The war between Denmark and the duchies hadn’t solved the question of who should govern Slesvig. Tension between Danes and Germans kept growing, and too many people on both sides started to think that only another war could settle the issue.
132 To the Eider!
2026-04-24 | 33 min.
In March 1848, the new Danish government wanted a radical break from the previous way the Unitary State had been governed. But the politicians in Slesvig and Holstein weren’t onboard. They reacted by breaking with Copenhagen, declaring their own government. War was inevitable.
131 A Beloved Buffoon
2026-04-10 | 28 min.
In 1848, Denmark faced uncertainty after king Christian VIII’s sudden death, just as political unrest started to spread across Europe. Would the inexperienced, and–frankly–incompetent, new king Frederik VII be able to handle the situation? Or would Denmark be swept up in the revolutionary chaos on the continent?
130 Hope Springs Eternal
2026-03-27 | 30 min.
During the Golden Age, pressure mounted for political reforms in Denmark. The absolute monarchy was threatened by liberalism and nationalism, and the king feared that the smallest political reforms would start a process that would bring the whole kingdom down.
129 Faith, Philosophy, Fairytales
2026-03-13 | 34 min.
After the disasters of the Napoleonic Wars, state bankruptcy and losing Norway, Denmark was in bad shape. But even though the future looked bleak, a Golden Age was actually waiting right around the corner. Its writers and thinkers would shape Danish society for generations.
A chronological journey through the history of Scandinavia from the last ice age to the dawn of the space age. Geographically, we cover the five modern Nordic countries of Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Finland—as well as a few other bits and pieces here and there where it‘s relevant.
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