Kingdom of Iceland
Topic: History
From HandWiki - Reading time: 5 min
Kingdom of Iceland | |||||||||
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| 1918–1944 | |||||||||
Flag
 Coat of arms
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Anthem: "Ó Guð vors lands" ("O, God of Our Land") File:Lofsöngur.ogg | |||||||||
| The Kingdom of Iceland in 1933 The Kingdom of Iceland in 1933 | |||||||||
| Status | Associated state of Denmark (1918–1940) Personal union with Denmark (1918–1940) and Regency (1940–1944) | ||||||||
| Capital | Reykjavík | ||||||||
| Common languages | Icelandic, Danish | ||||||||
| Religion | Church of Iceland (state religion) | ||||||||
| Government | Parliamentary constitutional monarchy | ||||||||
| King | |||||||||
• 1918–1944 | Kristján X | ||||||||
| Regent | |||||||||
• 1941–1944 | Sveinn Björnsson | ||||||||
| Prime Minister | |||||||||
• 1918–1920 (first) | Jón Magnússon | ||||||||
• 1942–1944 (last) | Björn Þórðarson | ||||||||
| Legislature | Althing | ||||||||
| Historical era | Interwar period / World War II | ||||||||
• Act of Union | 1 December 1918 | ||||||||
• Surrender of Denmark to Nazi Germany | 9 April 1940 | ||||||||
• Operation Fork | 10 May 1940 | ||||||||
• National referendum | 20 May 1944 | ||||||||
• Republic proclaimed | 17 June 1944 | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• 1944[1] | 125967 | ||||||||
| Currency | Króna | ||||||||
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The Kingdom of Iceland (Icelandic: Konungsríkið Ísland; Danish: Kongeriget Island) was an associated state of Denmark (prior to its invasion by Nazi Germany)[2] and kingdom under a personal union that was established by the Act of Union signed on 1 December 1918.[2] It lasted until 17 June 1944 when a national referendum established the republic of Iceland in its place.[3] The Parliament of Iceland asked that Denmark represent Iceland internationally, and day-to-day matters were delegated to a Danish plenipotentiary for Icelandic affairs based in Reykjavík, and – after the German invasion of Denmark in 1940 – a regent was appointed.[2]
History
Origins of Danish rule
Because of the Kalmar Union, Iceland had been under the control of the Crown of Denmark since 1380,[4] although formally it had been a Norwegian possession until 1814.[5] In 1874, one thousand years after the first acknowledged settlement, Denmark granted Iceland home rule. The constitution, written the same year, was revised in 1903 and the extent of Iceland's home rule increased in 1904.[6]
Establishment of the kingdom
On 1 December 1918, the Act of Union, an agreement with Denmark, recognized Iceland as a fully sovereign state, an independent country in personal union with Denmark through a common monarch. The Kingdom of Iceland established its own flag and coat of arms and asked that Denmark represent its foreign affairs and defence interests on its behalf while retaining full control over its foreign affairs and defence. Iceland opened its first embassy in 1920. The Act would be reviewed in 1940 and could be revoked three years later if agreement to continue it could not be reached.[7]
World War II, British occupation and the establishment of the republic
During the first year of World War II, Iceland strictly enforced a position of neutrality and took action against both British and German forces that violated it. The German invasion of Denmark on 9 April 1940 and subsequent occupation severed communications between Iceland and Denmark.[2] As a result, on 10 April, the Althing passed two resolutions investing the Icelandic cabinet with the power of head of state and declaring that the Kingdom of Iceland would accept full responsibility for both foreign policy and coastal surveillance. On 10 May 1940, Operation Fork was launched by the United Kingdom when military forces sailed into Reykjavík Harbour and began an invasion of Iceland.[2] The Government of Iceland issued a protest against what it called a "flagrant violation" of Icelandic neutrality. On the day of the invasion, Prime Minister Hermann Jónasson read a radio announcement instructing Icelanders to treat the British troops as guests. On 15 May 1941, the Althing adopted a law creating the position of regent for Sveinn Björnsson in order to represent the monarchy.[2]
At its peak, Britain had approximately 25,000 troops stationed in Iceland, all but eliminating unemployment in Reykjavík and other strategically important places. In July 1941, the Althingi adopted the American–Icelandic defence agreement, passing responsibility for Iceland's defence to the United States.[2]
Following a constitutional referendum in May 1944, Iceland formally became a republic on 17 June 1944. King Christian X sent a message of congratulations to the Icelandic people.[8]
Titles of the Crown
- By the Grace of God, King of Iceland, Denmark, the Wends and the Goths, Duke of Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen, Lauenburg and Oldenburg.
