]n and [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] rivers, most notably along the River [[Dnieper]] and via Kiev, then being the capital of [[Kiev Rus]], which was founded by Viking conquerors.{{efn|"The controversies over the nature of the Rus and the origins of the Russian state have bedevilled Viking studies, and indeed Russian history, for well over a century. It is historically certain that the Rus were Swedes. The evidence is incontrovertible, and that a debate still lingers at some levels of historical writing is clear evidence of the holding power of received notions. The debate over this issue – futile, embittered, tendentious, doctrinaire – served to obscure the most serious and genuine historical problem which remains: the assimilation of these Viking Rus into the Slavic people among whom they lived. The principal historical question is not whether the Rus were Scandinavians or Slavs, but, rather, how quickly these Scandinavian Rus became absorbed into Slavic life and culture."{{sfn|Logan|2005|p=184}}}} The Danish Vikings were most active in Britain, [[Ireland]], [[France]], [[Spain]], Portugal and Italy where they raided, conquered and settled (their earliest settlements included sites in the [[Danelaw]], [[Ireland]] and [[Normandy]]). The Danelaw encompassed the Northeastern half of what now constitutes [[England]], where Danes settled and Danish law and rule prevailed. Prior to this time, England consisted of approximately seven independent [[Anglo-Saxon]] kingdoms. The Danes conquered (terminated) all of these except for the kingdom of [[Wessex]]. [[Alfred the Great]], king of Wessex, emerged from these trials as the sole remaining English king, and thereby as the first English [[Monarch]].

In the early 9th century, [[Charlemagne]]'s Christian empire had expanded to the southern border of the Danes, and Frankish sources (e.g. [[Notker the Stammerer|Notker of St Gall]]) provide the earliest historical evidence of the Danes. These report a King [[Gudfred]], who appeared in present-day [[Holstein]] with a navy in 804 where diplomacy took place with the [[Franks]]; In 808, King Gudfred attacked the [[Obotrites]] and conquered the city of [[Reric]] whose population was displaced or abducted to [[Hedeby]]. In 809, King Godfred and emissaries of Charlemagne failed to negotiate peace, despite the sister of Godfred being a concubine of Charlemagne, and the next year King Godfred attacked the [[Frisians]] with 200 ships.

Viking raids along the coast of France and the Netherlands were large-scale. Paris was besieged and the Loire Valley devastated during the 10th century. One group of Danes was granted permission to settle in northwestern France under the condition that they defend the place from future attacks. As a result, the region became known as "Normandy" and it was the descendants of these settlers who conquered England in 1066.

The oldest parts of the defensive works of Danevirke near [[Hedeby]] at least date from the summer of 755 and were expanded with large works in the 10th century. The size and number of troops needed to man it indicates a quite powerful ruler in the area, which might be consistent with the kings of the Frankish sources. In 815 AD, Emperor [[Louis the Pious]] attacked Jutland apparently in support of a contender to the throne, perhaps [[Harald Klak]], but was turned back by the sons of Godfred, who most likely were the sons of the above-mentioned Godfred. At the same time [[Ansgar|St. Ansgar]] travelled to Hedeby and started the Catholic [[Christianisation of Scandinavia]].

[[Gorm the Old]] was the first [[historical]]ly recognized [[Monarchy of Denmark|ruler of Denmark]], reigning from {{circa| 936}} to his death {{circa| 958}}.<ref name="kongehuset">{{cite web |url= http://kongehuset.dk/english/the-monarchy-in-denmark/The-Royal-Lineage/the-royal-lineage |title= The Royal Lineage – The Danish Monarchy |website= kongehuset.dk |access-date= 15 May 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150706134401/http://kongehuset.dk/english/the-monarchy-in-denmark/The-Royal-Lineage/the-royal-lineage |archive-date= 6 July 2015 }}</ref> He ruled from [[Jelling]], and made the oldest of the [[Jelling Stones]] in honour of his wife [[Thyra]]. Gorm was born before 900 and died {{circa| 958}}. His rule marks the start of the Danish monarchy and royal house (see [[Danish monarchs' family tree#House of Gorm|Danish monarchs' family tree]]).<ref name="kongehuset"/>

The Danes were united and officially Christianized in 965 AD by Gorm's son [[Harald Bluetooth]] (see below), the story of which is recorded on the [[Jelling stones]]. The extent of Harald's Danish Kingdom is unknown, although it is reasonable to believe that it stretched from the defensive line of Dannevirke, including the Viking city of Hedeby, across Jutland, the Danish isles and into southern present day [[Sweden]]; [[Scania]] and perhaps [[Halland]] and [[Blekinge]]. Furthermore, the Jelling stones attest that Harald had also "won" [[Norway]].<ref name="Britannica Online Encyclopedia">Staff. [https://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-516876/Saint-Brices-Day-massacre Saint Brices Day massacre], [[Encyclopædia Britannica]]. Retrieved 26 December 2007.</ref>

In retaliation for the [[St. Brice's Day massacre]] of Danes in England, the son of Harald, [[Sweyn Forkbeard]] mounted a series of wars of conquest against England. By 1014, England had completely submitted to the Danes. However, distance and a lack of common interests prevented a lasting union, and Sweyn's son [[Cnut the Great]] barely maintained the link between the two countries, which completely broke up during the reign of his son [[Hardecanute]]. A final attempt by the Norwegians under [[Harald Hardrada]] to reconquer England failed, but did pave the way for William the Conqueror's takeover in 1066.<ref name="Britannica Online Encyclopedia"/>

=== Christianity, expansion and the establishment of the Kingdom of Denmark ===
{{see also|North Sea Empire}}
{{multiple image
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| footer = Often regarded as Denmark's "birth certificate", the large [[Jelling stones|Jelling Stone]] announces the unification and Christianization of Denmark by [[Harald Bluetooth]] c. 980
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The history of [[Christianity]] in Denmark overlaps with that of the Viking Age. Various petty kingdoms existed throughout the area now known as Denmark for many years. Between c. 960 and the early 980s, [[Harald Bluetooth]] appears to have established a kingdom in the lands of the Danes which stretched from Jutland to Skåne. Around the same time, he received a visit from a German [[missionary]] who, according to legend,<ref>Adam of Bremen, History of the Archbishops of Hamburg-Bremen, trans. Francis J. Tschan (New York, 2002), pp. 77–78.</ref> survived an [[trial by ordeal|ordeal by fire]], which convinced Harald to convert to [[Christianity]].

[[Sweyn II of Denmark|Sweyn Estridson]] (1020–1074) re-established strong royal Danish authority and built a good relationship with [[Archbishop]] [[Adalbert of Hamburg]]-[[Archbishopric of Bremen|Bremen]] – at that time the archbishop of all of [[Scandinavia]].

The new [[religion]], which replaced the old [[Norse mythology|Norse religious practices]], had many advantages for the king. Christianity brought with it some support from the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. It also allowed the king to dismiss many of his opponents who adhered to the old mythology. At this early stage there is no evidence that the Danish Church was able to create a stable administration that Harald could use to exercise more effective control over his kingdom, but it may have contributed to the development of a centralising political and religious ideology among the social elite which sustained and enhanced an increasingly powerful kingship.

[[England]] broke away from Danish control in 1035 and Denmark fell into disarray for some time. Sweyn Estridsen's son, [[Canute IV of Denmark|Canute IV]], raided England for the last time in 1085. He planned another invasion to take the [[List of English monarchs|throne of England]] from an aging [[William I of England|William I]]. He called up a fleet of 1,000 Danish ships, 60 Norwegian [[Longship|long boats]], with plans to meet with another 600 ships under [[Robert I, Count of Flanders|Duke Robert of Flanders]] in the summer of 1086. Canute, however, was beginning to realise that the imposition of the tithe on Danish peasants and nobles to fund the expansion of monasteries and churches and a new [[Tax per head|head tax]] ({{langx|da|nefgjald}}) had brought his people to the verge of rebellion. Canute took weeks to arrive where the fleet had assembled at Struer, but he found only the [[Norway|Norwegians]] still there.
[[File:Ecclesiastical map of Denmark (900-1100).png|thumb|240x240px|Ecclesiastical map of Denmark from the tenth to twelfth century]]
Canute thanked the Norwegians for their patience and then went from assembly to assembly ({{langx|da|landsting}}) outlawing any sailor, captain or soldier who refused to pay a fine, which amounted to more than a year's harvest for most farmers. Canute and his [[housecarl]]s fled south with a growing army of rebels on his heels. Canute fled to the royal property outside the town of Odense on Funen with his two brothers. After several attempts to break in and then bloody hand-to-hand fighting in the church, Benedict was cut down, and Canute was struck in the head by a large stone and then speared from the front. He died at the base of the main altar on 10 July 1086, where he was buried by the Benedictines. When Queen Edele came to take Canute's body to Flanders, a light allegedly shone around the church and it was taken as a sign that Canute should remain where he was.{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole paragraph. The last sentence reads like a legend.|date=May 2012}}

The death of St. Canute marks the end of the Viking Age. Never again would massive flotillas of [[Scandinavia]]ns meet each year to ravage the rest of Christian Europe.

In the early 12th century, Denmark became the seat of an independent [[ecclesiastical province|church province]] of Scandinavia. Not long after that, [[Sweden]] and [[Norway]] established their own archbishoprics, free of Danish control. The mid-12th century proved a difficult time for the kingdom of Denmark. Violent [[civil war]]s rocked the land. Eventually, [[Valdemar I of Denmark|Valdemar the Great]] (1131–82), gained control of the kingdom, stabilizing it and reorganizing the administration. King Valdemar and [[Absalon]] (''ca'' 1128–1201), the [[Roskilde (titular see)|bishop of Roskilde]], rebuilt the country.
[[File:Danish Empire and campaigns 1168-1227.png|left|thumb|Danish Empire and campaigns 1168-1227]]
During Valdemar's reign construction began of a castle in the village of Havn, leading eventually to the foundation of [[Copenhagen]], the modern capital of Denmark. Valdemar and Absalon built Denmark into a major power in the [[Baltic Sea]], a power which later competed with the [[Hanseatic League]], the counts of [[Holstein]], and the [[Teutonic Knights]] for trade, territory, and influence throughout the Baltic. In 1168, Valdemar and Absalon gained a foothold on the southern shore of the Baltic, when they subdued the [[Principality of Rügen]].

In the 1180s, [[Mecklenburg]] and the [[Duchy of Pomerania]] came under Danish control, too. In the new southern provinces, the Danes promoted Christianity (mission of the [[Rani (Slavic tribe)|Rani]], monasteries like [[Eldena Abbey]]) and settlement (Danish participation in the ''[[Ostsiedlung]]''). The Danes lost most of their southern gains after the [[Battle of Bornhöved (1227)]], but the Rugian principality stayed with Denmark until 1325.

{{Scandinavia map, 1219}}
[[File:Danmarks flag 1219 Lorentzen.jpg|thumb|The flag of Denmark falling from the sky during the [[Battle of Lyndanisse]] on 15 June, 1219. Painted by [[Christian August Lorentzen|C.A Lorentzen]], 1809.]]
In 1202, [[Valdemar II of Denmark|Valdemar II]] became king and launched various "[[crusades]]" to claim territories, notably modern [[Estonia]]. Once these efforts were successful, a period in history known as the [[Danish Estonia]] began. Legend has it that the Danish flag, the [[Flag of Denmark|Dannebrog]] fell from the sky during the [[Battle of Lyndanisse|Battle of Lindanise]] in Estonia in 1219. A series of Danish defeats culminating in the Battle of Bornhöved on 22 July 1227 cemented the loss of Denmark's north German territories. Valdemar himself was saved only by the courageous actions of a German knight who carried Valdemar to safety on his horse.

