Karlstad Treaty
The Karlstad Treaty ( Norwegian Karlstadkonvensjonen , Swedish Karlstadkonventionen ) is the name of the agreement that was signed on September 23, 1905 in the Swedish city of Karlstad on the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway .
Historical background
At the end of the 19th century, the personal union between Sweden and Norway, established in 1814, increasingly became a point of contention. Norway wanted to make its independence visible through its own consulates abroad. The Norwegian parliament, the Storting , unanimously passed a corresponding law in May 1905. The Swedish King Oskar II vetoed this. Thereupon the Norwegian government resigned under Prime Minister Christian Michelsen . The resignation was not accepted by Oscar II. Oskar II could not find any new members for a Norwegian government. The Storting took this as an opportunity to declare that the Swedish king was not fulfilling his duties as the Norwegian head of state. Thereupon, on June 7, 1905, the resolution on the dissolution of the Union and the extension of powers for the Michelsen government was passed unanimously in Storting. The Storting suggested that a Swedish prince should ascend the Norwegian throne. The Swedish king rejected the unilateral measures taken by Norway. The Swedish Reichstag , on the other hand, demanded that a referendum should be held in Norway to resolve the storting and that the conditions for the dissolution of the Union should be clarified through separate Swedish-Norwegian negotiations. This proposal was accepted by the Norwegian government. In the referendum on August 13, 1905, 368,392 Norwegians voted for and only 184 against the dissolution of the union.
Course of the contract negotiations
Karlstad was agreed as the place of negotiation because the city was halfway between Oslo and Stockholm . The negotiations began on August 31, 1905 in a tense atmosphere. The main point of contention was the Swedish demand for all Norwegian border fortifications to be demolished, although their military value was already considered to be low at the time. Sweden tried to get the support of other major European powers on this issue. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the German Empire in particular refused to interfere in the conflict. There was a strong opinion in Norway that the border fortifications should be preserved. However, this group did not have a decisive influence on the Storting. The responsible politicians were interested in a peaceful solution and did not want to risk war. As the Swedish side insisted on their demand, the negotiations were interrupted on September 13th. The Norwegian government then ordered a partial mobilization of their border guards, which the Swedish government also responded with a partial mobilization. To alleviate the situation, Norway finally gave in to Swedish pressure and agreed to remove the newer, recently built border fortifications.
Consequences of the contract
The treaty for the peaceful dissolution of the Union, signed on September 23, 1905 through the mediation of the major European powers, included the full recognition of Norway as an independent state and the abdication of the Swedish king from the Norwegian throne. On October 9th, the Storting and on October 13th the Swedish Reichstag approved the treaty. The union was officially dissolved on October 26, 1905. Norway offered the Norwegian throne to Prince Carl of Denmark. As heated discussions about the future form of government took place in Norway, Carl demanded the approval of the Norwegian people for a monarchy. In the referendum in November 1905, 259,563 Norwegians voted for and 69,264 against the monarchy. On November 18, 1905, the Storting elected Carl King of Norway, who took the name Håkon VII .
Even after 1905, Norway belonged to the Scandinavian Monetary Union together with Sweden , which was only ended de facto in 1924.
literature
- Harm G. Schröter: History of Scandinavia (= Beck'sche series. 2422). CH Beck, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-406-53622-9 .
- Aleksandr S. Kan: History of the Scandinavian countries. (Denmark, Norway, Sweden). German Science Publishing House, Berlin 1978.