Neo Westphalian Europe Part 40: Kingdom of Denmark

The Kingdom of Denmark is one of the few regions that looks like it may grow in size, as the shifts around it occur. Most of the large centralised states look set to radically decrease in territorial size, as the devolve their power structures away from heavily federalised cores. However Denmark is already a tiny state that has numerous land claims on neighbouring states.

As the larger nations that currently hold these territories disintegrate, it seems the sensible thing to do will be to cede these territories back to Denmark. The Danes will of course be relinquishing their claims to far flung territories, which exist in places far from its capital Copenhagen. Nothing in this projected model, for future Geopolitical organisation of the world, would indicate these old style imperial or quasi imperial states, with far flung colonies that remain hard to care for far from the centre of power, will continue to exist. However contiguous territories for the Danes are most certainly to seek a restoration of union with this state.

Most of these regions historically spoke Danish or indeed still speak Danish today. These claims are based on the states of nearby Sweden and Germany. In Germany the traditional border between these nations was the Eider River, so a restoration of Danish lands to here is expected. The long debate between Denmark and Sweden for the final returning of the Skaneland, on the Scandinavian peninsula, is likely to be finally resolved in Denmark’s favour in the future world order.

As with many of the Monarchies in the region it is likely that, for now, a new bout of Republicanism in all corners of Europe is likely to be tempered by many readjusting to the idea of returning to ideas of National Sovereignty, as a first start point. These remnant Monarchies will thus continue to survive.

The changes in the region will therefore leave an expanded Danish nation made up of the Nordjylland, Midtjylland, Syddanmark, Sjaelland and Hovedstaden Regions, currently a part of Denmark. Added to this will be the Schleswig-Flensburg District and the Flensburg Urban District, currently part of the Schleswig-Holstein State in Germany. Everything north of the Eider River, in the Rendsburg-Eckernforde District and the Kiel Urban District, of the Schleswig-Holstein State in Germany, would also join this nation. Finally the Skaneland territory of Halland, Skane and Blekinge Provinces, currently in Sweden, will be returned to this nation.

The flag of Denmark is one of the Nordic Cross family of flags. Indeed it is the original such flag, on which all the others base themselves. It is one of the oldest national flags currently still in use. Before the modern concept of nation states it was primarily used as a maritime and war banner. It is possibly based on the war banner of the Holy Roman Empire.

The cross was shifted towards the hoist in 1748. It is possible this was done to help differentiate Danish ships from Knights of Malta ships, which flew a similar flag. All the other Nordic Flags have since copied this model. The flag was officially adopted as the flag for the modern nation state in 1854.

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Neo Westphalian Europe Part 39: Kingdom of Norway

The Kingdom of Norway is one of the oldest Scandinavian nations. It has existed as its own nation and in union with neighbouring Scandinavian kingdoms, until it settled on its current borders in 1905. It is unlikely that it will change its current form of Government, from a constitutional Monarchy, in the coming restructuring. As has been discussed in an earlier post it is however likely to enter into a Commonwealth with the Norse Northern Isles, off the coast of Scotland. This may increase its access to North Sea oil, as the Norwegian Monarch becomes the head of this Commonwealth.

It is probable that it will lose some of its territory to the newly emerging Sami republic, as the world’s borders are redrawn. However the ethnic Sami population has dwindled a great deal, within the borders of its own nation. It is also suggested that, for geographical reasons, some of the land that currently belongs to the Russian state will go to the Sapmi Republic, even though it was not historically a part of its territory originally. Therefore it is hypothesised that at the other extreme of the Sami nation, in Norway, it will relinquish its claims to land there to balance this new reality out. This will mean that the Nordland County, which is traditionally viewed as a part of Lapland, will stay in the Norwegian state.

This will leave a final Norwegian nation made up of the Ostfold, Akershus, Oslo, Hedmark, Oppland, Buskerud, Vestfold, Telemark, Aust-Agder, Vest-Agder, Rogaland, Hordaland, Sogn og Fjordane, More og Romsdal, Ser Trondelag, Nord Trondelag and Nordland Counties, currently a part of Norway. Added to this will be the Jan Mayen Island and the Svalbard Archipelago, also currently a part of Norway.

The flag of Norway is based on the Nordic cross design of most of the Scandinavian flags. A Member of Parliament designed it in 1821. At the time however Norway was in union with Sweden, so variant flags which incorporated the Swedish flag were used. Norwegians flew their flag only in northern waters. When the union ended in 1905 the flag was finally adopted as the true national flag of Norway.

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Neo Westphalian Europe Part 38: Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are another archipelago that are currently in union with Denmark. In 1948 they managed to gain full autonomy for themselves, within the Danish state, like Greenland. Like Iceland before them they are likely to push for full independence in the near future. This would leave a new nation of the Faroe Islands made up of the six syslars of Eysturoyar, Norðoyar, Sandoyar, Streymoyar, Suðuroyar and Vága, currently part of Denmark.

The flag of the Faroe Islands is another of the Nordic Cross flags. It was officially adopted in 1948, when the Faeroes became an autonomous region. It was based on a flag created, in 1919, by some Faroese students studying in Copenhagen. It was used locally until World War Two when the British military requested the islanders use it as their naval jack, so their vessels could be differentiated from the Danish ones, which were currently under occupation of the Nazis.

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Neo Westphalian Europe Part 37: Republic of Iceland

Iceland is another arctic nation that was formerly a part of Denmark. It sought its independence and got it in 1918. Initially it was in Commonwealth still with Denmark and the Danish Monarchy remained at the head of its Executive branch. In 1944 it pushed for full independence and became an independent Republic in its own right. 

Iceland is another Scandinavian region that is of some importance to the new wave of Westphalianism. It seems that the Scandinavian countries are at the forefront of these independence movements. Maybe it is an aspect of the Viking psyche. It was Iceland that was one of the first countries to push back against the new, global, Roman Empire of the western banking structures. After the economic attacks against sovereignty around the world, which occurred in 2008, the Icelandic population was one of the few that took steps to defend itself. 

It set up a hard wall against the banker’s empire and even punished some of the bankers responsible for the out of control global empire and its crimes against humanity. In more recent years this wall has slipped a bit again, as it has opened its borders back up to potentially hostile capital flows, from around the world. However if the new Trump era ushers back in an age of some economic protectionism, then it is highly probable Iceland will be at the fore front of experimenting with how such a system may look in the 21^st century. 

Because it is an island Iceland is set to remain stable, with its current borders unchanged during the process of devolving power ahead. This means Iceland will remain a country made up of the current Northwest, Northeast, South, Southwest, Reykjavik North and Reykjavik South Constituencies of Iceland.

The flag of Iceland is another in the family of Nordic Cross flags. It was adopted in 1944, when Iceland gained full independence. It is based on the earlier state and maritime flag, which Iceland flew when it was still a part of Denmark. That flag was adopted in 1915 and was mostly the same except it used a lighter shade of blue.

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