From that time on, Valdemar focused his efforts on domestic affairs. One of the changes he instituted was the feudal system where he gave properties to men with the understanding that they owed him service. This increased the power of the noble families ({{langx|da|højadelen}}) and gave rise to the lesser nobles ({{langx|da|lavadelen}}) who controlled most of Denmark. Free peasants lost the traditional rights and privileges they had enjoyed since Viking times.

The king of Denmark had difficulty maintaining control of the kingdom in the face of opposition from the [[nobility]] and from the Church. An extended period of strained relations between the crown and the [[Pope]]s of [[Rome]] took place, known as the "archiepiscopal conflicts".

By the late 13th century, royal power had waned, and the nobility forced the king to grant a [[charter]], considered Denmark's first [[constitution]]. Following the [[Battle of Bornhöved (1227)|Battle of Bornhöved]] in 1227, a weakened Denmark provided windows of opportunity to both the Hanseatic League and the [[count of Holstein|Counts of Holstein]]. The Holstein Counts gained control of large portions of Denmark because the king would grant them fiefs in exchange for money to finance royal operations.

Valdemar spent the remainder of his life putting together a code of laws for [[Jutland]], [[Zealand]] and [[Skåne]]. These codes were used as Denmark's legal code until 1683. This was a significant change from the local law making at the regional assemblies ({{langx|da|landsting}}), which had been the long-standing tradition. Several methods of determining guilt or innocence were outlawed including trial by ordeal and trial by combat. The [[Code of Jutland]] ({{langx|da|Jyske Lov}}) was approved at meeting of the nobility at Vordingborg in 1241 just prior to Valdemar's death. Because of his position as "the king of Dannebrog" and as a legislator, Valdemar enjoys a central position in Danish history. To posterity the civil wars and dissolution that followed his death made him appear to be the last king of a golden age.

The [[Middle Ages]] saw a period of close cooperation between the [[The Crown|Crown]] and the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. Thousands of church buildings sprang up throughout the country during this time. The economy expanded during the 12th century, based mostly on the lucrative [[herring]]-trade, but the 13th century turned into a period of difficulty and saw the temporary collapse of royal authority.

=== Count rule ===
[[File:Danmarks kongeløse tid.png|thumb|left|upright=1.0|The kingless time 1332–1340. [[Danish Estonia]] not shown on the map was [[Protectorate|under the protection]] of the [[Livonian Order]].]]
During the disastrous reign of [[Christopher II of Denmark|Christopher II]] (1319–1332), most of the country was seized by the provincial counts (except Skåne, which was taken over by Sweden) after numerous peasant revolts and conflicts with the Church. For eight years after Christopher's death, Denmark had no king, and was instead controlled by the counts. After one of them, [[Gerhard III of Holstein-Rendsburg]], was assassinated in 1340, Christopher's son [[Valdemar IV of Denmark|Valdemar]] was chosen as king, and gradually began to recover the territories, which was finally completed in 1360.

The [[Black Death in Denmark]], which came to Denmark during these years, also aided Valdemar's campaign. His continued efforts to expand the kingdom after 1360 brought him into open conflict with the Hanseatic League. He conquered [[Gotland]], much to the displeasure of the League, which lost [[Visby]], an important trading town located there.

The Hanseatic alliance with Sweden to attack Denmark initially proved a fiasco since Danish forces captured a large Hanseatic fleet, and ransomed it back for an enormous sum. Luckily for the League, the Jutland nobles revolted against the heavy taxes levied to fight the expansionist war in the Baltic; the two forces worked against the king, forcing him into exile in 1370. For several years, the Hanseatic League controlled the fortresses on [[Öresund|the Sound]], the strait between Skåne and Zealand.

=== Margaret and the Kalmar Union (1397–1523)===
{{main|Kalmar Union}}
[[File:Kalmar Union ca. 1400.svg|thumb|left|The Kalmar Union, {{circa|1400}}]]
[[Margaret I of Denmark|Margaret I]], the daughter of Valdemar Atterdag, found herself married off to [[Haakon VI of Norway|Håkon VI of Norway]] in an attempt to join the two kingdoms, along with Sweden, since Håkon had kinship ties to the Swedish royal family. The dynastic plans called for her son, [[Olaf IV of Norway|Olaf II]] to rule the three kingdoms, but after his early death in 1387 she took on the role herself (1387–1412). During her lifetime (1353–1412) the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (including the [[Faroe Islands]], as well as [[Iceland]], [[Greenland]], and present-day [[Finland]]) became linked under her capable rule, in what became known as the [[Kalmar Union]], made official in 1397.
[[File:Roskilde Margrethe1 grave.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|The tomb of [[Margaret I of Denmark|Margaret I]] in [[Roskilde Cathedral]].]]

Her successor, [[Eric VII of Denmark|Eric of Pomerania]] (King of Denmark from 1412 to 1439), lacked Margaret's skill and thus directly caused the breakup of the Kalmar Union. Eric's foreign policy engulfed Denmark in a succession of wars with the Holstein counts and the city of Lübeck. When the Hanseatic League imposed a trade embargo on Scandinavia, the Swedes (who saw their mining industry adversely affected) rose up in revolt. The three countries of the Kalmar Union all declared Eric deposed in 1439.

However, support for the idea of regionalism continued, so when Eric's nephew [[Christopher of Bavaria]] came to the throne in 1440, he managed to get himself elected in all three kingdoms, briefly reuniting Scandinavia (1442–1448). The Swedish nobility grew increasingly unhappy with Danish rule and the union soon became merely a legal concept with little practical application. During the subsequent reigns of Christian I (1450–1481) and Hans (1481–1513), tensions grew, and several wars between Sweden and Denmark erupted.

In the early 16th century, [[Christian II of Denmark|Christian II]] (reigned 1513–1523) came to power. He allegedly declared, "If the hat on my head knew what I was thinking, I would pull it off and throw it away." This quotation apparently refers to his devious and [[Niccolò Machiavelli|machiavellian]] political dealings. He conquered Sweden in an attempt to reinforce the union, and had about 100 leaders of the Swedish anti-unionist forces killed in what came to be known as the [[Stockholm Bloodbath]] of November 1520. The bloodbath destroyed any lingering hope of Scandinavian union.
[[File:Denmark-Norway in 1780.svg|thumb|left|Map of Denmark–Norway, {{circa|1780}}]]
In the aftermath of [[Sweden]]'s definitive secession from the [[Kalmar Union]] in 1521, [[civil war]] and the [[Protestant Reformation]] followed in Denmark and Norway. When things settled down, the [[Privy Council]] of Denmark had lost some of its influence, and that of Norway no longer existed. The two kingdoms, known as [[Denmark–Norway]], operated in a personal union under a single monarch. Norway kept its separate laws and some institutions, such as a royal [[chancellor]], separate coinage and a separate army. As a hereditary kingdom, Norway's status as separate from Denmark remained important to the royal dynasty in its struggles to win elections as kings of Denmark. The two kingdoms remained tied until 1814.

== Early Modern Denmark ==
[[Image:Daniaeregnitypvs.jpg|thumb|right| Abraham Ortelius's 1570 map of Denmark including parts on the Scandinavian peninsula.]]

=== The Reformation ===
{{main|Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein}}
[[Image:Hans Tausen - Jacob Kornerup efter maleri i Ribe Domkirke.jpg|thumb|[[Hans Tausen]] was one of the first Lutheran preachers, and later a bishop, in Denmark.]]
The [[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]], which originated in the German lands in the early 16th century from the ideas of [[Martin Luther]] (1483–1546), had a considerable impact on Denmark. The Danish Reformation started in the mid-1520s. Some Danes wanted access to the [[Bible]] in their own language. In 1524 Hans Mikkelsen and [[Christiern Pedersen]] translated the [[New Testament]] into Danish; it became an instant best-seller.<ref name="runeberg.org"/>

Those who had traveled to [[Wittenberg]] in Saxony and come under the influence of the teachings of [[Martin Luther|Luther]] and his associates included [[Hans Tausen]], a Danish monk in the [[Knights Hospitaller|Order of St John Hospitallers]]. On Good Friday in 1525, Tausen used the pulpit at [[Antvorskov]] Abbey Church to proclaim Luther's reforms. His scandalized superiors ordered him out of Zealand and held him in the priory at [[Viborg, Denmark|Viborg]] under close confinement until he should come to his senses.<ref name="runeberg.org">{{cite encyclopedia
|entry-url= https://runeberg.org/dbl/17/
|entry= Tausen, Hans, 1494–1561, evangelisk Reformator og Biskop
|access-date= 2008-09-09
|editor= C. F. Bricka
|editor-link= Carl Frederik Bricka
|year= 1903
|encyclopedia= [[Dansk biografisk leksikon|Dansk Biografiske Lexicon]]
|publisher= Gyldendal
|pages= 100–114
|language= da
}}
</ref>

Townspeople came to see the troublesome monk, and Tausen preached to them from the window of his cell. Within days Tausen's ideas swept through the town. The then radical ideas of Luther found a receptive audience. Tausen's preaching converted ordinary people, merchants, nobles, and monks and even the Prior grew to appreciate Tausen and ordered his release. Tausen preached openly: much to the consternation of Bishop Jøn Friis, who lost his ability to do anything about the Lutherans and retreated to Hald Castle.<ref name="runeberg.org"/>

After preaching in the open air, Tausen gained the use of a small chapel, which soon proved too small for the crowds who attended services in Danish. His followers broke open a Franciscan Abbey so they could listen to Tausen, who packed the church daily for services. The town leaders protected Tausen from the Bishop of Viborg.<ref name="runeberg.org"/>
Viborg became the center for the Danish Reformation for a time. Lutheranism spread quickly to [[Aarhus]] and [[Aalborg]].

Within months King [[Frederick I of Denmark|Frederick]] appointed Tausen as one of his personal chaplains (October 1526) in order to protect him from Catholics. Tausen's version of Luther's ideas spread throughout Denmark. Copenhagen became a hotbed of reformist activity and Tausen moved there to continue his work. His reputation preceded him and the excitement of hearing the liturgy in Danish brought thousands of people out to hear him. With the kings' permission, churches in Copenhagen opened their doors to the Lutherans and held services for Catholics and for Lutherans at different times of the day.

At Our Lady Church, the main church of Copenhagen, Bishop Ronnow refused to admit the "heretics". In December 1531, a mob stormed the [[Church of Our Lady, Copenhagen|Church of Our Lady]] in Copenhagen, encouraged by Copenhagen's fiery mayor, [[Ambrosius Bogbinder]]. They tore down statues and side-altars and destroyed artwork and reliquaries. Frederick I's policy of toleration insisted that the two competing groups share churches and pulpits peacefully, but this satisfied neither Lutherans nor Catholics.

Luther's ideas spread rapidly as a consequence of a powerful combination of popular enthusiasm for church reform and a royal eagerness to secure greater wealth through the seizure of church lands and property. In Denmark the reformation increased the crown's revenues by 300%.

