Quote:
Originally Posted by DGG
Denmark was a regional great power throughout the Middle ages. they had their ups and downs, not every Danish king was as successful as Canute the Great who ruled Denmark (including the southern parts of present day Sweden), Norway, and England.
The Kalmar Union was a unification of crowns, but under the lead of the Danes. Through it, they held Sweden for more than a hundred years, and Norway until 1814. Sweden became independent in 1521, but was beaten by Denmark in many wars later in that century.
The United Kingdom considered the Danish fleet so important in the beginning of the Napoleonic wars, that they bombarded Copenhagen to make the Danes give it up. Instead, they turned Denmark into an ally of France.
|
I don't deny that Denmark existed, or that it had an army or fleet. And if you have to go back to the 10th century of Viking raiders to find a substantial Danish military success, that just proves my point.
The point that I made was that Denmark wasn't a significant military power sufficient to offensively or credibly threaten the various German states during the 12th to 16th century period.
Btw, allies of France (be they under Louis XIV or Napoleon) are there only so long as they are paid to be there. France always purchased/rented their alliances with gold.
Indeed, Denmark's support of Napoleon didn't help. Napoleon still lost.