Union between Sweden and Norway

Quick Facts: Who was Union between Sweden and Norway?

Subject:

Union between Sweden and Norway

Known for:

A personal union linking Sweden and Norway from 1814 until its peaceful dissolution in 1905.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Sweden and Norway or Sweden–Norway (Swedish: Svensk-norska unionen; Norwegian: Den svensk-norske union(en)), officially the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, and known as the United Kingdoms, was a personal union of the separate kingdoms of Sweden and Norway under a common monarch and common foreign policy that lasted from 1814 until its peaceful dissolution in 1905. The two states kept separate constitutions, laws, legislatures, administrations, state churches, armed forces, and currencies; the kings mostly resided in Stockholm, where foreign diplomatic representations were located. The Norwegian government was presided over by viceroys: Swedes until 1829, Norwegians until 1856. That office was later vacant and then abolished in 1873. Foreign policy was conducted through the Swedish foreign ministry until the dissolution of the union in 1905.

Career & Major Achievements

Norway had been in a closer union with Denmark, but Denmark–Norway's alliance with Napoleonic France caused the United Kingdom and the Russian Empire to consent to Sweden's annexation of the realm as compensation for the loss of Finland to Russia in 1809 and as a reward for joining the alliance against Napoleon. By the 1814 Treaty of Kiel, the King of Denmark-Norway was forced to cede Norway to the King of Sweden, but Norway refused to submit to the treaty provisions, declared independence, and convoked a constituent assembly at Eidsvoll in early 1814. After the adoption of the new Constitution of Norway on 17 May 1814, Prince Christian Frederick was elected king. The ensuing Swedish–Norwegian War and the Convention of Moss compelled Christian Frederick to abdicate after calling an extraordinary session of the Norwegian Parliament, the Storting, to revise the Constitution in order to allow for a personal union with Sweden. On 4 November the Storting elected Sweden's king, Charles XIII, as the King of Norway, thereby confirming the union.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Continuing differences between the two realms led to a failed attempt to create a separate Norwegian consular service and then, on 7 June 1905, to a unilateral declaration of independence by the Storting. Sweden accepted the union's dissolution on 26 October. After a plebiscite confirming the election of Prince Carl of Denmark as the new king of Norway, he accepted the Storting's offer of the throne on 18 November and took the regnal name of Haakon VII. Sweden and Norway had been united under the same crown on two previous occasions: from 1319 to 1343 under Magnus Eriksson and again briefly from 1449 to 1450 under Karl Knutsson in opposition to Christian of Oldenburg who was elected king of the Kalmar Union by the Danes. During the following centuries, Norway remained united with Denmark in close union, nominally as one kingdom, but in reality reduced to the status of a mere province ruled by Danish kings from their capital, Copenhagen.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1319: 1319 Milestone — Sweden and Norway had been united under the same crown on two previous occasions: from 1319 to 1343 under Magnus Eriksson and again briefly from 1449 to 1450 under Karl Knutsson in opposition to Christian of Oldenburg who was elected king of the Kalmar Union by the Danes.
2. 1809: 1809 Milestone — Norway had been in a closer union with Denmark, but Denmark–Norway's alliance with Napoleonic France caused the United Kingdom and the Russian Empire to consent to Sweden's annexation of the realm as compensation for the loss of Finland to Russia in 1809 and as a reward for joining the alliance against Napoleon.
3. 1814: 1814 Milestone — Sweden and Norway or Sweden–Norway (Swedish: Svensk-norska unionen; Norwegian: Den svensk-norske union(en)), officially the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, and known as the United Kingdoms, was a personal union of the separate kingdoms of Sweden and Norway under a common monarch and common foreign policy that lasted from 1814 until its peaceful dissolution in 1905.
4. 1829: 1829 Milestone — The Norwegian government was presided over by viceroys: Swedes until 1829, Norwegians until 1856.
5. 1873: 1873 Milestone — That office was later vacant and then abolished in 1873.
6. 1905: 1905 Milestone — Foreign policy was conducted through the Swedish foreign ministry until the dissolution of the union in 1905.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Union between Sweden and Norway

True or False: “The United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway were never a personal union, but rather a full political merger.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): It was explicitly defined as a personal union under a common monarch and foreign policy, while retaining separate constitutions.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adolphe Sax — Historical peer (Born in 1814) (1814): Belgian inventor who created the saxophone and revolutionized wind instruments.
• Alexander Cunningham — Historical peer (Born in 1814) (1814): Pioneering British archaeologist and founder of the Archaeological Survey of India.
• Adolph Menzel — Historical peer (Died in 1905) (1905): Pioneering German Realist master, celebrated for his detailed etchings and genre scenes.
• Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg — Historical peer (Died in 1905) (1905): Grand Duke of Luxembourg, ruling from 1890 until his death in 1905.
• Alexander Griboyedov — Historical peer (Died in 1829) (1829): Russian diplomat, playwright, and poet, best known for 'Woe from Wit'
• Antonio Guzmán Blanco — Historical peer (Born in 1829) (1829): Venezuelan statesman and military leader who served multiple presidential terms.
• Alfred Deakin — Historical peer (Born in 1856) (1856): Father of Australian Federation and second Prime Minister of Australia.
• Amedeo Avogadro — Historical peer (Died in 1856) (1856): Pioneering Italian scientist known for Avogadro's law on gas volumes and molecular theory.
• A. K. Fazlul Huq — Historical peer (Born in 1873) (1873): Pakistani statesman and jurist, known as Sher-e-Bangla, a founding father of Pakistan.
• Adam Sedgwick — Historical peer (Died in 1873) (1873): Pioneering British geologist and Anglican priest, co-founder of modern geology.

Frequently Asked Questions about Union between Sweden and Norway