This article is about the specific polity Denmark-Norway and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.
If you are looking for the page with the statistics about this polity you can find it here:All Statistics
Was the union of Denmark and Norway. It was formed several times between 1001 and 1814.
Establishment
January 1001: Personal union of the kingdoms of England, Denmark and Norway. The first king to unite all three kingdoms was Sweyn Forkbeard, king of Denmark since 986 and of Norway since 1000.
Chronology
Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation
Were a series of ephemeral Norse-ruled personal unions between England and Scandinavian countries.
December 1013: Sweyn Forkbeard, the King of Denmark, conquered England in 1013.
A series of wars fought in northern and northeastern Europe from the 16th to the 18th century.
2.1.Livonian War
Was a war fought over the control of Old Livonia. The Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of the Dano-Norwegian Realm, the Kingdom of Sweden, and the Union (later Commonwealth) of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland. Old Livonia was finally partitioned between Sweden, Poland-Lithuania and Denmark-Norway.
2.1.1.Russian invasion of Livonia
Was a Russian invasion of Livonia by Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible).
January 1574: The war in Livonia was a great financial burden for Sweden, and by the end of 1573, Sweden's German mercenaries were owed 200,000 daler. John III of Sweden gave them the castles of Hapsal, Leal and Lode as security, but when he failed to pay they were sold to Denmark.
January 1578: Advancement of Russian forces by 1577.
2.2.Northern Seven Years' War
Was a war fought between the Kingdom of Sweden and a coalition of Denmark-Norway, Lübeck, and Poland-Lithuania between 1563 and 1570.
January 1564: Sweden occupied the undefended Norwegian province of Jemtland.
January 1564: In 1563, Jemtland was taken by Denmark-Norway but swiftly recaptured by the Norwegian governor of Trøndelag, Christen Munk. Munk was a Danish-Norwegian nobleman and military officer who played a key role in the region's defense.
August 1564: Nils Boije, a Swedish military commander, took control of Varberg in 1564 during the Northern Seven Years' War. This marked the territory's military occupation by Sweden.
September 1564: In August 1564, King Eric XIV of Sweden attacked Blekinge and his army occupied it.
January 1565: The 400 Swedish soldiers were repelled from Trøndelag.
January 1565: In 1564 the Swedes marched under Claude Collart and re-occupied Jemtland, as well as Herjedalen and Trøndelag, including the city of Trondheim.
January 1565: Sweden captured Båhus Fortress.
January 1567: Båhus Fortress is acquired by Denmark-Norway.
December 1570: The Treaty of Stettin was signed in 1570, ending the Northern Seven Years' War. It was negotiated by King Frederick II of Denmark-Norway and King John III of Sweden. The treaty restored the status quo ante bellum, returning territories to Denmark-Norway.
2.3.Second Northern War
Was a war between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden (along with their respective allies) over the hegemony in the Baltic Sea.
2.3.1.Dano-Swedish War (1657-58)
Was a conflict between Sweden and Denmark-Norway during the Second Northern War.
February 1658: After entering Jutland from the south, a Swedish army of 7,000 veterans undertook the March across the Belts; on 9 February 1658, the Little Belt was crossed and the island Funen captured within a few days, and soon thereafter Langeland, Lolland and Falster.
2.3.2.Treaty of Roskilde (1658)
Was a treaty concluded during the Second Northern War that forced Denmark-Norway to give up a third of its territory to Sweden.
March 1658: The Treaty of Roskilde was signed in 1658 between King Frederick III of Denmark-Norway and King Charles X Gustav of Sweden. As a result of the treaty, the island of Bornholm was ceded to the Kingdom of Sweden, marking a significant territorial change in the region.
March 1658: The Treaty of Roskilde was signed in 1658 between King Frederick III of Denmark-Norway and King Charles X Gustav of Sweden. As a result of the treaty, the territory of Trondelag was ceded to the Kingdom of Sweden.
March 1658: The Treaty of Roskilde was signed in 1658 between King Frederick III of Denmark-Norway and King Charles X Gustav of Sweden. As a result of the treaty, the territory of Bohuslän was ceded to the Kingdom of Sweden, marking a significant shift in power dynamics in the region.
