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Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 2-1-1872
Event Description: In the wake of unification, a wave of expansionism sweeps the newly formed German state, which again turns it's eyes northward - towards Denmark. Denmark was seriously weakened militarily by the loss of Slesvig and Holsten in the Prusso-Danish war of 1864, and German tacticians estimate that a complete take-over of Denmark can be achieved in a matter of months.
The Emperor calls in his general staff, and plans a swift war against Denmark, aiming to annex Denmark outright.
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 2-16-1872
Event Description: The German General Staff has drawn up a plan for an invasion of Denmark. It will be an attack from the south and east, with German forces crossing the land border in Jutland, amphibious landings in Funen, Lolland, Falster and southern Zealand, and a naval attack on Copenhagen, followed by a landing and rapid take-over of the city.
It is estimated that the neccesary logistics will take about 3 months to prepare.
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 6-9-1872
Event Description: German forces initiate the operation against Denmark, catching the Danes completely by surprise, resulting in German conquest of Jutland, Funen, Lolland and Falster within a month. Zealand, however, is able to temporarily hold off the onslaught, being the most heavily protected part of Denmark
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 6-13-1872
Event Description: The Swedish Government issues an ultimatum to Germany:
"Withdraw from Denmark at once, or face the consequenses!"
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 6-18-1872
Event Description: The German response to Sweden's ultimatum:
"We are not afraid of Sweden, and will not desist from our righteous efforts"
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 6-26-1872
Event Description: As a result of the German invasion of Denmark, a new rush of Scandinavism spreads through Sweden and Norway like wildfire. Massive demonstrations in Stockholm and Kristiania demand a Swedish entry into the war on Denmark's side, and thousands of Swedes and Norwegians form volunteer regiments, and join the war effort on the Danish side.
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 7-1-1872
Event Description: Sweden-Norway declares war on Germany, and immediately sends reinforcements to Denmark. 2 Swedish regiments are recieved jubilantly in Copenhagen, and Scandinavism is again on the rise in Denmark, having suffered during and after the war in 1864, where Sweden-Norway's "insufficient support" caused the movement to nearly die.
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 7-2-1872
Event Description: needs to be filled in
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 7-7-1872
Event Description: German and Danish-Swedish-Norwegian forces clash in what will be know by the historians as "The battle of Vordingborg" in the southernmost part of Zealand. The Germans, having the disadvantage of having to make an amphibious landing, suffer heavy casualties, and are driven back to Falster.
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 7-17-1872
Event Description: France, having suffered a humiliating defeat in the war with Prussia the year before, sees an opportunity to get revenge, the Germans being preoccupied with the situation in Scandinavia, and declares war on Germany. Immediately, French troops crosses the French-German border, and assumes control of Alsace-Lorraine.
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 8-1-1872
Event Description: Fighting a two-front war, the still young German state is pushed to its limits. In Berlin, the Kaiser decides that unless a final breakthrough in the war with Denmark and Sweden-Norway is achieved in August, he will sue for peace, to concentrate on France, because, as he said:
"The French want to destroy us - the Scandinavians only want to deprive us of our birthright. The French problem takes precedence"
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 8-20-1872
Event Description: A massive German all out attack against Zealand is attempted one last time. Amphibious landings are made on the southern and eastern part of the island, but are driven back into the sea by a numerically superior Danish and Swedish-Norwegian force, supported by the combined fleets of the two kingdoms, which constantly bombards the attackers. The result: A total annihilation of the German invasion force, and Falster and Lolland being left virtually without occupational forces.
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 8-24-1872
Event Description: The Danish and Swedish-Norwegian governments declares in a joint statement to the world press:
"The huge battle a couple of days ago will have shown the world that the Germans are in a fight they can't win. We will not give up until all rightfully Danish land is given back to the Danish people - if we have to fight for a hundred years to get there, we will, but the situation elsewhere in Europe indicates that it will not last that long..."
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 8-25-1872
Event Description: As the situation in the French war becomes increasingly desperate, and the fight to conquer Zealand seems to be a lost cause, the Kaiser decides to sue for a white peace with Denmark and Sweden-Norway, and sends emmisaries under a flag of truce to Copenhagen.
