Denmark/Danes: Development of a Nation
How Denmark became Denmark, and how the Danes became Danish.

How Danes as a people, and the country of Denmark as a nation-state, evolved and materialized into current form, in terms of ancestral bloodlines, the Danish language, borders, culture, and even how they received their name.

Ancestral Background
Development of Language
Formation of Borders
Etymology (How Name Received)
Culture
Denmark in 2008

Danish Ancestral Background:

1. Germanic people from Scandinavia migrated to the European mainland between 850 and 650 BC. Another migration from Scandinavia would occur during the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD (a break-off from the Swedes). This blend of original Germanic immigrants and Swede break-aways would form the basis of the Danish nationality.

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Development of Danish Language:

1. Proto-Germanic (direct branch from Proto-Indo-European).
2. Proto-Norse, a branch from Proto-Germanic, spoken in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) in the 3^rd – 7^th centuries.
3. Evolved into Old Norse, spoken in Scandinavia through 13^th century.
4. Old East Norse develops largely in Sweden and Denmark, while Old West Norse develops largely in Norway and Iceland. Danes and Swedes share common/similar language at this point.
5. Even as Old Norse branches off from Proto-Norse, the Danish and Swedish languages begin diverging from one another in the 13^th century, developing into the modern, distinct languages they are today. All Scandinavian languages (Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish) are mutually intelligible.

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Formation of Denmark Borders:

1. North Germanics settle Jutland (the peninsula comprising the majority of Denmark's land mass) and the extensive network of islands to the east, between Jutland and Sweden. They develop a cohesive culture & language distinct from Swedes to the north, and Germanic peoples to the south. Plus, the peninsula serves as a natural geographically border. However, as far as organization, they are still a collection of separate tribes. Jutes and Angles from Jutland would leave to conquer Britain after the withdrawal of the Romans in the 5^th century.
2. The Viking Age begins around 600, resulting in a loose affiliation of Scandinavian peoples (Norwegians, Swedish, Danish), facilitated by common language, culture and lineage. These groups are still tribal, but the connection exists between those in modern Denmark (Jutland and islands in Danish Straits) and Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden).
3. Danes successfully defend Jutland from Charlemagne Frankish armies, establishing a border at the Eider River in 811, dividing the regions later known as Schleswig (north)and Holstein (south). This river remained the border between the Danes and Germans for centuries.
   
4. In 1027, Denmark and Saxony (Germanic duchy in the Holy Roman Empire) agree to re-establish Eider River as border.
5. By 1219, Denmark conquered the northern portion of Estonia. In 1346, it sells these rebellious Estonian provinces (Harria, Vironia) to the Livonian Order.
6. The Duchy of Schleswig finds itself at odds with the Danish throne in the 13^th century, operating somewhat independently, but still a fief to Denmark. As a result, it begins forging closer ties with the Germans in Holstein across the Eider River.
7. Harold I of Denmark (Jutland) converts to Christianity, consolidating rule of Jutland for first time. It includes the northernmost portion of modern Germany. The Kingdom of Denmark is the first predecessor state to modern Denmark. Denmark also begins to conquer the islands that are part of modern Denmark. Most of these islands were added to the Kingdom of Denmark by the late 13^th century, finalizing the Danish Straits portion (the islands) of modern Denmark.
8. Queen Margaret of Denmark marries the King of Norway, joining the two kingdoms under personal union in 1380. The kingdoms were autonomous, but combined their respective foreign policies. Sweden was mired by civil war, and the nobles sided with Queen Margaret (King of Norway husband had since died), in joining Sweden to the personal union as well, forming a pan-Nordic kingdom. This was finalized as the Kalmar Union in 1397. Each kingdom was autonomous, but foreign policy was dictated by the monarch. Norway included Iceland and Greenland, and Sweden included western Finland. The union was dominated by Denmark.
   
