The Story of Norway and Sweden in a Nutshell
Features of a Century of Union
1814: Sweden secures Norway by cession from Danish king whom it had defeated in war; Norway offers some opposition but is forced to give in; is given a constitution and united with Sweden under one king; Norway practically independent of Sweden in everything but foreign relations, which are conducted through Sweden.
1850: Norway finds joint consular service unsatisfactory and agitation begins for separate consular body.
1891: Norway and Sweden begin negotiations on separate consulate matter; Norway believes she is subordinated to Sweden in eyes of foreign powers because she is represented at their capitals by a Swedish minister; sentiment for a separate diplomatic body begins to be heard.
1904: Sweden agrees to let Norway have separate consuls, but declares foreign powers will require that Swedish and Norwegian minister be responsible for such consuls, and therefore the independent Norwegian consul must report to Swedish minister.
1905 February 8: Norwegian premier announces failure of negotiations on account of Swedish demands that consuls be subordinate to ministers at capitals.
1905 May 28: King Oscar vetoes a separate consuls bill passed by Norwegian Storthing; ministry resigns and prepares to dissolve union by making it impossible for the king to secure a new ministry and then declaring his inability to form a ministry makes his constitutional regal power inoperative and ends the union.
1905 June 7: Norwegian storthing by resolution declares the union is dissolved and establishes a provisional government with Premier Michelsen at its head; Swedish Prince offered the throne, but probably will decline; Prince Waldemar of Denmark said to be next choice of Norwegians for their king.
The Norwegian Storthing on June 7, 1905
1905 November 12 - 13: Norwegian voted to re-establish a monarchy instead of a republic by a wide margin (259,563 to 69,264) which paved the way to offer the crown to Prince Carl of Denmark.
1905 November 18: The offer to become the new King of Norway was formally accepted by Prince Carl who then chose to become Haakon VIII, King of Norway along with Queen Maud and his two-year old son, Alexander who was renamed Prince Olav.
1905 November 27: Haakon VII was sworn in as King of Norway in the ancient Norwegian city of Trondhjem.
Leading characters in the Drama
The chief of the forces that dissolved the union and the head of the provisional government is Christian Michelsen, premier of the cabinet that resigned a few days ago, but now has taken up the temporary government. Michelsen is the son of a Norwegian merchant, and was born at Bergen on March 15, 1857. He is a lawyer by profession, and early in life, took an active part in the municipal politics of Bergen. He entered the storthing in 1892 and became president of the constitution committee. His chief lieutenant is Jürgen Loveland, the son of a peasant, who first earned his living as a teacher and afterwards as a journalist. He was born in 1848, and entered the storthing in 1886. He is president of the storthing, and has already held cabinet rank on two occasions. The other ministers are Christian Knudsen, who was originally a divinity student; Sofus Arelander, a well known lawyer; Gunnar Knudsen, an engineer and an authority on industrial and agricultural questions; general Olsson, who has twice before served as minister of war; Kristofer Lehmkuhl, a fellow townsman of the premier; Aasmund Vinje, the leader of the moderates; Hagerup Bull, a well known lawyer and financier, and Harold Bothner, who is also a lawyer and one of the leaders of the left.
Source: The Sioux Valley News, June 15, 1905 Page 7, Correctionville, Iowa