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 8-28-1872
Event Description: The German emmisaries are recieved in Copenhagen by the King of Denmark, the Danish Prime Minister and the Swedish-Norwegian Supreme Commander. The white peace-proposal is utterly rejected, and a counter-proposal is made:
*Denmark will regain all land lost in the war in 1864, and Germany will yield all claims to it.
*Denmark and Sweden-Norway will gain the German colony Tanzania in Africa
*Germany will pay a monetary reparation of the equivalent of 10.000 Pound Sterling, to Denmark and Sweden-Norway.
This is the terms the German emmisaries are send back to Berlin with.
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 9-5-1872
Event Description: The Kaiser accepts the Danish and Swedish-Norwegian terms, as the French army has advanced as far as Cologne. The emmisaries are promtly sent back to Denmark, along with an Imperial Order to all German commanders to pull back their forces to Germany, and to the troops in Slesvig and Holsten to abandon their positions permanently, and retreat to Hamburg.
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 9-11-1872
Event Description: German commanders recieve the Imperial Order, and begin, reluctantly and with a sour face, to pull back from Denmark. The German navy is working full-time to evacuate the German forces, and in the towns and cities of Denmark, the streets are filled with jubilant people.
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 10-1-1872
Event Description: Representatives of the German, Danish and Swedish-Norwegian governments meet in Copenhagen to sign the peace treaty. The German delegation has to be escorted by soldiers of the Danish army, to protect them from the mob.
In the streets of Copenhagen, people celebrate the peace treaty, and some even cry for more:
"Denmark to the Elbe once again!"
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 10-1-1872
Event Description: Representatives of the German, Danish and Swedish-Norwegian governments meet in Copenhagen to sign the peace treaty. The German delegation has to be escorted by soldiers of the Danish army, to protect them from the mob.
In the streets of Copenhagen, people celebrate the peace treaty, and some even cry for more:
"Denmark to the Elbe once again!"
The Swedish and Norwegian soldiers also stationed in Copenhagen are cheered by Danish civilians, and praised as liberators. Suddenly a High School graduate starts singing one of the main songs of the pan-Scandinavism-movement that nearly died after the war in 1864, and bit by bit, the whole crowd joins in. This event would later be known as the first "Alsang" ("Joint singing").
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 10-1-1872
Event Description: After withdrawing forces from Denmark, the Germans have been able to halt the French advance, but the morale amongst the troops continues to be low, and the General Staff fears that it is a matter of time before the French break through the lines, and a real fear of seeing French forces in Berlin arises. The Kaiser sends a peace proposal to Paris, agreeing to seede Alsace-Lorraine to France.
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 10-2-1872
Event Description: The rest of Europe is in awe of the outcome of the war in Denmark.
An article in "the Times" reads:
"This was yet another war that could be charactarized as David versus Goliath - and yet again the unthinkable happened - David won! With the help of Sweden-Norway, without which the battle would have been lost, Denmark has survived, and not only that, but regained the land lost to the Germans eight years ago. This is certainly an event worthy of noticing, and one is also directed to looking at the future relations of Denmark and Sweden-Norway. Already the rush of Scandinavism has overtaken large parts of the peoples of the three countries, and this time, unlike when the idea was mostly held by upper secondary graduates, a renewed Union between the three countries seems like a not entirely unreasonable possibility."
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 10-10-1872
Event Description: Sensing that the general feeling of the peoples of Denmark and Sweden-Norway have turned to favor a Scandinavian Union, and realizing the huge potential of such an undertaking, the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian Prime Ministers meet in Stockholm to discuss the possibilities. Efforts are made to keep the meetings a secret, but the secret is soon leaked, and newspapers all across Scandinavia has only ONE real story in the next issue:
"Scandinavia united once again?"
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 10-10-1872
Event Description: News from Paris arrive in Berlin - the French have accepted the proposal
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 10-20-1872
Event Description: After ten days of very difficult negotiations, an agreement is made, and this is broadcast to the media, which has been on edge ever since the news of the negotiations leaked. The basic parts of the deal is this:
*Denmark's King Christian IX will from now on be known as:
"Christian I, by the Grace of God King of Scandinavia and Tanzania, duke of Slesvig and Holsten", and the line of succession will continue through his family.