Monarchy
The Kingdom of Iceland was a constitutional monarchy that existed from 1918 to 1944 under a personal union with Denmark. It was established through the Act of Union, which recognized Iceland as a sovereign state with its own government and parliament, the Althing, while the Danish king, Christian X, remained head of state. This agreement gave Iceland far greater autonomy after centuries of Danish rule, although Denmark continued to oversee some foreign affairs and defense matters. Template:Infobox former monarchy During the early years of the kingdom, Iceland developed its own political institutions and strengthened its national identity. The situation changed dramatically during World War II when Germany occupied Denmark in 1940. Because communication with Denmark was cut off, Iceland assumed control of its foreign policy and effectively governed itself independently. British forces, and later American troops, occupied Iceland during the war to prevent German influence in the North Atlantic. In 1944, while Denmark was still occupied, Iceland held a national referendum in which the vast majority of voters supported ending the union with Denmark and establishing a republic. On 17 June 1944, the Republic of Iceland was officially proclaimed at Þingvellir, an important historic site tied to Iceland’s medieval parliament. Sveinn Björnsson became the country’s first president. The Kingdom of Iceland is remembered as the transitional period between Danish rule and Iceland’s full independence as a modern democratic state.
List of Monarchs
Template:Nobility table header
|-
| Christian X
Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm
1 December 1918
–
17 June 1944
(34 years, 343 days)
| 100px
| 100px
| 26 September 1870
Charlottenlund Palace
eldest son of Frederik VIII and Louise of Sweden
| Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
26 April 1898
Cannes
two sons
| 20 April 1947
Amalienborg Palace
aged 76
| Made King through the Act of Union
| [9]
|}
Flags
-
Flag of Iceland (1915–1944)[10]
-
![State Flag of Iceland (1915–1944)[10]](https://handwiki.org/wiki/images/thumb/a/ad/State_flag_of_Iceland_%281918%E2%80%931944%29.svg/120px-State_flag_of_Iceland_%281918%E2%80%931944%29.svg.png)
State Flag of Iceland (1915–1944)[10] -
![Royal Standard (1921–1944)[11]](https://handwiki.org/wiki/images/thumb/e/e6/Royal_Standard_of_Iceland_%281921-1944%29.svg/120px-Royal_Standard_of_Iceland_%281921-1944%29.svg.png)
Royal Standard (1921–1944)[11] -
![Standard of the Regent (1941–1944)[11]](https://handwiki.org/wiki/images/thumb/3/36/Standard_of_the_Regent_of_Iceland_%281941%E2%80%931944%29.svg/120px-Standard_of_the_Regent_of_Iceland_%281941%E2%80%931944%29.svg.png)
Standard of the Regent (1941–1944)[11]
![State Flag of Iceland (1915–1944)[10]](https://handwiki.org/wiki/File:State_flag_of_Iceland_(1918%E2%80%931944).svg)
![Royal Standard (1921–1944)[11]](https://handwiki.org/wiki/File:Royal_Standard_of_Iceland_(1921-1944).svg)
![Standard of the Regent (1941–1944)[11]](https://handwiki.org/wiki/File:Standard_of_the_Regent_of_Iceland_(1941%E2%80%931944).svg)
.svg){kind=link}
See also
- Constitution of Denmark
- Danish Realm
- Faroese independence
- Greenlandic independence
- Icelandic independence movement
- Jørgen Jørgensen, a.k.a. the "Dog-Days King", self-styled ruler of Iceland for a brief period in 1809
- Lists of heads of state of Iceland
- Nobility in Iceland
References
- ↑ Statistics of Iceland. Retrieved on 18 March 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Halfdanarson, Gudmundur Halfdanarson (2010). The A to Z of Iceland. Scarecrow Press. pp. 23–25. ISBN 978-0810872080. https://books.google.com/books?id=kDrZWBMGJ8wC&q=Monarchy+of+Iceland+1918&pg=PR23.
- ↑ Van Cleaf, Kristin Van Cleaf (2007). Iceland. ABDO. pp. 7. ISBN 978-1599287843. https://books.google.com/books?id=zbhQoMd2jhcC&q=Monarchy+of+Iceland+1918&pg=PA7.
- ↑ Nordstrom, Byron (2000). Scandinavia since 1500. University of Minnesota Press. p. 147. ISBN 0-8166-2098-9. https://archive.org/details/scandinaviasince0000nord/page/147.
- ↑ Dörr, Oliver (2004) (in German). Kompendium völkerrechtlicher Rechtsprechung. Mohr Siebeck. p. 103. ISBN 3-16-148311-1.
- ↑ "A short history of Alþingi – the oldest parliament in the world" (in en). European Union. https://europa.eu/youth/is/article/61/4215_en.
- ↑ Karlsson, Gunnar (15 April 2000). The History of Iceland. University of Minnesota Press. pp. 283–284. ISBN 9780816635894.
- ↑ Hardarson, Solrun B. Jensdottir (October 1974). "The 'Republic of Iceland' 1940–44: Anglo-American Attitudes and Influences". Journal of Contemporary History 9 (4): 27–56. doi:10.1177/002200947400900402.
- ↑ "Christian X". Official website of the Danish Monarchy. http://kongehuset.dk/publish.php?dogtag=k_en_his_chrx.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Iceland – Flag History at Flags of the World. Retrieved on 18 March 2014.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Iceland – Royal Standard at Flags of the World. Retrieved on 18 March 2014.
Bibliography
- "Iceland, Home Rule and Sovereignty (1904–44)" at Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 17 March 2014.
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