==== Dissatisfaction with the Catholic Church ====
Dissatisfaction with the established Catholic Church had already been widespread in Denmark. Many people viewed the [[tithe]]s and fees — a constant source of irritation for farmers and merchants — as unjust. This became apparent once word got out that King Frederick and his son, [[Christian III of Denmark|Duke Christian]] had no sympathy with Franciscans who persistently made the rounds of the parishes to collect food, money, and clothing in addition to the tithes. Between 1527 and 1536 many towns petitioned the king to close the Franciscan houses.<ref name="ReferenceA">''Krønike om Gråbrodrenes Udjagelse''
</ref>

Frederick obliged by sending letters authorizing the closure of the monasteries, often offering a small sum of money to help the brothers on their way. With the royal letter in hand, mobs forcibly closed [[Franciscan]] abbeys all over Denmark. They beat up monks, two of whom died.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The closure of Franciscan houses occurred systematically in Copenhagen, Viborg, Aalborg, Randers, Malmö and ten other cities; in all, 28 monasteries or houses closed. People literally hounded Franciscan monks out of the towns.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

No other order faced such harsh treatment. Considering how strongly many people felt about removing all traces of Catholic traditions from Danish churches, surprisingly little violence took place. Luther's teaching had become so overwhelmingly popular that Danes systematically cleared churches of statues, paintings, wall-hangings, reliquaries and other Catholic elements without interference. The only exceptions came in individual churches where the local churchmen refused to permit reform.

[[Image:Christian III of Denmark.jpg|thumb|[[Christian III of Denmark|King Christian III]] carried out the Protestant Reformation in Slesvig, Holsten, Denmark and Norway.]]
[[Frederick I of Denmark|Frederick I]] died in 1533; the Viborg Assembly ({{langx|da|landsting}}) [[Election of Christian III|proclaimed his son, Duke Christian of Schleswig, King Christian III]]. The State Council ({{langx|da|Rigsråd}}) on Zealand, led by the Catholic bishops, took control of the country and refused to recognize the election of Christian III, a staunch Lutheran. The regents feared Christian's zeal for Luther's ideas would tip the balance and disenfranchise Catholics — both peasants and nobles.

The State Council encouraged Count [[Christopher of Oldenburg]] to become Regent of Denmark. Christian III quickly raised an army to enforce his election, including mercenary troops from Germany. Count Christopher raised an army (including troops from [[Mecklenburg]] and [[Duchy of Oldenburg|Oldenburg]] and the Hanseatic League, especially [[Lübeck]]) to restore his Catholic uncle King [[Christian II]] (deposed in 1523). This resulted in a three-year civil war called the [[Count's Feud]] ({{langx|da|Grevens Fejde}}).

==== Count's Feud (1534–1536) ====
Armed rebellion by Catholic peasants led by [[Skipper Clement]] started in northern Jutland. Rebellion swept across [[Funen]], Zealand and Skåne. Christian III's army soundly defeated an army of Catholic nobles at Svenstrup on 16 October 1534. Christian forced a truce with the [[Hanseatic League]], which had sent troops to help Count Christopher. Christian III's army, under [[Johan Rantzau]], chased the rebels all the way back to [[Aalborg]] and then massacred over 2,000 of them inside the city in December 1534.

The Protestants captured Skipper Clement (1534), and later executed him in 1536. Christian III's mercenary troops put an end to Catholic hopes on Zealand and then Funen. Skåne rebels went as far as proclaiming Christian II king again. King [[Gustav I of Sweden|Gustav Vasa]] of Sweden sent two separate armies to ravage [[Halland]] and Skåne into submission. Besiegers finally starved the last hold-outs in the rebellion, Copenhagen and [[Malmø]], into surrender in July 1536. By the spring of 1536, Christian III had taken firm control.

==== State Lutheranism ====
Denmark became officially Lutheran on 30 October 1536 by decree of King Christian III, and in 1537 the reconstituted State Council approved the [[Church Order (Lutheran)|Lutheran Ordinances]] which was worked out by Danish theologians and [[Johannes Bugenhagen]], based on the [[Augsburg Confession]] and Luther's [[Small Catechism|Little Catechism]]. The government established the Danish National Church ({{langx|da|Folkekirken}}) as the [[state church]]. All of Denmark's Catholic bishops went to prison until such time as they converted to Luther's reform. The authorities released them when they promised to marry and to support the reforms.

If they agreed, they received property and spent the rest of their lives as wealthy landowners. If they refused conversion, they died in prison. The State confiscated Church lands to pay for the armies that had enforced Christian III's election. Priests swore allegiance to Lutheranism or found new employment. The new owners turned monks out of their monasteries and abbeys. Nuns in a few places gained permission to live out their lives in nunneries, though without governmental financial support. The Crown closed churches, abbeys, priories and cathedrals, giving their property to local nobles or selling it.

The King appointed Danish superintendents (later bishops) to oversee Lutheran orthodoxy in the church. Denmark became part of a Lutheran heartland extending through Scandinavia and northern Germany. The Catholic Church everywhere in Scandinavia had sealed its fate by supporting hopeless causes: Christian II and the emperor Charles V in Denmark, Norwegian independence in that country, and in Sweden the Kalmar Union. Geographical distance also prevented them from receiving anything more than a sympathetic ear from Rome.

The 17th century saw a period of strict Lutheran [[orthodoxy]] in Denmark, with harsh punishments visited on suspected followers of either [[John Calvin|Calvinism]] or [[Huldrych Zwingli]]. Lutheran authorities treated Catholics harshly — in the fear that they might undermine the king, government, and national church. In a delayed result of the Reformation, Denmark became embroiled in the [[Thirty Years' War]] (1618–1648) on the Protestant side.

=== The loss of Eastern Denmark ===
{{see also|Dominium maris baltici}}

The [[Denmark–Norway|Dano-Norwegian Kingdom]] grew wealthy during the 16th century, largely because of the increased traffic through the [[Øresund]], which Danes could tax because Denmark controlled both sides of the Sound. The trade in grain exports from [[Poland]] to the [[Netherlands]] and to the rest of Europe grew enormously at this time, and the Danish kings did not hesitate to cash in on it. The Sound duty was only repealed in the 1840s.

The Danish economy benefited from the [[Eighty Years' War]] (1568–1648) in the [[Netherlands]] because a large number of skilled refugees from that area (the most economically advanced in Europe) came to Denmark. This helped to modernize many aspects of society and to establish trading links between Denmark and the Netherlands.

[[Denmark–Norway]] had a reputation as a relatively powerful kingdom at this time. European politics of the 16th century revolved largely around the struggle between Catholic and Protestant forces, so it seemed almost inevitable that Denmark, a strong, unified Lutheran kingdom, would get drawn into the larger war when it came. The [[Thirty Years' War]] went badly for the Protestant states in the early 1620s, and a call went out to [[Denmark–Norway]] to "save the Protestant cause".

King [[Christian IV of Denmark|Christian IV]], who was also a duke of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] on the basis of his possessions in [[Duchy of Holstein|Holstein]], decided to intervene in the conflict raging in northern Germany. The campaign [[Battle of Wolgast|ended in defeat]], and Jutland was occupied by the imperial army of [[Albrecht von Wallenstein]]. In the [[Treaty of Lübeck]], Christian made peace and agreed to not intervene in Germany again. The war in Germany had been very expensive and [[Christian IV of Denmark|Christian IV]] saw no other recourse than to raise the Sound tolls. Unfortunately, this act pushed the [[Netherlands]] away from Denmark and into the arms of Sweden.

==== Torstenson War (1643–1645)====
[[File:Danmark før 1645.png|thumb|Denmark before 1645]]
In 1643, Sweden's armies, under the command of [[Lennart Torstensson]], suddenly invaded Denmark without declaring war. The ensuing conflict became known as the [[Torstenson War]]. The [[Netherlands]], wishing to end the Danish stranglehold on the Baltic, joined the Swedes in their war against [[Denmark–Norway]]. In October 1644, a combined Dutch-Swedish fleet destroyed 80 percent of the Danish fleet in the Battle of Femern. The result of this defeat proved disastrous for [[Denmark–Norway]]: in the [[Second treaty of Brömsebro (1645)]] Denmark ceded to Sweden the Norwegian provinces [[Jemtland]], [[Herjedalen]] and [[Älvdalen Municipality|Älvdalen]] as well as the Danish islands of [[Gotland]] and [[Saaremaa|Øsel]]. [[Halland]] went to Sweden for a period of 30 years and the [[Netherlands]] were exempted from paying the Sound Duty.

[[File:Danmark før 1658.png|thumb|Denmark before 1658]]
[[File:Scandinavia 1658.gif|thumb|right|'''Treaty of Roskilde, 1658'''.<br />{{legend|#FF0000|Halland, previously occupied by Sweden for a 30-year period under the terms of the Peace of Brömsebro negotiated in 1645, was now ceded}}
{{legend|#FFFF00|the Scanian lands and Bohus County were ceded}}
{{legend|#B404AE|Trøndelag and Bornholm provinces, which were ceded in 1658, but rebelled against Sweden and returned to Danish rule in [[Treaty of Copenhagen (1660)|1660]].}}]]

Nevertheless, Danes remember Christian IV as one of the great kings of Denmark. He had a very long reign, from 1588 to 1648, and has become known as "the architect on the Danish throne" because of the large number of building [[project]]s he undertook. Many of the great buildings of Denmark date from his reign. After the death of Christian IV in 1648, his son Frederick succeeded him.

==== Second Northern War (1655–1660) ====
In 1657, during the [[Second Northern War]], [[Denmark–Norway]] launched a war of revenge against Sweden (then distracted in Poland) which turned into a complete disaster. The war became a disaster for two reasons: Primarily, because Denmark's new powerful ally, the [[Netherlands]], remained neutral as Denmark was the aggressor and Sweden the defender. Secondly, the [[Great Belt|Belts]] froze over in a rare occurrence during the winter of 1657–1658, allowing [[Charles X Gustav of Sweden]] to [[March across the Belts|lead his armies across the ice]] to invade [[Zealand]].

In the following [[Treaty of Roskilde]], [[Denmark–Norway]] capitulated and gave up all of [[Terra Scania|Eastern Denmark]] ({{langx|da|Skåne, Halland, Blekinge and [[Bornholm]]}}), in addition to the counties of [[Bohuslän]] ({{langx|no|Båhuslen}}) and [[Trøndelag]] in Norway. [[Holstein-Gottorp]] was also tied to Sweden, providing a gateway for future invasions from the south.

But the Second Northern War was not yet over. Three months after the peace treaty was signed, [[Charles X Gustav of Sweden]] held a council of war where he decided to simply wipe Denmark from the map and unite all of Scandinavia under his rule. Once again the Swedish army arrived outside Copenhagen. However, this time the Danes did not panic or surrender. Instead, they decided to fight and prepared to defend Copenhagen.

