The Rise and Fall of the Danish Empire

by Michael Bregnsbo, Kurt Villads Jensen

This book examines the Danish Empire, which for over four hundred years stretched from Northern Norway to Hamburg and was feared by small German principalities to the South. Evolving over time, it has included most of Scandinavia and the North Atlantic, has shifted from a Western orientation under the Vikings to an Eastern one in the Middle Ages, and from a North Sea Empire to a Baltic Empire. From the seventeenth to the early twentieth century, it comprised small overseas colonies in India, Africa and the Caribbean. Exploring the rise and fall of Denmark's Kingdom, from 9 AD to the present, this textbook considers how such vast empires were kept together through ideology and symbols, military force, transport systems and networks of civil servants. The authors demonstrate how the lands under Danish rule included a variety of religious groups, social and economic structures, law systems, and ethnic and linguistic groups. They also consider the economic and ideological benefit of an empire structure in comparison to a nation state. Providing a detailed overview of the long history of the Danish Empire, whilst also confronting current debate and providing novel interpretations, this book offers an original, imperial and multi-territorial perspective on the history of the Danish state, providing essential reading for students of Danish or Scandinavian history and European or Global empires.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

472 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Esben · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very fascinating book to read as a Dane taught in the traditional teaching of Denmark as a small and humble nation-state. Bregnsbo deliberately takes the empirical perspective to emphasize and contrast it to these normative teachings.

I have a renewed respect for Valdemar Atterdag's abilities, the misunderstood view of Christian IV's warring temperament and Frederick VII's failed attempts at safeguarding the empire. Additionally, I've learnt that we zero-index our Queens! Margrethe the 0th was basically Queen and did some quite great things, just like Margrethe the 1st.

Very enjoyable read.

[Jeffrey Kouache · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shaky translation and overstretched use of the word empire but priceless trove of knowledge about Denmark not found anywhere else in English in such a compact, comprehensive format. A very enlightening read.

[Mi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave up on this after a couple of chapters. Incompetent translation and even worse (i e no) proofreading. Repeated lines, typos and even more typos. An unholy mess ... smh

[Jorgon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and original (to me, at least) approach and quite comprehensive for such a short text. However, the book would have benefited from better editing/correction process. There are several repetitions; the text occasionally jumps back and forth in time; occasional bits of terrible translation interrupt the reading flow. I should try the original version. :) Hopefully, these errors will get fixed in later editions--but it is only a minor quibble.

[Mads Floyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of high quality as an in-depth and comprehensive treatment of Danish history, mostly from a foreign relations perspective.