Scandinavism and Nordism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scandinavism and Nordism are political ideas that supports cooperation between the Scandinavian and/or Nordic countries.
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[edit] Scandinavism
Scandinavism is a political movement with origins in the mid-19th century that support the idea of Scandinavia as a unified region or even a single nation, based on the common linguistic, political and cultural heritage of the Scandinavian countries Denmark, Norway, Sweden. (These three countries are referred to as "three brothers" in the sixth stanza of the national anthem of Norway.)
The movement was initiated by Danish and Swedish university students in the 1840s. At first the movement was supported by the liberal newspapers like Fædrelandet and Aftonbladet, which saw it as a way to counter the conservative powers that be and during the war between Denmark and Prussia in 1848, Sweden (then in union with Norway) offered support in form of a Norwegian-Swedish expeditionary force, though the force never actually saw combat. The movement received a blow from which it never fully recovered after the Danish-German war over Schleswig-Holstein, when the Swedish government refused to jeopardize its future by joining in an alliance against the rising German power on the continent.
[edit] Nordism
Nordism is a movement that in many ways is similar to Scandinavism, but also includes Finland, Iceland and the Danish territories Greenland and Faroe Islands.
[edit] Scandinavism and Nordism today
Modern Nordism and Scandinavism has played a part in the close cooperation among the five Nordic countries, examples include the Nordic Passport Union, the Scandinavian Airlines System and the Royal League. It also surfaces amongst Danes and Swedes in criticism of the EU, saying a Nordic union between Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Iceland would have been better.
[edit] External links
- Nordisk vision - Scandinavian language site proposing a Nordic union