[[File:Tåget över bält2.jpg|thumb|right|[[March across the Belts]] in 1658]]
[[Frederick III of Denmark]] had stayed in his capital and now encouraged the citizens of Copenhagen to resist the Swedes, by saying he would die in his nest. Furthermore, this unprovoked declaration of war by Sweden finally triggered the alliance that [[Denmark–Norway]] had with the [[Netherlands]]. A powerful Dutch fleet was sent to Copenhagen with vital supplies and reinforcements, which saved the city from being captured during the [[Assault on Copenhagen (1659)|Swedish attack]]. Furthermore, [[Brandenburg-Prussia]], the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] and the [[Habsburg monarchy]] had gathered large forces to aid [[Denmark–Norway]] and fighting continued into 1659. 
[[File:Battle in køge bay-claus moinichen 1686.jpg|thumb|[[Battle of Køge Bay (1677)|Battle of Køge Bay]] in 1677]]

[[Charles X Gustav of Sweden]] suddenly died of an illness in early 1660, while planning an invasion of Norway. Following his death, Sweden made peace in the [[Treaty of Copenhagen (1660)|Treaty of Copenhagen]]. The Swedes returned [[Trøndelag]] to Norway and [[Bornholm]] to Denmark, but kept both [[Bohuslän]] and [[Terra Scania]]. The [[Netherlands]] and other European powers accepted the settlement, not wanting both coasts of the Sound controlled by Denmark. This treaty established the boundaries between Norway, Denmark, and Sweden that still exist today. All in all, Sweden had now surpassed Denmark as the most powerful country in Scandinavia.

=== Absolutism ===

As a result of the disaster in the war against Sweden, [[Frederick III of Denmark|King Frederick III]] (reigned 1648–1670) succeeded in convincing the nobles to give up some of their powers and their exemption from taxes, leading to the era of [[Absolutism (European history)|absolutism]] in Denmark. The country's main objective in the following decades was the recovery of its lost provinces from Sweden. In the 1670s, [[Denmark–Norway]] had regained enough strength to start [[Scanian War|a war with Sweden to recover its lost provinces]]. However, in spite of Denmark's outside support, naval dominance and initial support from the population of [[Terra Scania|the former eastern provinces]], the war ended in a bitter [[Peace of Lund|stalemate]].

==== Great Northern War (1700–1721) ====
A renewed attack during the [[Great Northern War|Third Northern War]] (1700–1721) first resulted in the unfavourable [[Peace of Travendal]], but after Denmark's re-entry into the war and Sweden's ultimate defeat by a large alliance, Sweden was no longer a threat to Denmark. However, the great powers opposed any Danish territorial gains, which meant the [[Treaty of Frederiksborg]] did not return the former eastern provinces to Denmark. Furthermore, Denmark was even forced to return [[Swedish Pomerania]], [[Siege of Stralsund (1711–1715)|held by Danish forces since 1715]], to Sweden. Denmark now had no hope of recovering its lost provinces from Sweden. As noted earlier, the rest of Europe was simply against the Sound being controlled by a single nation ever again.
[[File:Unification process of Holstein.png|left|thumb|180x180px|Unification process of Holstein]]
For most of the 18th century, Denmark was at peace. The only time when war threatened was in 1762, when the [[Duke of Holstein-Gottorp]] became Tsar [[Peter III of Russia]] and declared war on Denmark over his ancestral claims in [[Schleswig]]. Before any fighting could begin, however, he was overthrown by his wife, who took control of Russia as Tsarina [[Catherine the Great|Catherine II]] (Catherine the Great).<ref>{{Cite book|title=Elements of General History, Ancient and Modern|first=Lord Alexander Fraser|last=Tytler Woodhouselee|author-link=Alexander Fraser Tytler, Lord Woodhouselee|pages=[https://archive.org/details/elementsofgenera02wood/page/428 428]–429|year=1823|publisher=H. Hill|url=https://archive.org/details/elementsofgenera02wood|access-date=4 November 2016}}</ref> Empress Catherine withdrew her husband's demands and negotiated the transfer of ducal [[Schleswig-Holstein]] to the Danish crown in return for Russian control of the [[County of Oldenburg]] and adjacent lands within the [[Holy Roman Empire]], an exchange that was formalized with the 1773 [[Treaty of Tsarskoye Selo]]. The alliance that accompanied the territorial exchange tied Denmark's foreign policy to Russia's and led directly to Denmark's involvement in a series of wars over the succeeding decades.

With the suspension of the Danish [[diet (assembly)|diet]], that body disappeared for a couple of centuries. During this time power became increasingly centralized in Copenhagen. Frederick's government reorganized itself in a much more hierarchical manner, built around the king as a focal point of administration. Crown officials dominated the administration, as well as a new group of bureaucrats, much to the dismay of the traditional aristocracy, who saw their own influence curtailed even further. The absolutist kings of Denmark were quite weak compared to their Swedish counterparts, and non-noble landlords became the real rulers of the country. They used their influence to pass laws that favored themselves.

The administration and laws underwent "modernization" during this period. In 1683, the ''Danske lov 1683'' ([[Danish Code]]) standardized and collected all the old provincial laws. Other initiatives included the standardization of all [[weights and measures]] throughout the kingdom, and an agricultural survey and registry. This survey allowed the government to begin taxing landowners directly, moving it beyond dependence on revenue from [[crown land]]s.

The population of Denmark rose steadily through this period, from 600,000 in 1660 (after the loss of territory to Sweden) to 700,000 in 1720. By 1807, it had risen to 978,000.

==== Changes in the agricultural economy ====
Attempts to diversify the economy away from agriculture failed. During this period, little industry existed, except for a very small amount in Copenhagen (population: 30,000). In the late 17th century a small amount of industry did develop, catering to the military. Denmark suffered in part because of its lack of natural resources. It had nothing much to export except agricultural products. The Netherlands bought the largest share of Denmark's exports. The landlords, only about 300 in number, nevertheless owned 90% of the land in the country.

Rural administration remained primarily the preserve of the large landholders and of a few law-enforcement officials. In 1733, low crop prices caused the introduction of [[adscription]], an effort by the landlords to obtain cheap labor. The effect of this was to turn the previously free Danish peasantry into serfs. The adscription system tied rural laborers to their place of birth and required them to rent farms on the estates.

As rent, peasants were required to work the landlords' plots and could not negotiate contracts or demand payment for improvements made to the farm. Peasants who refused to rent a farm were subject to six years of military service. Danish agriculture was very inefficient and unproductive as a result, since the peasants had no motivation to perform anything more than the absolute minimum of work. Attempts to sell Danish grain in Norway failed because of its low quality compared to grain from the Baltic.

In the late 18th century, extensive agricultural reforms took place, involving the abolition of the old [[Open field system|open-field system]] and the amalgamation of many smaller farms into larger ones. With the abolition of the adscription system, the military could now only obtain manpower through conscription. These reforms were possible because agricultural prices steadily rose in the second half of the century.

Throughout the 18th century, the Danish economy did very well, largely on the basis of expanded agricultural output to meet growing demand across Europe. Danish merchant ships also traded around Europe and the North Atlantic, venturing to new [[Danish colonization of the Americas|Danish colonies]] in the Caribbean and North Atlantic.

==== The Enlightenment and Danish nationalism ====
[[Image:Forrige Grev Iohan Frid. Struensee og Grev Enevold Brandt forreffillet og afbildet po hiul og Steyler d. 28 Aprill 1772.jpg|thumb|Denmark's social reformers [[Johann Friedrich Struensee|Struensee]] and [[Enevold Brandt|Brandt]] quartered and displayed on the wheel on 28 April 1772]]
New propriety and [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] ideas became popular among the [[middle class]]es of Denmark, arousing increased interest in [[personal liberty]]. In the last 15 years of the 18th century, the authorities relaxed the censorship which had existed since the beginning of the 17th century. At the same time, a sense of Danish nationalism began to develop. Hostility increased against Germans and Norwegians present at the royal court. Pride in the Danish language and culture increased, and eventually a law banned "foreigners" from holding posts in the government. Antagonism between Germans and Danes increased from the mid-18th century on.

In the 1770s, during the reign of the mentally unstable Christian VII (1766–1808), the queen [[Caroline Matilda of Great Britain|Caroline Matilda's]] lover, a German doctor named [[Johann Friedrich Struensee]], became the real ruler of the country. Filled with the ideas of the Enlightenment, he attempted a number of radical reforms including freedom of the press and religion. But it was short-lived and [[Royal Life Guards' Mutiny|saw open revolt]]. The landlords feared that the reforms were a threat to their power, while the commoners believed that religious freedom was an invitation to atheism.

In 1772, a court faction involving the [[Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel|king's stepmother]] had Struensee arrested, tried, and convicted of crimes against the majesty, his right hand was cut off following his beheading, his remains were quartered and put on display on top of spikes on the commons west of Copenhagen. The next 12 years were a period of unmitigated reaction until a group of reformers gained power in 1784.

=====Reforms=====
Denmark became the model of enlightened despotism, partially influenced by the ideas of the French Revolution. Denmark thus adopted liberalizing reforms in line with those of the French Revolution, with no direct contact. Danes were aware of French ideas and agreed with them, as it moved from Danish absolutism to a liberal constitutional system between 1750 and 1850. The change of government in 1784 was caused by a power vacuum created when King Christian VII took ill, and influence shifted to the crown prince (who later became King Frederick VI) and reform-oriented landowners. Between 1784 and 1815, the abolition of [[serfdom]] made the majority of the peasants into landowners. The government also introduced [[free trade]] and [[universal education]]. In contrast to France under the '''ancien regime''', agricultural reform was intensified in Denmark, civil rights were extended to the peasants, the finances of the Danish state were healthy, and there were no external or internal crises. That is, reform was gradual and the regime itself carried out agrarian reforms that had the effect of weakening absolutism by creating a class of independent peasant freeholders. Much of the initiative came from well-organized liberals who directed political change in the first half of the 19th century.<ref>Henrik Horstboll, and Uffe Ostergård, "Reform and Revolution: The French Revolution and the Case of Denmark, ''Scandinavian Journal of History'' (1990) 15#3 pp 155–179</ref>

=====Newspapers=====
Danish news media first appeared in the 1540s, when handwritten fly sheets reported on the news. In 1666, [[Anders Bording]], the father of Danish journalism, began a state paper. The royal privilege to bring out a newspaper was issued to Joachim Wielandt in 1720. University officials handled the censorship, but in 1770 Denmark became one of the first nations of the world to provide for press freedom; it ended in 1799. In 1795–1814, the press, led by intellectuals and civil servants, called out for a more just and modern society, and spoke out for the oppressed tenant farmers against the power of the old aristocracy.<ref>Thorkild Kjærgaard, "The rise of press and public opinion in eighteenth‐century Denmark—Norway." ''Scandinavian journal of History'' 14.4 (1989): 215–230. He stresses the role</ref>

In 1834, the first liberal newspaper appeared, one that gave much more emphasis to actual news content rather than opinions. The newspapers championed the [[March Revolution (Denmark)|Revolution of 1848]] in Denmark. The new constitution of 1849 liberated the Danish press. Newspapers flourished in the second half of the 19th century, usually tied to one or another political party or labor union. Modernization, bringing in new features and mechanical techniques, appeared after 1900. The total circulation was 500,000 daily in 1901, more than doubling to 1.2 million in 1925. The German occupation brought informal censorship; some offending newspaper buildings were simply blown up by the Nazis. During the war, the underground produced 550 newspapers—small, surreptitiously printed sheets that encouraged sabotage and resistance.<ref>Kenneth E. Olson, ''The history makers: The press of Europe from its beginnings through 1965'' (LSU Press, 1966) pp 50 – 64, 433</ref>

