Re: Norwegian military
- From: Stein R <steinjr@xxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2007 00:02:49 -0500
"catalpa" <catalpa@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
ZayUi.359$TO4.112@trnddc07:">news:ZayUi.359$TO4.112@trnddc07:
It is interesting to note that the Danish military hero General
Olaf Rye (first Schleswig War, 1848-1851) was a Norwegian officer
who refused to swear an oath of allegiance to the Swedish King.
Didn't know that. Interesting. I hadn't even heard about Olaf Rye
before (except for knowing that there is a square in Oslo known as "Olaf
Ryes plass").
Guess it must have been pretty hard for some people when Norway in
1814, following the Napoleonic wars, was transferred from being a part
of Denmark (which it had been for about 400 years) to being under the
Swedish king.
After all - Norway declared independence in 1814, adopting a
constitution and electing a Danish prince as the king of independent
Norway.
Following a brief military campaign, the Norwegian army was beaten by
the Swedish army - but the display of resistance against Swedish rule
was enough to win Norway the right to have their own constitution and
their own parliament, instead of becoming a part of Sweden.
For 91 years (from 1814 to 1905), Norway and Sweden had a common king,
the king of Sweden.
Military wise, Norwegian and Swedish soldiers did not serve together in
he same way as Norwegian and Danish soldiers had served together - in he
same military units/same ships.
During the union with Sweden military units were either Norwegian or
Swedish, not mixed. The period saw no wars and no military service
outside Norway.
With the exception of a smallish Norwegian military unit of volunteers
that was originally stationed in Stockholm - His Majesty the King's
Norwegian Guard company, which formally served as part of the Swedish
Guard's regiment.
During the end of the 1800s the Norwegians started pushing harder for
more independence - and towards the end of the 1800s the two countries
were clearly headed for divorce - with issue after issue coming up.
As part of the long breakup process, the Norwegian Guards were in 1888
moved from Stockholm, Sweden to Oslo, Norway.
The union finally was unilaterally dissolved by the Norwegian
parliament on June 7th 1905, and Norway again elected a Danish price as
the king of independent Norway.
Sweden and Norway both carried out a partial mobilization and the
situation was tense for quite a while, before it was defused by sensible
statemanship on both sides - Norway was allowed to withdraw from the
union, both countries demilitarized a zone along their common border,
and Norway had to raze or demilitarize some fortresses right on the
border.
His (Norwegian) Majesty the King's Guards is now a light infantry
battalion based in Oslo. And I think that we all are glad that the first
battle honor (Midtskogen) listed on their regimental flag came from
fighting invading Germans in 1940, not from fighting Swedes in 1905.
Smile,
Stein
.
- References:
- Norwegian military
- From: Gordon Anderson
- Re: Norwegian military
- From: Stein R
- Re: Norwegian military
- From: Stein R
- Re: Norwegian military
- From: catalpa
- Norwegian military
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