The 14th Century, 1300 - 1399 Is Denmark still Danish

During the first part of the 14th century, Denmark had many and very expensive wars with its neighbours. The wars were almost all lost, and about the middle of the century, Denmark is not an independent country.

Later there is a demand among the Danish to be independent again and when the right man entered the arena, Denmark is returning to be a free country and the leader of Scandinavia.

1304 Germany

At the annual parlamentary meeting in Nyborg a new law is passed. Because of the inflation, there is now maximum prices for imported cloth, the export duty has to be paid in english currency, and the farmers have to pay incometaxes.

The german king Albrecht of Austria is confirming, that all land north of the river Elbe except the city Lübeck is Danish.

1312 Wars all the time

In 1306 the Norwegian king, Håkon is attacking Denmark, and in 1308 the Swedes are plundering Scania. Because the Danish king is related to a former Swedish king, Birger, the king is forming a gigantic army to help his Swedish relative. The army are in 1309 going into Sweden and the Swedish are on retreat.

Denmark has to pay the army 1,000 Mark Silver per day! While the army is besiegeing a swedish city, a part of the army is making mutiny. The Danes have to give up and retreats from Sweden.

1311 king Erik Menved is inviting the princes of the northen parts of Germany to a chivalry party just outside the german free city, Rostock. The party is very expensive and after 4 weeks of partying, the king and the German princes decide to attack Rostock for plundering.

In 1312 Denmark is very close to have an economic collapse because of all the expensive wars. Great parts of Denmark are pledged to mostly German leaders of mercenaries.

1326 Dethroned

All the plans king Erik Menved has had are failed and because he has used so much money for the wars, the king has to pledge the island Funen to the German earls, Gerhard the 3rd and Johan the 3rd. In 1318 the king has to pledge Scania to one of his advisors. In November 1319 king Erik dies and it takes about 3 month before a new king is elected. The Danish nobility is electing Christoffer as king of Denmark, because it is told he is a weak person.

Vordingborg on Zealand is the capital of Denmark.

King Christoffer is trying to keep Denmark as a whole. Rostock which is Danish are ruled by a German duke, Heinrich from Mecklenburg, but he don't want the Danish king as his feudal overlord. The duke asked a Danish powerful man to make plundering in Scania. King Christoffer is a little lucky, because Germany has got a new emperor, who wants to be friends with Denmark. The German duke acknowledges the danish king as his feudal overlord.

Because it cost money to keep Denmark as a whole, king Christoffer has to get more taxes.

The coronation charter, the king has signed, said, that he isn't allowed to get more taxes and the king is dethroned in 1326.

1336 End of Denmark

The dethroned king is trying to return to Denmark and has got an army of mercenaries, but already after one month the king has no money and he has to escape from Denmark again.

In june 1326 a childking, Valdemar, is elected, and in 1327 the real rulers of Denmark are dividing the country. The German count: Johan, the Danes: Ludvig Albrektsen, Laurids Jonsen, and Knud Porse are getting about a third of Denmark. The rest belongs to the king.

In practice Denmark is ruled by Germans, and after the former king Christoffer is returning and is finaly beated in 1331, the rest of Denmark is divided by only 2 German counts with the Great Belt as the boarder between them. Later in the same year the Swedish king is getting Scania.

In 1336 the last Danish coin is made - there is nothing left of Denmark.

1341 New Beginning

The Germans are ruling Denmark heavy-handed, and the Danes are beginning to hate the germans. There is a need for a king, who can bring back law and order and happiness to the maltreated country.

The Swedish king ask the pope to approve that Scania is swedish, the pope refuses. The hanseatic towns, Greifswald and Anklam, are asking king Christoffers youngest son, Valdemar to confirm their danish privileges. He confirms by signing the agreement with the words: True heir of Denmark.

The Germans in Denmark fears that the end for them is getting nearer and forces the Danes to pay an enormous amount of silver.

The Germans hire an army in Germany. The army shall help the German counts to collect the silver. Now it is time for the Danish resistance movement to move.

A Danish esquire is killing the German count Gerhard in the town, Randers. The German army dissolves.

The true heir of Denmark is now elected as king Valdemar 4th. All Danes are supporting the new king. Estonia is coming back to Denmark in 1344, Lolland in 1347, Falster and Møn in 1348. In 1353 the whole Jutland is Danish again and finaly in 1360 the whole Denmark is re-created.

Vordingborg A harbourcity at the south of Zealand - became the capital of Denmark. Just outside the city king Valdemar built a castle - and today the tower is left. On top of the tower there is a goose used as vane. The tower is called the Goosetower. King Valdemar placed the goose to deride the Hanseatic League.

1376 New king

In 1375 king Valdemar is getting ill and dies the 24th of October. There are 2 heirs to the throne, but they are both very young. In May 1376 Oluf, who is only 5 years old is elected as the new king of Denmark. His mother is the Norwegian queen Margrethe, who is a daugther of Valdemar the 4th.

In 1380 dies king Håkon of Norway. He was the father of the Danish king Oluf, so the Danish king is now also king of Norway. From 1380 - 1814, Denmark and Norway are one country. Behind the king is his mother queen Margrethe, who make the nessary negotiations to what probably has been her fathers goal: to make Denmark the leading country in Scandinavia.

1397 Kalmar Union

Suddenly her son king Oluf dies in 1387 after a short illness, and in Denmark the nobility is afraid of who shall be the next king, because there are Germans who demands the throne. Very quickly queen Margrethe is elected as the Queen of Denmark and Norway. Queen Margrethe is elected as regent of Sweden in March 1388, because Sweden don't want their king anymore.

Queen Margrethe is working for her nephew to be the next king of Denmark and June the 17th 1397 he is crowned as king Erik of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

The statements from the declaration of the union says:

Denmark, Norway, and Sweden will stay together forever under the same king.