Government Pay II

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Carl Theodor Zahle

The Zahle II government was formed as a minority government in Denmark on June 21, 1913 by Carl Theodor Zahle from Det Radikalische Venstre and replaced the Berntsen government from the Venstre . She was in office until March 30, 1920, when she was replaced by the government of Liebe .

Elections and election results

The previously ruling Venstre of Prime Minister Klaus Berntsen suffered a defeat in the Folketing elections on May 20, 1913, but was still the strongest force with 44 of the 114 votes. As on May 25, 1909, the Social Democrats under Thorvald Stauning became the strongest force, but received only 32 seats due to the electoral system. Zahles Radical Venstre received 31 seats, but was able to form a minority government with social democratic tolerance. During the First World War , an election was held on May 7, 1915, but the election results were controversial and were essentially the same as the results of the May 20, 1913 election.

Despite the war, there were elections for the Folketing on April 22, 1918. These were the first elections after the constitutional reform (Grundlovsreformen) of June 5, 1915. The constitutional reform increased the number of seats in the Folketing from 114 to 140 and the Landsting from 66 to 72, ended the privileged election of the Landsting, so that the members of both chambers of parliament were elected from now on after the introduction of the right to vote for women , servants and proportional representation. The conservative Højre appeared for the first time under the new name Det Conservative Folkeparti . For the first time in years, the Venstre of the former Prime Minister Niels Neergaard became the strongest party before Stauning's Social Democrats . Zahles Det Radikalische Venstre remained only the third strongest force, but was able to continue to form a minority government that was tolerated by social democrats.

Results of the elections to the Folketing on May 20, 1913

Political party be right Percentage Mandates Gains / losses (+/-)
Social democrats 107,365 29.6 32 +8
Venstre 104,885 29.0 44 −13
Højre 82,137 22.7 7th −6
Det Radical Venstre 67.903 18.7 31 +11

Results of the elections to the Folketing on May 7, 1915

Political party Mandates Gains / losses (+/-)
Social democrats 32 -
Venstre 43 −1
Det Radical Venstre 31 -
Højre 8th +1

Results of the elections to the Folketing on April 22, 1918

Political party be right Percentage Mandates Gains / losses (+/-)
Venstre 271,879 29.7 46 +3
Social democrats 262,796 28.7 39 +7
Det Radical Venstre 195.159 21.3 32 +1
Det conservative folk party 167.865 18.3 22nd +14
Erhvervspartiet 11,934 1.3 1 +1
Nye Højre 4,764 0.5 0 -
Vælgerforeningen af ​​1918 4,407 0.5 0 -
Danmarks Kommunistiske Parti 2,496 0.3 0

Denmark in World War I, the post-war period and the Easter crisis in 1920

The dismissal Zahles by King Christian X on March 30, 1920 triggered a crisis as Easter (Påskekrisen) became known constitutional crisis from
As Minister of Iceland, Jón Magnússon led Iceland on December 1, 1918 as an independent state in personal union with Denmark through the Act of Union of November 30, 1918

When war broke out, Denmark decided to adhere to the policy of neutrality. The social-liberal government of Zahles, in accordance with the Defense Order (Forsvarsforliget) of October 18, 1909, called 50,000 men to defend Zealand and Copenhagen , although this strength was later reduced. Öresund and Kattegat were mined against resistance in the country, which could only have an effect to protect the Baltic Sea against incoming British ships, as the German Empire had direct access there via the Kiel Canal . Despite the war, Denmark managed to maintain foreign trade, which mainly went to Germany and the United Kingdom, until 1917. Heavy losses then resulted from the expansion of the submarine war , which led to 275 sunk ships and 700 dead seamen. After the USA entered the war , the sea access routes were almost completely blocked. After a previous referendum, on January 25, 1917, the holdings of the Virgin Islands in the Danish West Indies with the naval port of Saint Thomas were sold to the USA.

By the Union Act of November 30, 1918, Iceland was recognized as an independent state in personal union with Denmark on December 1, 1918, so that the close economic ties could continue to exist.

In February and March 1920 the Südschleswig question led to a government crisis . Zahle's government wanted the entire previous Duchy of Schleswig to be incorporated, but accepted a referendum in accordance with the statutes of the League of Nations . The boundary was drawn along the so-called " Clausen Line " south of Tønder and north of Flensburg , which gave Denmark a certain preference over the " Tiedje Line " proposed by Germany . This led to criticism of Zahle, who refused to hold early elections and was then dismissed by King Christian X. This in turn triggered a as Easter crisis (Påskekrisen) became known constitutional crisis , since the monarch after the constitution of Denmark was able to dismiss an elected government only exceptionally. On March 20, 1920 he appointed a managing government under the lawyer Otto Liebe . Liebe and his ministers were politically conservative, but not politicians themselves. They soon realized that they were no longer in control of the explosive atmosphere. Some critics noted that the king had breached the constitution and a general strike was threatened. The king was worried and on Easter Sunday, April 4, 1920, he dismissed the government of Liebe and instead appointed a new caretaker government with Michael Pedersen Friis as prime minister. After the Folketing election on April 26, 1920, he finally handed over the office to the former Prime Minister Niels Neergaard von der Venstre, who finally formed his second government on May 5, 1920 .

minister

Department Official
Prime Minister
Justice Minister 		Carl Theodor Zahle
Foreign minister Edvard Brandes
from June 24, 1913 : Erik Scavenius
Finance minister Edvard Brandes
Interior minister Ove Rode
Minister for Church and Education Søren Keizer-Nielsen
Minister of Education from April 28, 1916 : Søren Keizer-Nielsen
Church minister from April 28, 1916 : Thorvald Povlsen
Defense Minister Peter Rochegune Munch
Minister for Public Works Jens Hassing-Jørgensen
Minister of Agriculture Kristjan Pedersen
Minister for Commerce and Shipping Kristjan Pedersen
from April 28, 1916 : Christopher Hage
Minister with no portfolio March 20 - April 28, 1916 : Christopher Hage
September 30, 1916 - January 16, 1918 : Jens Christian Christensen
September 30, 1916 - January 16, 1918 : Christian Michael Rottbøll
September 30, 1916 - January 16, 1918 : Thorvald Stauning
24 June 1918 - March 30, 1920 : Hans Peter Hanssen
Minister for Iceland Hannes Hafstein
from July 21, 1914 : Sigurður Eggerz
from May 4, 1915 : Einar Arnórsson
from January 4, 1917 : Jón Magnússon

Background literature

  • The big Ploetz. The Encyclopedia of World History , Verlag Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 35th edition, 2008, p. 1106 f., ISBN 978-3-525-32008-2

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Division of the Ministry of Churches and Education into two independent ministries on April 28, 1916
  2. ^ The Ministry of Commerce and Shipping was renamed the Ministry of Commerce on April 1, 1914
  3. ↑ Jón Magnússon was supported as Minister for Iceland by Sigurður Jónsson and Björn Kristjansson , who were also nominally members of the government until November 30, 1918

See also