=== Colonial ventures ===

{{main|Danish colonization of the Americas|Danish colonial empire}}{{See also|List of Danish colonial trading posts and settlements}}[[File:DanishColonialEmpireESTLAT.png|thumb|300x300px|Map showing Denmark–Norway and its colonial possessions.]]
Denmark maintained a number of [[colonies]] outside Scandinavia, starting in the 17th century and lasting until the 20th century. Denmark also controlled traditional colonies in Greenland<ref>{{cite book |last1=Thór |first1=J. Th. |title=De vestnordiske landes fælleshistorie: udvalg af indledende betragtninger over dele af den vestnordiske fælleshistorie |date=2003 |publisher=Grønlands Hjemmestyre, Direktoratet for kultur, uddannelse, forskning og kirke |location=Nuuk, Grønland |isbn=87-90948-07-6 |page=55 |edition=1. udg |url=https://naalakkersuisut.gl/~/media/Nanoq/Files/Publications/Uddannelse/De%20vestnordiske%20landes%20fælleshistorie.pdf |access-date=25 September 2020 |language=da |chapter=Fra biland til republik |quote=moreover, Greenland, which by 1800 was already described as a colony.}}</ref> and Iceland<ref>{{Cite book|title=Scandinavian Colonialism and the Rise of Modernity.|last1=Loftsdóttir|first1=Kristín|publisher=Springer|year=2013|isbn=978-1-4614-6202-6|location=New York, NY|pages=37–52|last2=Pálsson|first2=Gísli|chapter=Black on white: Danish colonialism, Iceland and the Caribbean.|doi=10.1007/978-1-4614-6202-6}}</ref> in the north Atlantic, obtained through the union with Norway. [[Christian IV of Denmark|Christian IV]] (reigned 1588–1648) first initiated the policy of expanding Denmark's overseas trade, as part of the [[mercantilist]] trend then popular in European governing circles. Denmark established its own first colony at [[Tranquebar]], or Trankebar, on India's south coast, in 1620.

In the [[Caribbean]] Denmark started a colony on [[Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands|St Thomas]] in 1671, [[Saint John, United States Virgin Islands|St John]] in 1718, and purchased [[Saint Croix]] from [[France]] in 1733. Denmark maintained its Indian colony, Tranquebar, as well as several other smaller colonies there, for about two hundred years. The [[Danish East India Company]] operated out of Tranquebar. The Danes also [[Danish Gold Coast|established themselves in the Gold coast]] and fought against other European powers like Sweden and the [[Dano-Dutch War|Netherlands there.]]

During its heyday, the Danish East Indian Company and the [[Swedish East India Company]] imported more tea than the [[British East India Company]] – and smuggled 90% of it into Britain, where it sold at a huge profit. Both of the Scandinavia-based East India Companies folded during the course of the Napoleonic Wars. Denmark also maintained other colonies, forts, and bases in West Africa, primarily for the purpose of [[Slavery|slave]]-trading.

== 19th century ==
{{anchor|The 19th century}}
{{see|Danish Golden Age}}
{{Infobox country
| native_name            = ''Helstaten'' {{small|([[Danish language|da]])}}<br />''Dänischer Gesamtstaat'' {{small|([[German language|de]])}}
| conventional_long_name = Danish Unitary State
| common_name            = 
| era                    = Late Modern Period
| status                 = ''[[personal union]]'' between [[Duchy of Schleswig|Schleswig]], [[Duchy of Holstein|Holstein]], [[Duchy of Lauenburg|Lauenburg]] and [[Denmark]]
| year_start             = 1814
| year_end               = 1864
| event_start            = 
| date_start             = 
| event1                 = [[Treaty of Kiel]]
| date_event1            = 14 January 1814
| event2                 = [[First Schleswig War]]
| date_event2            = 1848–1851
| event_end              = 
| date_end               = 
| image_map              = File:Lands_ruled_by_the_Danish_Monarch_1815.png
| image_map_caption      = Territories that were part of the [[Kingdom of Denmark]] from 1814 to 1864
| common_languages       = [[Danish language|Danish]], [[Frisian language|Frisian]], [[German Language|German]]
| religion               = [[Lutheranism]]
| leader1                = [[Frederik VI of Denmark|Frederik VI]]
| leader2                = [[Christian VIII of Denmark|Christian VIII]]
| leader3                = [[Frederik VII of Denmark|Frederik VII]]
| leader4                = [[Christian IX of Denmark|Christian IX]]
| year_leader1           = 1808–1839
| year_leader2           = 1839–1848
| year_leader3           = 1848–1863
| year_leader4           = 1863–1906
| title_leader           = King of Denmark, <small> Duke of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg </small>
| representative1        = [[Adam Wilhelm Moltke]]
| representative2        = [[Christian Albrecht Bluhme]]
| representative3        = [[Anders Sandøe Ørsted]]
| representative4        = [[Peter Georg Bang]]
| representative5        = [[Carl Christoffer Georg Andræ]]
| representative6        = [[Carl Christian Hall]]
| representative7        = [[Carl Edvard Rotwitt]]
| representative8        = [[Ditlev Gothard Monrad]]
| year_representative1   = 1848–1852
| year_representative2   = 1852–1853
| year_representative3   = 1853–1854
| year_representative4   = 1854–1856
| year_representative5   = 1856–1857
| year_representative6   = 1857–1859
| year_representative7   = 1859–1860
| year_representative8   = 1863–1864
| title_representative   = Prime ministers <br /> <small> (1848–1855) </small> <br /> <big> Council Presidents </big>  <br /> <small> (1855–1864) </small>
| deputy1                = 
| deputy2                = 
| year_deputy1           = 
| year_deputy2           = 
| title_deputy           = 
| footnotes              = 
}}
=== The Napoleonic Wars ===

[[File:The Battle of Copenhagen, 2 April 1801 RMG BHC0529.tiff|thumb|left|The Battle of Copenhagen, 1801.]]

The long decades of peace came to an abrupt end during the [[French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars]]. Denmark-Norway initially attempted to stay neutral in the ongoing conflict in order to maintain their trade with both France and Britain. However, British fears that the Dano-Norwegians would ally with France led to a [[Battle of Copenhagen (1801)|naval battle]] outside of Copenhagen in 1801, in which a [[Royal Navy]] fleet delivered a crushing blow to the Dano-Norwegian navy. Despite this, Denmark-Norway continued to remain neutral until 1807, when a British fleet [[Battle of Copenhagen (1807)|bombarded Copenhagen]] and captured most of the Dano-Norwegian navy in order to prevent it from assisting [[Napoleon]] against Britain. This led to the [[Gunboat War]], in which Danish [[gunboat]]s fought against the British navy until 1814, though major engagements ended after the last Danish frigate was captured by the Royal Navy [[Battle of Lyngør|at Lyngør]] in 1812.

In 1809 Danish forces fighting on the French side participated in defeating the anti-Bonapartist German rebellion led by [[Ferdinand von Schill]], at the [[Battle of Stralsund (1809)|Battle of Stralsund]]. By 1813, Denmark could no longer bear the war costs, and the [[National bankruptcy|state was bankrupt]]. When in the same year the [[War of the Sixth Coalition|Sixth Coalition]] isolated Denmark by clearing Northern Germany of French forces, [[Frederick VI of Denmark|Frederick VI]] had to make peace. Accordingly, the [[Treaty of Kiel]] was concluded in January 1814 with Sweden and Great Britain, and another peace was signed with Russia in February.

The post-Napoleonic [[Congress of Vienna]] demanded the dissolution of the Dano-Norwegian union, and this was confirmed by the [[Treaty of Kiel]] in 1814. The treaty transferred [[Heligoland]] to Great Britain and [[Norway]] from the Danish to the Swedish crown, Denmark was to be satisfied with [[Swedish Pomerania]]. But the [[Norway in 1814|Norwegians revolted]], declared their independence, and elected crown-prince Christian Frederick (the future [[Christian VIII of Denmark|Christian VIII]]) as their king. However, the Norwegian independence movement failed to attract any support from the European powers. After a brief war with Sweden, Christian had to abdicate in order to preserve Norwegian autonomy, established in a [[personal union]] with Sweden. In favour of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]], Denmark renounced her claims to Swedish Pomerania at the [[Congress of Vienna]] (1815), and instead was satisfied with the [[Duchy of Lauenburg]] and a Prussian payment of 3.5 million talers. Prussia also took over a Danish 600,000-taler debt to Sweden.

This period also counts as "the Golden Age" of Danish [[intellectual history]]. A sign of renewed intellectual vigor was the introduction of compulsory schooling in 1814. Literature, painting, sculpture, and philosophy all experienced an unusually vibrant period. The stories of [[Hans Christian Andersen]] (1805–1875) became popular not only in Denmark, but all over Europe and in the United States.<ref>{{cite book |title=Hans Christian Andersen: Danish Writer and Citizen of the World | editor=Sven Hakon Rossel |year=1996 |publisher=Rodopi |pages=52–54 }}</ref> The ideas of the philosopher [[Søren Kierkegaard]] (1813–1855) spread far beyond Denmark, influencing not only his own era, but proving instrumental in the development of new philosophical systems after him. The sculptures of [[Bertel Thorvaldsen|Thorvaldsen]] (1770–1834) grace public buildings all over Denmark and other artists appreciated and copied his style. [[N. F. S. Grundtvig|Grundtvig]] (1783–1872) tried to reinvigorate the Danish National Church and contributed to the hymns used by the church in Denmark.

=== Nationalism and liberalism ===
{{see also|History of Schleswig-Holstein}}
[[File:Grundlovgivende rigsforsamling - Constantin Hansen.jpg|thumb|''Den Grundlovgivende Rigsforsamling''<br /> The Constitutional Assembly created The [[Constitution of Denmark|Danish constitution]], 1860–1864 painting by [[Constantin Hansen]].]]
The Danish [[Liberalism|liberal]] and [[nationalism|national]] movements gained momentum in the 1830s, and after the European revolutions of 1848 Denmark became a [[constitutional monarchy]] on 5 June 1849. The growing [[bourgeoisie]] had demanded a share in government, and in an attempt to avert the sort of bloody revolution occurring elsewhere in Europe, [[Frederick VII of Denmark|Frederick VII]] gave in to the demands of the citizens. A new constitution emerged, [[Separation of powers|separating the powers]] and granting the [[suffrage|franchise]] to all adult males, as well as freedom of the press, religion, and association. The king became head of the [[executive branch]]. The [[legislative branch]] consisted of two parliamentary chambers; the [[Folketing]], comprising members elected by the general population, and the [[Landsting (Denmark)|Landsting]], elected by landowners. Denmark also gained an independent [[judiciary]].

Another significant result of the revolution was the [[abolitionism|abolition of slavery]] in the [[Danish West Indies]], the Danish colony in the Caribbean, which at an earlier part of its history witnessed the biggest slave auctions in the world.<ref>Neville A.T. Hall, and B. W. Higman, ''Slave Society in the Danish West Indies: St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix'' (Aarhus Universitetsforlag, 1992).</ref> In 1845 Denmark's other tropical colony, [[Tranquebar]] in India, was sold to Britain.

The Danish king's realm still consisted of the islands, the northern half of the [[Jutland]] peninsula, and the [[Duchy of Schleswig]] in [[real union]] with the [[Duchy of Holstein]].