*Scandinavia will be an actual nation - not just a union - and further details for the organization of the nation will be arranged at a later date in the near future.
*The Capital of Scandinavia will be the town of Kalmar in Sweden, for symbolic reasons.
*Steps will be taken to issue a common currency for Scandinavia, and must be ready for circulation not later than January 1st 1880
*Scandinavia will be a constitutional monarchy, with a bicameral parliament and voting rights for all men over 35.
*Elections will be held every four years.
*The official languages of Scandinavia will be Danish, Swedish and Norwegian, but efforts will be made to recreate a "Nordic language", and if this succeeds, it will replace the other three over a period of 30 years.
*The Flag of Scandinavia will be the Nordic Banner of Union, first approved by King Erik in 1430; a red cross on a yellow background
*The National Anthem of Scandinavia will be chosen by a commitee of poets and politicians, after a writer's contest has been declared, and running for 3 months.
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 10-21-1872
Event Description: Newspapers all over Scandinavia are jubilant, and the people also, with the news of an agreement having been arranged. Spontaneous gatherings takes place in cities, towns and villages all over Scandinavia, and the celebration seems to have no end.
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 10-21-1872
Event Description: "The Times" write, on the issue of the coming Scandinavian unification:
"This forthcoming union was only a natural consequense of the latest Danish/Swedish-Norwegian (or should one say Scandinavian?) victory over Germany, and it also is a logical step. It will be hard finding good reasons for three peoples so closely tied to oneanother as the Danes, Swedes and Norwegians to remain apart. It would be having all of the Nations in this glorious United Kingdom being seperate - it has no meaning. Now, only history will show us what impact this new Scandinavian nation will have on European and world history."
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 12-1-1872
Event Description: The three Scandinavian Prime Ministers issue a joint statement to the world, and the people of Scandinavia:
"By the power invested in us by the peoples of Denmark and Sweden-Norway, and in accordance with the wishes of our peoples, we, the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Sweden and Norway, do solemnly proclaim that Scandinavia shall be torn apart no longer. From this day on, we are one nation, under the leadership of His Majesty King Christian I, by the grace of God King of Scandinavia and Tanzania, Duke of Slesvig and Holsten. May there till the end of days always be one of his descendants upon the throne of the North.
From now on, until the end of days, the peoples of Scandinavia are only one people, under one government and one King. God save the King, and God save Scandinavia!"
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 12-1-1872
Event Description: Following the proclamation of the Kingdom of Scandinavia, the whole peninsula starts preparations. Danish, Swedish and Norwegian flags are stocked away in museums or recycled to make the new Scandinavian flag (which gets the name "Unionsfanen" - "Banner of Union"). All of Scandinavia gets involved in the effort to wash away the memory of Denmark, Sweden and Norway, and to create, in the minds and hearts as well as in politics, Scandiavia in its place. A commitee is formed to search out the common origins of the Scandinavian languages on Iceland and the Faroe Islands (an effort which Zionists later will also use to recreate Hebrew as a spoken language), and all other preparations for the new state is undertaken. An estimated finishing date is January 1st 1880.
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 12-15-1872
Event Description: The "National Anthem Contest" is arranged, and scheduled to end on March 15 1873.
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 3-15-1873
Event Description: The contest ends, and the commitee has chosen a song from a Scandinavian students-meeting in Oslo in 1869 - "Høje Nord, friheds hjem!" ("High North, home of freedom!)
The song is translated into Swedish and Norwegian, and will, if the efforts succeed, be translated into "Nordic" if and when the commitee working on recreating the language has finished its job.
Timeline Number: 3175
Event Date: 1-1-1880
Event Description: The work of preparing the practical aspects of unification has come to an end - successfully. "Nordic" is now also an official language of Scandinavia, and will remain so, while the other three will be phased out over a 30-year period, meaning that Danish, Norwegian and Swedish will no longer be spoken in Scandinavia by January 1st 1910.
The new Scandinavian currency, the Krone/Krona is introduced, being directed from the National Bank in Kalmar, with sub-offices in Copenhagen and Christiania (Oslo)
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