Denmark–Sweden relations

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Danish–Swedish relations

Denmark	Sweden

The relations between Denmark and Sweden^[1] span a long history of interaction. The inhabitants of each speak related North Germanic languages, which have a degree of mutual intelligibility. Both countries formed part of the Kalmar Union between 1397 and 1523, but there exists an inherited cultural competition between Sweden and Denmark. From 1448 to 1790 the two kingdoms went to war against each other at nearly every opportunity; in more than one case a new king tried to prove his worth by waging war on the other country for little or no political reason. Eleven Dano-Swedish wars took place between 1521 and 1814.

Today, the countries are separated by the

Since Gustav Vasa consolidated the Swedish nation-state after the Swedish War of Liberation in 1523, Sweden and Denmark have fought 11 wars from the Northern Seven Years' War to the Napoleonic Wars. Sweden has historically won the majority of the wars, 7 of the total 11. Even though not all of these wars resulted in territorial changes and some ended in status quo, Sweden is considered victorious in many of these wars because they were triggered by Denmark.^[2][3] The Swedish Campaign against Norway in 1814 was Sweden’s last war with Denmark, unlike Denmark which was involved in the Schleswig wars.

Historic conflicts

Second Northern War

The Second Northern War (1655–60) was fought between Sweden and its adversaries the

The Scanian War was a part of the

The war was prompted by the Swedish involvement in the Franco-Dutch War. Sweden had allied with France against several European countries. The United Provinces, under attack by France, sought support from Denmark–Norway. After some hesitation, King Christian V started the invasion of the Scania (Skåneland) in 1675, while the Swedish were occupied with a war against Brandenburg. The invasion of Scania was combined with a simultaneous Norwegian front called the Gyldenløve Wae, forcing the defending Swedes to fight a two-front war in addition to their entanglements in the Holy Roman Empire.

Cultural links

Embassy of Sweden in Copenhagen

There are extensive cultural links between Denmark and Sweden, which are often referred to as "brotherfolks" (Danish/Swedish: broderfolk).^[citation needed] The southern part of Sweden, Scania, was a part of Denmark until 1658, and the Scanian landscapes still contain many references to the Danish rule, such as in the name of many towns and cities, including Kristianstad. The construction of the Øresund Bridge has rekindled those ties, with the creation of the Øresund Region as the transnational metropolitan area comprising Copenhagen and Malmö. In addition, many Swedes and Danes consider themselves culturally and historically linked, in large part because the languages are mutually intelligible especially in the border regions.

Even in modern times, there have been serious talks of a

Sweden has 16 honorary consulates (in Aabenraa, Aarhus, Aalborg, Esbjerg, Frederikshavn, Grenaa, Helsingør, Holbæk, Kolding, Nuuk, Nykøbing Falster, Odense, Rønne, Skagen, Tórshavn and Viborg).

See also

• UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier fan attack
• Denmark and Sweden football rivalry
• History of Denmark
• History of Sweden
• Kalmar Union
• Swedish Gustaf's Church
• Accession of Sweden to the European Union
• Sweden–NATO relations

References