[[File:Første Infanteriregiment i Haandgemæng med Regimentet Martini.png|thumb|left|Danish Infantry regiment in a fight with regiment "Martini". Contemporary illustration of the 1864 [[Second Schleswig War]].]]
The islands and Jutland together constituted the kingdom, whereas the monarch held the duchies in [[personal union]] with the kingdom. The duchy of Schleswig constituted a Danish [[fief]], while the Duchy of Holstein remained a part of the [[German Confederation]].

Since the early 18th century, and even more so from the early 19th century, the Danes had become used to viewing the duchies and the kingdom as increasingly unified in one [[Sovereign state|state]]. This view, however, clashed with that of the German majority in the duchies, also enthused by liberal and national trends, which led to a movement known as Schleswig-Holsteinism. Schleswig-Holsteinists aimed for independence from Denmark. The [[First Schleswig War]] (1848–1851) broke out after constitutional change in 1849 and ended with the ''status quo'' because of the intervention of [[United Kingdom|Britain]] and other Great Powers.

Much debate took place in Denmark as to how to deal with the question of Schleswig-Holstein. National-Liberals demanded permanent ties between Schleswig and Denmark, but stated that Holstein could do as it pleased. However, international events overtook domestic Danish politics, and Denmark faced war against both [[Prussia]] and [[Austria]] in what became known as the [[Second Schleswig War]] (1864). The war lasted from February to October 1864. Denmark was easily beaten by Prussia and Austria, and obliged to relinquish both Schleswig and Holstein.

The war caused Denmark as a nation severe trauma, forcing it to reconsider its place in the world. The loss of Schleswig-Holstein came as the latest in the long series of defeats and territorial loss that had begun in the 17th century. The Danish state had now lost some of the richest areas of the kingdom: Skåne to Sweden and Schleswig to Germany, so the nation focused on developing the poorer areas of the country. Extensive agricultural improvements took place in Jutland, and a new form of nationalism, which emphasized the "small" people, the decency of rural Denmark, and the shunning of wider aspirations, developed.

=== Industrialisation ===
[[Industrialisation]] came to Denmark in the second half of the 19th century. The nation's first railroads 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 unions developed starting in the 1870s. There was a considerable migration of people from the countryside to the cities.

Danish agriculture became centered around the export of dairy and meat products, especially to Great Britain. Instead of relying on German middlemen in Hamburg, the Danes opened new direct trade routes to England after the defeat by the Germans.<ref>Markus Lampe, and Paul Sharp, "How the Danes discovered Britain: the international integration of the Danish dairy industry before 1880." ''European Review of Economic History'' 19.4 (2015): 432-453 [Lampe, Markus, and Paul Sharp. "How the Danes discovered Britain: the international integration of the Danish dairy industry before 1880." European Review of Economic History 19.4 (2015): 432-453. online]. </ref>  Lampke and Sharp argue that Denmark's success as in the dairy industry was not based on co-operatives, which came in the late nineteenth century. Instead leadership was in the hands of the landed, intellectual and political elites. They made land reforms, adopted new technologies, and started educational and trading systems. Together these made Denmark a major exporter of butter after 1850. Land reform enabled the growth of a middle ranking class of farmers. They copied the innovations pioneered by wealthy estate owners, and implemented them through newly formed co-operatives.<ref>Markus Lampe, and Paul Sharp, '' A Land of Milk and Butter: How Elites Created the Modern Danish Dairy Industry'' (2018).</ref>

Internationalism and nationalism have become very much part of the history of the Danish [[Labour movement]]. The Labour movement gathered momentum when social issues became associated with internationalism. Socialist theory and organisational contact with the [[International Workingmen's Association|First International]], which linked labour movements in various countries, paved the way. [[Louis Pio]] emerged as the driving force. In 1871, following the bloody defeat of the [[Paris Commune]], he started publishing socialist journalism. He campaigned strongly for an independent organisation of the workers under their own management, and organised a Danish branch of the First International. This became the foundation stone for the [[Social Democrats (Denmark)|Social Democratic Party]] under the name of ''Den Internationale Arbejderforening for Danmark'' (The International Labour Association for Denmark). As a combination of union and political party, it adroitly brought together national and international elements.<ref>Harald Lövaas, ''The trade union movement in Denmark'' (European Trade Union Institute, 1987).</ref>

Pio saw internationalism as vital for the success of the workers' struggle: without internationalism, no progress. He pointed out that the middle classes cooperated across national frontiers and used nationalistic rhetoric as a weapon against the workers and their liberation.<ref>Peder Tabor, "The Oldest Social-Democratic Press in the World." ''Gazette'' (Leiden, Netherlands) 9.2 (1963): 157–164.</ref>

The Danish section started organising strikes and demonstrations for higher wages and social reforms.<ref>David Greasley,  "A Tale of Two Peripheries: Real Wages in Denmark and New Zealand 1875–1939." ''Scandinavian Economic History Review'' 54.2 (2006): 116–136.</ref> Demands were moderate, but enough to provoke the employers and the forces of [[Law and order (politics)|law and order]]. Things came to a head in the Battle of [[Fælledparken|Fælleden]] on 5 May 1872. The authorities arrested the three leaders, Louis Pio, [[Poul Geleff]] and Harald Brix, charged them and convicted them of high treason. The three left Denmark for the United States to set up the ill-starred and short-lived socialist colony near Hays City, in [[Ellis County, Kansas]].

Back in Denmark, the emerging political situation made possible by the new Danish door of independence alarmed many of the existing elites, since it inevitably [[empowerment|empowered]] the peasantry. Simple men with little education replaced professors and professionals in positions of power. The peasants, in coalition with liberal and radical elements from the cities, eventually won a majority of seats in the Folketing. Even though constitutional changes had taken place to boost the power of the Landsting, the Left {{Lang|da|[[Venstre (Denmark)|Venstre]]}} Party demanded to form the government, but the king, still the head of the executive branch, refused. However, in 1901, king [[Christian IX of Denmark|Christian IX]] gave in and asked [[Johan Henrik Deuntzer]], a member of Venstre, to form a government, the [[Cabinet of Deuntzer]]. This began a tradition of [[parliamentary government]], and with the exception of the [[Easter Crisis of 1920]], no government since 1901 has ruled against a parliamentary majority in the Folketing.

=== Monetary union ===
{{main|Scandinavian Monetary Union}}
[[File:Two 20kr gold coins.png|thumb|right|Two golden 20 kr coins from the Scandinavian Monetary Union, which was based on a [[gold standard]]. The coin to the left is Swedish and the right one is Danish.]]

The [[Scandinavian Monetary Union]], a [[monetary union]] formed by Sweden and Denmark on 5 May 1873, fixed both their [[currency|currencies]] against [[gold standard|gold]] [[Par value|at par]] to each other. [[Norway]], governed in union with Sweden, entered the monetary union two years later in 1875 by pegging its currency to gold at the same level as Denmark and Sweden (.403&nbsp;gram).<ref>[http://www.nationalbanken.dk/dnuk/hist.nsf/side/From_silver_standard_to_gold_standard From silver standard to gold standard] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103214722/http://www.nationalbanken.dk/dnuk/hist.nsf/side/From_silver_standard_to_gold_standard |date=2013-11-03 }}, retrieved 2008-08-05</ref> The monetary union proved one of the few tangible results of the [[Scandinavist]] political movement of the 19th century.

The union provided fixed exchange-rates and stability in monetary terms, but the member-countries continued to issue their own separate currencies. In an outcome not initially foreseen, the perceived security led to a situation where the formally separate currencies circulated on a basis of "as good as" the [[legal tender]] virtually throughout the entire area.

The outbreak of [[World War I]] in 1914 brought an end to the monetary union. Sweden abandoned the tie to gold on 2 August 1914, and without a fixed exchange rate the free circulation came to an end.

== 20th century ==

=== 1901–1939 ===
In the early decades of the 20th century the new [[Det Radikale Venstre|Radical Party]] and the older [[Venstre (Denmark)|Venstre Party]] shared government. During this time women gained the [[Women's suffrage|right to vote]] (1915), and the United States purchased some of Denmark's colonial holdings: the three islands of [[Saint John, United States Virgin Islands|St. John]], [[St. Croix]], and [[Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands|St. Thomas]] in the [[West Indies]]. The period also saw Denmark inaugurating important social and labour-market reforms, laying the basis for the {{As of|2008|alt=present}} [[welfare state]].

[[Denmark during World War I|Denmark remained neutral]] during [[World War I]], but the conflict affected the country to a considerable extent. As its economy was heavily based on exports, the unrestricted German submarine warfare was a serious problem. Denmark had no choice but to sell many of its exports to Germany instead of overseas nations. Widespread [[war profiteer|profiteering]] took place, but commerce also suffered great disruption because of the conflict and because of the ensuing financial instability in Europe. Rationing was instituted, and there were food and fuel shortages. In addition, Denmark was forced by Berlin to mine the Sound to prevent British ships from entering it. Following the defeat of Germany in the war (1918), the [[Treaty of Versailles]] (1919) mandated the [[Schleswig Plebiscites]], which resulted in the return of [[Northern Schleswig]] ({{As of|2008|alt=now}} [[Southern Jutland|South Jutland]]) to Denmark. The king and parts of the opposition grumbled that Prime Minister [[Carl Theodor Zahle]] (in office 1909–1910 and 1913–1920) did not use Germany's defeat to take back a bigger portion of the province, which Denmark had lost in the [[Second Schleswig War]] in 1864. The king and the opposition wanted to take over the city of [[Flensburg]], while the cabinet insisted on only claiming areas where a majority of Danes lived, which led to a plebiscite in the affected areas over whether they wanted to become a part of [[Denmark]] or remain within [[Germany]]. Believing that he had the support of the people, King Christian X used his [[reserve power]] to dismiss Zahle's cabinet, sparking the [[Easter Crisis of 1920]]. As a result of the Easter Crisis, the king promised to no longer interfere in politics. Although the [[Danish Constitution]] was not amended at that time, Danish monarchs have stayed out of politics since then. The end of the war also prompted the Danish government to finish negotiating with [[Iceland]], resulting in Iceland becoming a sovereign [[Kingdom of Iceland|Kingdom]] on 1 December 1918 while retaining the Danish monarch as [[head of state]].

In the [[1924 Danish Folketing election|1924 Folketing election]] the [[Social Democrat]]s, under the charismatic [[Thorvald Stauning]], became Denmark's largest parliamentary political party, a position they maintained until 2001. Since the opposition still held a majority of the seats in the [[Landsting (Denmark)|Landsting]], Stauning had to co-operate with some of the right-wing parties, making the Social Democrats a more mainstream party. He succeeded in brokering an important deal in the 1930s which brought an end to the [[Great Depression]] in Denmark, and also laid the foundation for a welfare state.

Denmark joined the [[League of Nations]] in 1920 and during the interwar period was active in promoting peaceful solutions to international issues. With the rise of [[Adolf Hitler]] in Germany during the 1930s, the country found itself in a very precarious situation. Berlin refused to recognize its post-1920 border with Denmark, but the Nazi regime was preoccupied with more important matters and did not make any issue of it. The Danes tried unsuccessfully to obtain recognition of the border from their neighbor, but otherwise went out of their way to avoid antagonizing Germany.