March 1658: The Treaty of Roskilde was signed in 1658 in Scania between King Frederick III of Denmark-Norway and King Charles X Gustav of Sweden. The treaty ended the Second Northern War and resulted in Scania being ceded to the Kingdom of Sweden.
May 1658: The Swedish took control over Ven in 1658, as the rest of Scania was ceded to Sweden by the Treaty of Roskilde. The island was not specifically mentioned in the treaty, and according to the Danes it was not part of Scania, but part of Zealand and therefore still under Danish rule. The Swedes did not agree with that interpretation, and sent troops to occupy the island on 6 May 1658.
2.3.3.Dano-Swedish War (1658-1660)
Was a war between Denmark-Norway and Sweden, with the former backed by the Dutch Republic and Poland.
August 1658: On August 16 the Swedes arrived at Helsingør, took shelter in the city and started bombarding the castle with artillery. The Danes returned the fire, attempting to set the city on fire. Discouraged and demoralized, the Danes capitulated.
September 1658: Trøndelag was reconquered by Norwegian army units under their commander-in-chief, lieutenant general Jørgen Bjelke.
September 1658: Swedish invaded Zealand in August 1658.
November 1658: Sweden had to abandon Funen and Langeland after the defeat in the Battle of Nyborg.
May 1659: The Swedes abandoned their last positions at Fredriksodde.
December 1659: Printzensköld was shot dead during an inspection tour on December 8, 1659. The remaining Swedes, mostly Scanians who had little reason to be loyal to the Swedish King, surrendered. The Swedish navy was otherwise occupied and could offer no relief. Bornholm was again under Danish control.
2.4.Great Northern War
Was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe.
2.4.1.Phase 1: Swedish Dominance
Was the first phase of the Great Northern War, characterized by Swedish victories.
2.4.1.1.Danish Frontier of the Great Northern War
Was the Danish theatre of war in the first phase of the Great Northern War.
August 1700: A Swedish army of 10,000 landed on Zealand under the protection of their ship guns.
August 1700: The Swedish army, having landed on Zealand, marched against Copenhagen.
August 1700: Charles XII of Sweden attacked Denmark by land and sea, forcing the country to sign a peace treaty. The rulers of Sweden and Denmark signed the Peace of Travendal (August 18, 1700), which restored the status quo ante.
2.4.2.Phase 2: Sweden Defending itself
Was the second phase of the Great Northern War. It consisted in the counterattack of all the countries that Sweden had invaded during the first phase of the war.
2.4.2.1.Norwegian Campaign (1716)
Was a Swedish invasion of Denmark-Norway during the Great Northern War.
April 1716: Oslo conquered by sweden.
July 1716: After the burning of the fleet by the Danes, the Swedish army was forced to return to Sweden in July.
November 1718: The Siege of Fredrikshald in 1718 was a military conflict between the forces of King Charles XII of Sweden and the Norwegian fortress town of Fredrikshald. The siege resulted in the death of King Charles XII and the territory of Fredrikshald falling under Swedish military occupation.
December 1718: The Siege of Trondheim in 1718 was part of the Great Northern War between Sweden and Denmark-Norway. The Swedish forces, led by King Charles XII, successfully captured the city of Trondheim, leading to a military occupation of the territory.
December 1718: The Siege of Fredrikshald in 1718 was a military conflict between Sweden and Denmark-Norway. The Swedish King Charles XII was killed during the siege, leading to the territory of Fredrikshald being ceded to Denmark-Norway as part of the peace treaty.
January 1719: The Siege of Trondheim in 1719 was part of the Great Northern War between Sweden and Denmark-Norway. Swedish forces, led by King Charles XII, unsuccessfully attempted to capture the city of Trondheim in Norway, which was then part of Denmark-Norway. The siege ended with the territory going back to Denmark-Norway.
2.4.3.Peace Treaties of the Great Northern War
Were the peace treaties that ended the Great Northern War.
2.4.3.1.Peace of Frederiksborg
Was a treaty that ended the Great Northern War between Denmark-Norway and Sweden.
July 1720: From the occupied Gottorf, Denmark returned only the Holstein parts to Duke Karl Friedrich,.