9. By the 15^th century, a German infusion into southern Schleswig (people and culture) transformed it into a largely German region, although still under Danish rule, but as a semi-independent fief rather than a sovereign state. As a result, Schleswig and Holstein were closely connected, culturally, politically, economically, as both were decidedly German.
10. The Swedes grew unhappy with the Danish-dominated government, and the frequent wars they were dragged into, compelling them into an armed revolt. Independence of Sweden (and their territory in Finland) was achieved in 1523. Denmark and Norway remain under personal union, as the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway.
11. After Denmark-Norway was defeated by France in the Napoloenic Wars, it was forced to cede Norway to Sweden in 1814. However, Denmark kept Iceland and Greenland, as they were considered property of the monarch of Denmark-Norway. The monarch of the Denmark-dominated union had always been Danish.
12. After the Napoleonic Wars, nationalism throughout Europe ran high, and Denmark and Germany were not immune to this. With the dissolution of the German "Holy Roman Empire" in 1806, Denmark had been governing all of Schleswig and Holstein. With the formation of the German Confederation, this was found to be unacceptable by the German nation, as Holstein was included within it. The Danish King had become Duke of Holstein, therefore had a place within the German Confederation. But historically/culturally/economically, Schleswig and Holstein were bound. Therefore, Denmark attempted to bring all of Schleswig and Holstein under a more centralized Danish government, rather than remaining under a medieval relationship as a fief. When it was apparent that this was not feasible, it instead advocated that Schleswig, which had long been considered Danish, should be brought under the centralized Danish rule, separating it from Holstein. This was also unacceptable to the populace of southern Schleswig, which was mostly German, to the German inhabitants of Holstein, and to the Germans throughout Germany. This led to a Prussian-supported uprising in Schleswig. This became the First War of Schleswig, ending in a stalemate between Denmark and Prussia, returning circumstances to the status quo. In 1863, Denmark finally annexed Schleswig, prompting the German Confederation's invasion in 1864. Prussia and Austria-led forces easily overwhelmed the Danes, conquering all of Schleswig and Holstein, ending the Second War of Schleswig with this new territory as part of German possession.
13. 1920 – Allies conduct a referendum in Northern Schleswig after WWI, finding the majority prefer to be annexed into Denmark, as opposed to remaining part of Germany. This moves the border south, increasing Danish territory, and permanently fixing the Danish/German border.
14. While Denmark had been occupied throughout WWII, it lost its ability to administer to Iceland, enabling it to break off as an independent nation (Republic of Iceland) in 1944.
15. Greenland remains a Danish possession, but begins to protest Danish rule, which is claimed to be carried out with the best interests of Denmark in mind, compromising the best interests of Greenland. Greenland achieves the status as a self-governing province of Denmark in 1979.

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Etymology (How Name Received):

Believed to be derived from the word “Dani”, the name assigned to Scandinavian people by Greeks and Romans. “Mark” could be from a German word meaning “threshing floor”, in reference to the flatness of the land in Jutland.

Danish Culture:

Danish culture has developed along neo-liberal lines, where freedom of opinion, amicability and equality are valued above all else. This has fostered a reliance on government to protect and propel Danish culture. For example, the arts receive an unusually high ratio of government funding, enabling artists to focus on their craft, and ensuring the production of artistic output, irregardless of free market forces.

Denmark in 2008:

Economy: Strong, advanced economy with high living standards. Net exporter of food & energy (oil & natural gas), well-positioned for modern challenges of food and energy shortages. Welfare state.
Government: Constitutional monarchy (democracy with monarch still in place)
Religion: State religion is Danish National Church (Evangelical Lutheran), which is partially supported by public funds. The monarchs must be members. Clergy also perform certain government tasks, such as caretaking for cemeteries and record keeping. 95% belong to DNC (less than 5% active), 3% other Christian, 2% Muslim. Survey: 31% believe in God, 49% some other form of intelligent design, 19% atheist/agnostic. Highly secular country, although most are members of the state-sponsored Church due to history. There is no financial incentive to belong, nor penalty in not belonging.
Demographics: 91% Danish, remainder from other Europe, South Asia, Middle East.
Foreign Policy: UN, NATO, not active in U.S.-led campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan.
Population: 5,484,723 (2008)

 

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