=== Second World War ===
{{main|Occupation of Denmark}}
[[Image:Christian X.jpg|left|thumb|During the German occupation, King [[Christian X]] became a powerful symbol of national sovereignty. This image dates from the King's birthday, 26 September 1940. Note the lack of a guard.]]

In 1939, Hitler offered non-aggression pacts to the Scandinavian nations. While Sweden and Norway refused, Denmark readily accepted. When WWII began that fall, Copenhagen declared its neutrality. Nevertheless, Germany (so as to secure communications for its invasion of Norway) invaded and subsequently occupied Denmark on 9 April 1940, meeting limited resistance. British forces, however, [[British occupation of the Faroe Islands in World War II|occupied]] the [[Faroe Islands]] (12 April 1940) and [[Invasion of Iceland|invaded]] Iceland (10 May 1940) in pre-emptive moves to prevent German occupation. Following a [[1944 Icelandic referendum|plebiscite]], Iceland declared its independence on 17 June 1944 and became a republic, dissolving its union with Denmark.

The Nazi occupation of Denmark unfolded in a unique manner. The Monarchy remained. The conditions of occupation started off very leniently (although the authorities banned [[Communist Party of Denmark|Danmarks Kommunistiske Parti]] (the Communist party) when the Wehrmacht [[Operation Barbarossa|invaded the Soviet Union]] in June 1941), and Denmark retained its own government. The new coalition government tried to protect the population from Nazi rule through compromise. The Germans allowed the Folketing to remain in session. Despite [[Deportation of the Danish police|deportations of nearly 2,000 of its members]], the police remained largely under Danish control, and the German authorities stayed one step removed from the population. However, the Nazi demands eventually became intolerable for the Danish government, so, in 1943, it resigned and Germany assumed full control of Denmark. From that point, an armed resistance movement grew against the occupying forces. Towards the end of the war, Denmark grew increasingly difficult for Germany to control, but the country remained under occupation until near the end of the war. On 4 May 1945, German forces in Denmark, North West Germany, and the Netherlands surrendered to the Allies. On 5 May 1945, British troops liberated Copenhagen. Three days later, the war ended.

Denmark succeeded in smuggling most of its Jewish population to Sweden, in 1943, when the Nazis threatened deportation; see [[Rescue of the Danish Jews]]. Danish doctors refused to treat German citizens fleeing from Germany. More than 13,000 died in 1945 from various causes, among them some 7,000 children under five.<ref>Manfred Ertel. [http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,355772,00.html A Legacy of Dead German Children] Spiegel Online, 16 May 2005</ref>

=== Post-war ===
In 1948, Denmark granted [[home rule]] to the [[Faroe Islands]]. 1953 saw further political reform in Denmark, abolishing the Landsting (the elected upper house), colonial status for [[Greenland]] and allowing female rights of succession to the throne with the signing of a new constitution.

Although not one of the war-time United Nations, Denmark succeeded in obtaining a (belated) invitation to the UN Charter conference, and became a founding member of the [[United Nations]] organisation in 1945.<ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.1080/03468750410004594 | title=Prestige and lack of alternative: Denmark and the United Nations in the making | year=2004 | last1=Götz | first1=Norbert | journal=Scandinavian Journal of History | volume=29 | issue=2 | pages=73–96 | s2cid=145403585 }}</ref> With the [[USSR|Soviet]] occupation of Bornholm, the emergence of what evolved to become the [[Cold War]] and with the lessons of World War II still fresh in Danish minds, the country abandoned its former policy of neutrality and became one of the original founding members of the [[NATO|North Atlantic Treaty Organisation]] (NATO) in 1949. Denmark had originally tried to form an alliance with Norway and Sweden only, but this attempt had failed. A [[Nordic Council]] later emerged however, with the aim of co-ordinating Nordic policies. Later on, in a [[1972 Danish European Communities membership referendum|referendum in 1972]], Danes voted in favour of joining the [[European Community]], the predecessor of the [[European Union]], and Denmark became a member on 1 January 1973. Since then, Denmark has proven a hesitant member of the European community, opting out of many proposals, including the [[Euro]], which the country rejected in a [[2000 Danish euro referendum|referendum in 2000]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Denmark says no to the euro |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/sep/29/euro.eu1 |work=the Guardian |date=29 September 2000 |language=en}}</ref>

== 21st century ==
Denmark went through some of its most serious post-war crises in the early 21st century, such as the [[2002-2004 SARS outbreak|SARS outbreak]] in 2003, [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami|Indian Ocean tsunami]] in December 2004,<ref>{{cite news |title=Denmark mourns its tsunami dead |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4142043.stm |date=2 January 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mary from the start: Thailand: tsunami memorial |url=http://maryfromthestart.blogspot.com/2014/04/thailand-tsunami-memorial.html |website=Mary from the start |date=19 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Beautiful Danish Memorial in Thailand |url=https://scandasia.com/1467-beautiful-danish-memorial-in-thailand/ |website=Scandasia |date=16 April 2005}}</ref> [[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy]] in 2005, [[2008 Danish embassy bombing in Islamabad|Danish embassy bombing]] in [[Islamabad]] in 2008, [[2015 Copenhagen attacks|Copenhagen attacks]] in 2015, and with the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark|COVID-19 pandemic]] (including [[SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant|Delta]][[SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant|cron]] hybrid variant) in between January 2020 and March 2022, which has further damaged the economy.

In 2001, the Folketing agreed to enter the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|war in Afghanistan]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dr.dk/undervisning/samfundsfag/tidslinje-krigen-i-afghanistan |language=Danish |accessdate=2017-11-06 |title=Tidslinje: Krigen i Afghanistan |website=dr.dk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107075400/https://www.dr.dk/undervisning/samfundsfag/tidslinje-krigen-i-afghanistan |archive-date=2017-11-07}}</ref> A total of 43 Danish soldiers were killed in Afghanistan since the first deployment in 2002.

Venstre leader [[Anders Fogh Rasmussen]] won the [[2001 Danish general election|2001]], [[2005 Danish general election|2005]], and [[2007 Danish general election|2007 Folketing election]]s and formed a new government and was in his first few months challenged after the Social Democrat prime minister [[Poul Nyrup Rasmussen]] admitted defeat. Eight years later, he resigned from his office in April 2009 due to upcoming as the [[Secretary General of NATO|NATO Secretary-General]], and then [[Lars Løkke Rasmussen]] will be sworn in as prime minister in his first term from 2009 to 2011.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rasmussen named new Danish PM |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/rasmussen-named-new-danish-pm-1.838621 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=5 April 2009 |language=en}}</ref>

In the [[2011 Danish general election|2011 Folketing elections]], the incumbent centre-right coalition led by Venstre lost power to a centre-left coalition led by the [[Social Democrats (Denmark)|Social Democrats]], making [[Helle Thorning-Schmidt]] the country's first female prime minister. The Social Liberal Party and the Socialist People's Party became part of the three-party government. The new parliament convened on 4 October 2011.<ref>{{cite news |title=Danes vote for their first female prime minister |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/sep/15/danes-female-prime-minister-helle-thorning-schmidt |work=the Guardian |date=15 September 2011 |language=en}}</ref>

In 2015, Lars Løkke Rasmussen won the [[2015 Danish general election|Folketing election]] and formed a new twice government and was in his second office. Although the ruling [[Social Democrats (Denmark)|Social Democrats]] became the largest party in the Folketing and increased their seat count, the opposition [[Venstre (Denmark)|Venstre party]] was able to form a minority government headed by [[Lars Løkke Rasmussen]] with the support of the [[Danish People's Party]], the [[Liberal Alliance (Denmark)|Liberal Alliance]] and the [[Conservative People's Party (Denmark)|Conservative People's Party]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Welle (www.dw.com) |first1=Deutsche |title=Record gains for anti-immigration party in Denmark {{!}} DW {{!}} 19.06.2015 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/record-gains-for-anti-immigration-party-in-denmark/a-18526244 |work=DW.COM |date=19 June 2015}}</ref> Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen held the office between 2009 and 2011, and again between 2015 and 2019, with backing from the Danish People's Party (DF).

In the [[2019 Danish general election|2019 Folketing election]], comprising parties that supported the [[Social Democrats (Denmark)|Social Democrats]]' leader [[Mette Frederiksen]] as candidate for Prime Minister. The "red bloc", consisting of the Social Democrats, the [[Danish Social Liberal Party|Social Liberals]], [[Socialist People's Party (Denmark)|Socialist People's Party]], the [[Red-Green Alliance (Denmark)|Red–Green Alliance]], the [[Faroe Islands|Faroese]] [[Social Democrats (Denmark)|Social Democratic Party]] and the [[Greenland]]ic [[Siumut]], won 93 of the 179 seats, securing a parliamentary majority. Meanwhile, the incumbent governing coalition, consisting of [[Venstre (Denmark)|Venstre]], the [[Liberal Alliance (Denmark)|Liberal Alliance]] and the [[Conservative People's Party (Denmark)|Conservative People's Party]] whilst receiving outside parliamentary support from the [[Danish People's Party]] and [[Nunatta Qitornai]], was reduced to 76 seats (including the [[Venstre (Denmark)|Venstre]]-affiliated [[Union Party (Faroe Islands)|Union Party]] in the [[Faroe Islands]]). Following the [[2019 Danish general election|2019 general election]] the Social Democrats, led by leader [[Mette Frederiksen]], formed a single-party government with support from the left-wing coalition.<ref>{{cite news |title=Denmark's new leader joins Nordic swing to left |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-48784508 |work=BBC News |access-date=27 June 2019 |date=27 June 2019}}</ref> Frederiksen became prime minister on 27 June 2019.<ref>{{cite news |title=Frederiksen prepares to take over as new Danish prime minister |url=https://www.thelocal.dk/20190627/frederiksen-prepares-to-take-over-as-new-danish-prime-minister/ |work=The Local Denmark |date=27 June 2019}}</ref>

[[File:Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark and Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark in 2015-2.jpg|thumb|Then-Crown Prince [[Frederik X|Federik]] with his wife [[Queen Mary of Denmark|Mary]] in 2015.]]