Was a war between Denmark-Norway and Sweden.
June 1611: In 1611, during the Kalmar War, a Swedish force led by King Gustav II Adolph carried out the Storming of Kristianopel, a strategic fortress in present-day Sweden. The successful military occupation of Kristianopel marked a significant victory for Sweden in the ongoing conflict.
September 1611: In the summer of 1611, Swedish forces under Baltzar Bäck were ordered to invade Norwegian Jämtland. They did so, and armed Swedish peasants marched into Härjedalen. Both Jämtland and Härjedalen were conquered without much fight.
December 1612: Swedish troops under the command of Governor Axel Lillie were unable to defend Jämtland and Härjedalen against invading Danish-Norwegian forces. As a result, the territories were ceded to Denmark-Norway.
January 1613: The Treaty of Knäred ended the Kalmar War. Denmark incorporated Lapland into Norway. Militarly occupied territories were evacuated.
Were a series of wars in Europe (and the overseas possessions of European countries) the 16th, 17th and early 18th that started after the Protestant Reformation. Although the immediate causes of the wars were religious, the motives were complex and also included territorial ambitions.
4.1.Thirty Years' War
Was a war that took place mainly in central Europe between 1618 and 1648. The war began as a religious conflict between Catholics and Protestant in the Holy Roman Empire but then escalated into a conflict for the hegemony in Europe between Habsburg Spain and Austria, Sweden and France.
4.1.1.Thirty Years' War Minor Scenarios
A series of conflicts related to the Thirty Years' War.
4.1.1.1.Torstenson War
Was a brief war between Sweden and Denmark-Norway.
January 1644: By the end of January 1644 the Jutland peninsula was in possession of Swedish troops.
March 1644: In February 1644, the Swedish General Gustav Horn with an army of 11,000 men occupied much of the Danish provinces of Halland and Scania, except for the fortress town of Malmø.
August 1645: The Second Treaty of Brömsebro ended the Torstenson War.
4.1.2.Danish Period
Was the second main period of the Thirty Years' War. It started with the intervention of the Kingdom of Denmark.
September 1627: In the summer of 1627, Wallenstein advanced into northern Germany and the Jutland peninsula in just a few weeks. Only the Danish islands remained unoccupied by the Imperialists because they had no ships.
May 1629: In 1629 Denmark signed the Peace of Lübeck with the Catholic League and withdrew from the war. The treaty restored to Christian IV of Denmark his pre-war possessions, and obliged him to cede his claims to Lower Saxon bishoprics, to discontinue his alliances with the North German states, and not to interfere with further imperial affairs in the future.
4.1.3.Franco-Swedish Period
Was the fourth main period of the Thirty Years' War. It started with the intervention of the Kingdom of France.
4.1.3.1.North German Front (Sweden)
Was the north German front during the Franco-Swedish period of the Thirty Years' War.
January 1644: In 1643, during the Torstensson War, Swedish forces occupied Jutland as part of their military campaign against Denmark.
November 1644: In 1644 Swedish field marshal Torstenson led his army for the third time into the heart of Germany and routed the imperials at the battle of Jüterbog.
Were a series of conflicts between France and several European monarchies between 1792 and 1815. They encompass first the French Revolutionary Wars against the newly declared French Republic and from 1803 onwards the Napoleonic Wars against First Consul and later Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. They include the Coalition Wars as a subset: seven wars waged by various military alliances of great European powers, known as Coalitions, against Revolutionary France - later the First French Empire - and its allies.
5.1.Gunboat War
Was a naval conflict between Denmark-Norway and the British during the Napoleonic Wars. The war's name is derived from the Danish tactic of employing small gunboats against the materially superior Royal Navy.
May 1809: The island of Anholt was captured by British forces.
5.2.Dano-Swedish War of 1808-09
Was a war between Denmark-Norway and Sweden due to Denmark-Norway's alliance with France and Sweden's alliance with the United Kingdom during the Napoleonic Wars.
5.2.1.Swedish Offensive (Dano-Swedish War of 1808-09)
Was the main Swedish military offensive against Denmark during the Dano-Swedish War of 1808-09.
