The Swedish-Norwegian Union Crisis / A History with Documents

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

21253

Title

The Swedish-Norwegian Union Crisis / A History with Documents

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Karl Nordlund's 1905 historical account details the Swedish-Norwegian Union Crisis, analyzing legal disputes over foreign affairs, constitutional conflicts regarding royal veto power, and the rise of Norwegian nationalism that ultimately led to the dissolution of the union.

Summary up to 500 words

Published in 1905, Karl Nordlund's *The Swedish-Norwegian Union Crisis* offers a comprehensive historical analysis of the dissolution of the personal union between Sweden and Norway. Nordlund argues that the conflict arose from fundamental disagreements regarding the legal nature of the union and divergent reform programs. Sweden maintained that the union required a single foreign administration and perfect unity to ensure security, whereas Norway, influenced by radical agitation and nationalist sentiment, demanded full sovereignty and a purely personal union. The narrative chronicles the breakdown of negotiations, highlighting the Norwegian Storting's revolutionary move to establish a separate consular service and King Oscar II's refusal to sanction the law. Nordlund vigorously defends the King's constitutional right to veto and countersign decrees, countering accusations of Swedish supremacy. He asserts that the King's duty was to uphold the Act of Union, which mandated joint administration of foreign affairs, and that the Norwegian radicals ignored legal principles in favor of political passions. The text illustrates how constitutional principles clashed with nationalist fervor, transforming a diplomatic dispute into a revolutionary rupture. The crisis culminated in the resignation of the Norwegian cabinet, the deposition of King Oscar II by the Storting, and the formal dissolution of the union. Through a collection of cabinet minutes, royal addresses, and parliamentary motions, the book demonstrates how the Norwegian Left, led by figures like Nansen and Björnson, utilized chauvinistic rhetoric and historical revisionism to undermine the union. Nordlund contends that the Norwegian revolution was not a defense of sovereignty but a one-sided attempt to dissolve the union, forcing the King to exercise his veto and ultimately leading to the separation of the two kingdoms. The work serves as a defense of the King's constitutional position against the tide of Norwegian agitation, providing a detailed account of the events that ended ninety years of cooperation between the Scandinavian nations.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• History
• Politics