In the November 2022 snap general [[2022 Danish general election|election]], Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's Social Democrats remained the biggest party with two more seats, its best result in two decades.<ref>{{cite news |title=Denmark: Mette Frederiksen's Social Democrats win the best result in 20 years |url=https://progressivepost.eu/the-danish-election-mette-frederiksens-social-democrats-win-the-best-result-in-20-years/ |work=The Progressive Post |date=8 November 2022}}</ref> The second biggest was the Liberal Party (Venstre), led by [[Jakob Ellemann-Jensen]]. The recently formed [[Moderates (Denmark)|Moderates]] party, led by two-time former Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, became the third-biggest party in Denmark.<ref>{{cite news |title=Denmark election: Centre-left bloc comes out on top |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63481675 |work=BBC News |date=2 November 2022}}</ref> In December 2022, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen formed a new coalition government with her Social Democrats and the Liberal Party and the Moderates party. Jakob Ellemann-Jensen became deputy prime minister and defence minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen was appointed foreign minister.<ref>{{cite news |title=Danish PM picks right-leaning rivals as key ministers in new government |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/danish-pm-frederiksen-appoints-lokke-rasmussen-foreign-minister-new-government-2022-12-15/ |work=Reuters |date=15 December 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

In her 52nd New Year's speech on the last day of 2023, Queen [[Margrethe II]] announced [[Abdication of Margrethe II|her abdication]] of the Danish throne in favor of her son, [[Frederik X|Frederick]]. This was the first willing abdication of a [[Danish monarch]] since [[Eric III of Denmark|Eric III]] in 1146.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Abdication |url=https://www.kongehuset.dk/en/news/abdication |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=www.kongehuset.dk}}</ref> On 14 January, 52 years to the day after Margrethe ascended the throne, Frederik X was [[Proclamation|proclaimed]] king of Denmark.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bryant |first1=Miranda |title=Denmark's King Frederik X takes throne after Margrethe abdicates |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/14/denmark-proclaims-king-frederik-queen-margrethe-abdicates |work=The Guardian |date=14 January 2024}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Denmark|Faroe Islands|History}}
* [[List of Danish monarchs]]
** [[Danish monarchs' family tree]]
* [[List of Danish chronicles]]
* [[History of Christianity in Denmark]]
* [[Politics of Denmark]]
* [[Timeline of Danish history]]
* [[Politics of the Faroe Islands]]
* [[Politics of Greenland]]
{{Scandinavia|History}}

== Footnotes ==
{{Reflist}}
{{notelist}}
*{{Cite book |last1=Logan |first1=F. Donald |authorlink1=F. Donald Logan |date=2005 |title=The Vikings in History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7K2ywwGox6IC |location=New York |publisher=Routledge (Taylor & Francis) |pages=205 |isbn=9780415327565 |access-date=26 January 2023 |archive-date=23 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423152845/https://books.google.com/books?id=7K2ywwGox6IC |url-status=live}} (third edition)

== Further reading ==
{{further|History of Scandinavia#Further reading}}
* Bain, R. Nisbet. ''Scandinavia: A Political History of Denmark, Norway and Sweden from 1513 to 1900'' (2014) [https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Obs0AAAAQBAJ online]
* Bagge, Sverre. ''Cross and Scepter: The Rise of the Scandinavian Kingdoms From the Vikings to the Reformation'' (Princeton University Press; 2014) 325 pages; 
* Barton, H. Arnold. ''Scandinavia in the Revolutionary Era 1760–1815'', University of Minnesota Press, 1986. {{ISBN|0-8166-1392-3}}.
* Birch J. H. S. ''Denmark In History'' (1938) [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.505403/page/n5/mode/2up online]
* Derry, T. K. ''A History of Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland''. (U of Minnesota Press, 1979.) {{ISBN|0-8166-3799-7}}.
* Lauring, Palle. ''A History of Denmark''. (3rd ed. Copenhagen: Høst, 1995). {{ISBN|87-14-29306-4}}.
* Jespersen, Knud J. V. ''A History of Denmark'' (Palgrave Essential Histories) (2nd ed. 2011) [https://www.amazon.com/History-Denmark-Palgrave-Essential-Histories/dp/0333659171/ excerpt and text search]
* Oakley, Stewart. ''A short history of Denmark'' (Praeger Publishers, 1972)
* Pulsiano, Phillip. ''Medieval Scandinavia: an encyclopedia'' (Taylor & Francis, 1993).

===Political history===
* Barton, H. A. ''Scandinavia in the Revolutionary Era, 1760–1815'' (Minneapolis, 1986)
* Bregnsbo, Michael. "The motives behind the foreign political decisions of Frederick VI during the Napoleonic Wars." ''Scandinavian Journal of History'' 39.3 (2014): 335–352.
* Campbell, John L., John A. Hall, and Ove Kaj Pedersen, eds. ''National Identity and the Varieties of Capitalism: The Danish Experience'' (Studies in Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict) (2006)
* Etting, Vivian. ''Queen Margrete I, 1353–1412, and the Founding of the Nordic Union'' (Brill, 2004) [https://www.questia.com/read/114102227 online edition]{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* Gouges, Linnea de (2014) ''From Witch Hunts to Scientific Confidence; The Influence of British and Continental Currents on the Consolidation of the Scandinavian States in the 17th Century'' (Nisus Publications). 
* Jespersen, Leon. "Court and Nobility in Early Modern Denmark," ''Scandinavian Journal of History,'' September 2002, Vol. 27 Issue 3, pp 129–142, covers 1588 to 1650
* Jonas, Frank. ''Scandinavia and the Great Powers in the First World War'' (2019) [http://www.miwsr.com/2020-024.aspx online review]
* Munck, Thomas. "Absolute Monarchy in Later 18th-century Denmark: Centralized Reform, Public Expectations, and the Copenhagen Press" ''Historical Journal,'' March 1998, Vol. 41 Issue 1, pp 201–24 [https://www.jstor.org/stable/2640150 in JSTOR]
* Munck, Thomas. ''The peasantry and the early absolute monarchy in Denmark, 1660–1708'' (Copenhagen, 1979)
* {{cite journal |last1=Jensen |first1=Niklas Thode |last2=Simonsen |first2=Gunvor |year=2016 |title=Introduction: The historiography of slavery in the Danish-Norwegian West Indies, c. 1950-2016 |journal=[[Scandinavian Journal of History]] |volume=41 |issue=4–5 |pages=475–494 |doi=10.1080/03468755.2016.1210880 |doi-access=free}}

===Culture and religion===
* Eichberg, Henning. "Sporting history, moving democracy, challenging body culture: The development of a Danish approach." ''Stadion'' (2011) 37#1 pp: 149–167.
* Jacobsen, Brian Arly. "Islam and Muslims in Denmark." in Marian Burchardt and Ines Michalowski, eds. ''After integration: Islam, conviviality and contentious politics in Europe'' (Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden, 2015) pp: 171–186.
* Kirmmse, Bruce. ''Kierkegaard in Golden Age Denmark'' (Indiana University Press, 1990)
* Michelson, William. "From Religious Movement to Economic Change: The Grundtvigian Case in Denmark," ''Journal of Social History,'' (1969) 2#4 pp: 283–301
* Mordhorst, Mads. "Arla and Danish national identity–business history as cultural history." ''Business History'' (2014) 56#1 pp: 116–133.
* Rossel, Sven H. ''A History of Danish Literature'' (University of Nebraska Press, 1992) 714pp
* Schwarz, Martin. ''Church History of Denmark'' (Ashgate, 2002). 333 pp.&nbsp;{{ISBN|0-7546-0307-5}}

===Economic and social history===
* Abildgren, Kim. "Consumer prices in Denmark 1502–2007," ''Scandinavian Economic History Review,'' (2010) 58#1 pp: 2–24
* Abildgren, Kim. "Estimates of the national wealth of Denmark 1845–2013" (Danmarks Nationalbank Working Papers No. 92., 2015) [http://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/106350/1/815367643.pdf online]
*Hornby, Ove. "Proto-Industrialisation Before Industrialisation? The Danish Case," ''Scandinavian Economic History Review,'' April 1982, Vol. 30 Issue 1, pp 3–33, covers 1750 to 1850
* Christiansen, Palle Ove. "Culture and Contrasts in a Northern European Village: Lifestyles among Manorial Peasants in 18th-Century Denmark, ''Journal of Social History'' Volume: 29#2 (1995) pp 275+.
* Johansen, Hans Chr. ''Danish Population History, 1600–1939'' (Odense: University Press of Southern Denmark, 2002) 246 pp.&nbsp;{{ISBN|978-87-7838-725-7}} [http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=8582 online review]
* Johansen, Hans Chr. "Trends in Modern and Early Modern Social History Writing in Denmark after 1970," ''Social History,'' Vol. 8, No. 3 (Oct. 1983), pp.&nbsp;375–381
* Kjzergaard, T. ''The Danish Revolution: an ecohistorical interpretation'' (Cambridge, 1995), on farming
* Lampe, Markus, and Paul Sharp. '' A Land of Milk and Butter: How Elites Created the Modern Danish Dairy Industry'' (U of Chicago Press, 2018) [https://eh.net/?s=danish+dairy online review]
* Olson, Kenneth E. ''The history makers;: The press of Europe from its beginnings through 1965'' (LSU Press, 1966) pp 50 – 64
* Topp, Niels-Henrik. "Unemployment and Economic Policy in Denmark in the 1930s," ''Scandinavian Economic History Review,'' April 2008, Vol. 56 Issue 1, pp 71–90

===Relations with Germany===
* Barfod, Jörgen H.: ''The Holocaust Failed in Denmark''. Kopenhagen 1985.
* Berdichevsky, Norman. ''The Danish-German Border Dispute, 1815–2001: aspects of cultural and demographic politics''. (2002) {{ISBN|1-930901-34-8}}
* Buckser, Andrew: ''After the Rescue: Jewish identity and community in contemporary Denmark''. ORT 2003.
* Lund, Joachim. "Denmark and the European New Order, 1940-1942," ''Contemporary European History,'' August 2004, Vol. 13 Issue 3, pp 305–321

===Historiography, memory, teaching===
* Brincker, Benedikte. "When did the Danish nation emerge? A review of Danish historians' attempts to date the Danish nation," ''National Identities,'' December 2009, Vol. 11 Issue 4, pp 353–365
* Haue, Harry. "Transformation of history textbooks from national monument to global agent." ''Nordidactica: Journal of Humanities and Social Science Education'' (2013) 1 (2013): 80–89. [http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:639129/FULLTEXT03 online]
* Jørgensen, Simon Laumann. "The History We Need: Strategies of Citizen Formation in the Danish History Curriculum." ''Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research'' (2014): 1–18.
* Mariager, Rasmus. "Danish Cold War Historiography." ''Journal of Cold War Studies'' 20.4 (2019): 180–211.
* Olesen, Thorsten B., ed. ''The Cold War and the Nordic countries: Historiography at a crossroads'' (University Press of Southern Denmark, 2004).
* Pedersen, Christian Damm. "Empire and the Borders of Danish History." (2014).

===In German===
* Robert Bohn: ''Dänische Geschichte.'' München: Beck, 2001. – (Beck'sche Reihe; 2162). – {{ISBN|3-406-44762-7}}
* Eva Heinzelmann / Stefanie Robl / Thomas Riis (Hrsg.): ''Der dänische Gesamtstaat'', Verlag Ludwig, Kiel 2006, {{ISBN|978-3-937719-01-6}}.
* Erich Hoffmann: "Der heutige Stand der Erforschung der Geschichte Skandinaviens in der Völkerwanderungszeit im Rahmen der mittelalterlichen Geschichtsforschung." In: ''Der historische Horizont der Götterbild–Amulette aus der Übergangsepoche von der Spätantike zum Frühmittelalter''. Göttingen 1992. S. 143–182.
* Jörg-Peter ''Findeisen: Dänemark. Von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart''. Regensburg 1999.

== External links ==
{{Commons category|History of Denmark}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060302004117/http://home.student.uu.se/o/orma1967/Kartor/Danmark/denmark.htm Historical Atlas of Denmark] [Bad link as of 2008-05-01.]
* [http://eudocs.lib.byu.edu/index.php/History_of_Denmark:_Primary_Documents History of Denmark: Primary Documents]
* [http://www3.sympatico.ca/colin.swift/history.htm Review of Danish History]
* [http://danhist.pbwiki.com/sources Sources on Danish history]

{{Denmark topics}}
{{Germanic peoples}}
{{History of Europe}}
{{European history by country}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:History Of Denmark}}
[[Category:History of Denmark| ]]