April 1808: The Swedish main attack in Aurskog-Høland in 1808 was led by General Carl Pontus Gahn and Lieutenant Colonel Carl Johan Adlercreutz. The goal was to secure the territory for Sweden during the ongoing Finnish War against Russia.
April 1808: In 1808, during the Napoleonic Wars, a battle occurred at Lier, near Kongsvinger. The Swedish forces, led by King Charles XIII, defeated the Norwegian army. This victory led to Sweden's military occupation of the territory.
April 1808: Fighting in Høland and Aurskog ended with a Norwegian victory, and the Swedish commander, Colonel Schwerin felt so threatened by the Norwegian counterattacks that he ordered a retreat after the defeat at Toverud.
April 1808: After this victory the Swedish troops entrenched themselves at Lier and advanced all the way to the river Glomma.
April 1808: Battle of Trangen: The invading Swedish troops, led by Colonel Carl Pontus Gahn, were surrounded and forced to surrender to the Danish.
5.3.War of the Sixth Coalition
Was a war between France and a a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, and a number of German States. The coalition emerged after the decimation of the French army in the French invasion of Russia. The coalition ultimately invaded France and forced Napoleon to abdicate and go into exile.
January 1814: In December 1813, Bernadotte's Army, now some 65,000, composed only of Swedish and Russian troops following the secondment of the Prussian troops to Blücher's army, attacked the Danish Army in Holstein.
January 1814: Occupied territories in Holstein and Schleswig are reverted to Denmark at the end of the War of the Sixth Coalition.
January 1814: The Treaty of Kiel was signed by King Frederick VI of Denmark-Norway and Crown Prince Charles John of Sweden. The treaty ended the Napoleonic Wars and resulted in Norway being ceded to Sweden, leading to a period of Swedish military occupation in Norway.
January 1814: Bernadotte invaded Schleswig, swiftly invested and reduced its fortresses and occupied the entire province.
January 1814: The Treaty of Kiel was signed by King Frederick VI of Denmark-Norway and Crown Prince Charles John of Sweden. As a result, Norway was forced to cede to Sweden after being part of Denmark-Norway for centuries.
July 1380: When Haakon VI died in 1380, Olaf, who was already king of Denmark, also inherited the crown of Norway.
January 1395: The Victual Brothers occupied the island in 1394 to set up a stronghold as a headquarters of their own in Visby.
June 1397: The Kalmar Union was a political union between the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It was established in 1397 at a meeting in Kalmar, Sweden, by Queen Margaret I of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The union aimed to strengthen the countries' defense against external threats and promote economic cooperation.
January 1524: The Kalmar Union de facto ended after the final secession of Sweden.
January 1555: Territorial change based on available maps.
January 1608: In 1607, Charles IX of Sweden, who was the King of Sweden from 1604 until his death, declared himself "King of the Lapps in Nordland" and began collecting taxes in Norwegian territory, specifically Lapland. This led to a military occupation of Lapland by Sweden.
Disestablishment
January 1814: In December 1813, Bernadotte's Army, now some 65,000, composed only of Swedish and Russian troops following the secondment of the Prussian troops to Blücher's army, attacked the Danish Army in Holstein.
January 1814: The Treaty of Kiel was signed by King Frederick VI of Denmark-Norway and Crown Prince Charles John of Sweden. The treaty ended the Napoleonic Wars and resulted in Norway being ceded to Sweden, leading to a period of Swedish military occupation in Norway.
January 1814: Occupied territories in Holstein and Schleswig are reverted to Denmark at the end of the War of the Sixth Coalition.
January 1814: Bernadotte invaded Schleswig, swiftly invested and reduced its fortresses and occupied the entire province.
January 1814: The Treaty of Kiel was signed by King Frederick VI of Denmark-Norway and Crown Prince Charles John of Sweden. As a result, Norway was forced to cede to Sweden after being part of Denmark-Norway for centuries.
Selected Sources
Bradford, J.C. (2004): International Encyclopedia of Military History, Routledge, p. 553
Droysen, G. (1886): Historischer Handatlas, Bielefeld and Leipzig (Germany), p. 26-49
Poten, B. (1879): Handwörterbuch der gesamten Militärwissenschaften, Velhagen & Klasing, p. 195
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Denmark-Norway
