Kingdom of Norway (1814)
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| Kingdom of Norway (1814) | |
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| Name | Kingdom of Norway (1814) |
| Native name | Kongeriket Norge (1814) |
| Era | Napoleonic era |
| Status | Sovereign claim ; personal union (from 1814) |
| Government | Constitutional monarchy (proclaimed 17 May 1814) |
| Established | 14 January 1814 (Treaty of Kiel); 17 May 1814 (Constitution) |
| Dissolved | 10 November 1814 (Convention of Moss); union with Sweden 4 November 1814 (union ratified) |
| Capital | Christiania |
| Common languages | Danish, Norwegian |
| Monarch | Christian Frederick (proclaimed) ; Charles XIII/Carolus XIV John (union) |
| Legislature | Storting (Eidsvoll assembly origin) |
| Currency | Speciedaler |
Kingdom of Norway (1814) The Kingdom of Norway in 1814 denotes the short-lived assertion of Norwegian sovereignty following the Treaty of Kiel and the constitutional proclamation at Eidsvoll that year, set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars. It features key figures such as Christian Frederick, Norwegian framers like Georg Sverdrup, international actors including Great Britain, Russia, France, and diplomatic settlements such as the Convention of Moss. The episode reshaped Scandinavian politics leading into the Union between Sweden and Norway and influenced subsequent Norwegian national development.
Background and Union with Denmark
By 1814 Norway had been in union with the Kingdom of Denmark since the Kalmar Union aftermath and the decisions of the Treaty of Roskilde era that reinforced Danish-Norwegian ties. The composite monarchy linked the crowns of Copenhagen and Christiania, and officials from the Danish Chancellery and institutions in Copenhagen administered Norwegian affairs. The long-standing union involved figures such as Frederick VI of Denmark and elites from families like the Cort Adeler family, while Norwegian provincial elites in districts such as Bergen, Trondheim, and Kristiansund retained local influence. European upheavals driven by Napoleon Bonaparte and coalitions including Great Britain and Russia placed pressure on the Danish crown and its North Atlantic possessions.
Napoleonic Wars and Treaty of Kiel
Denmark–Norway allied with Napoleon after the Battle of Copenhagen (1807) and faced blockade, famine, and naval losses inflicted by the Royal Navy. The Treaty of Kiel (14 January 1814) compelled Frederick VI to cede Norway to Charles XIII of Sweden as compensation for Swedish losses, negotiated by Swedish statesmen such as Bernadotte (later Charles XIV John). The treaty ignored Norwegian representative institutions like the Storting and provoked resistance among Norwegian landowners, clergy from the Church of Norway, and patriots in cities including Christiania and Tønsberg.
Constitutional Assembly at Eidsvoll
In response, Prince Christian Frederick convened a national assembly at Eidsvoll in April 1814, summoning delegates from rural parishes and urban constituencies, including clergy, merchants from Bergen merchant class, and officers of the army. Leading framers such as Georg Sverdrup, Wilhelm Frimann Koren Christie, Jens Schou Fabricius, and Peder Anker debated articles influenced by the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and constitutional models like the Constitution of the United States. The resulting Constitution, proclaimed 17 May 1814, emphasized sovereignty of the nation, separation of powers, and civil rights, and it appointed Christian Frederick as king—a choice contested by foreign powers such as Great Britain and Sweden.
Brief Independence and Swedish Invasion
Norway’s proclamation of independence triggered diplomatic and military reaction. Sweden, under Charles XIII and Charles XIV John, mobilized forces led by commanders including Crown Prince Carl Johan to press the Kiel terms. The Swedish–Norwegian War (1814) involved engagements near Halden, Kongsvinger, and border fortifications such as Fredriksten Fortress, where Norwegian defenders and officers like Christian Magnus Falsen and Ludvig Mariboe played roles in resistance. International mediation—particularly by United Kingdom and Russia—sought settlement, resulting in the Convention of Moss (14 August 1814) which ended hostilities, required the Norwegian Storting to accept a personal union with Sweden under Charles XIII/Charles XIV John, while allowing Norway to retain its constitution with negotiated amendments.
Union with Sweden (1814–1905)
The post-1814 arrangement created a personal union between the crowns of Stockholm and Christiania, institutionalizing arrangements reflected in the Act of Union and subsequent conventions affecting foreign policy and the Norwegian-Swedish diplomatic relationship. Norwegian statesmen such as Johan Sverdrup and Christian August Selmer later led movements for parliamentary reform within the union framework, which culminated in the dissolution of the union in 1905. During the union period, Norway retained institutions like the Storting and the Supreme Court of Norway, while sharing a monarch drawn from the lineage of Bernadotte.
Government, Constitution and Legal Reforms
The 1814 Constitution created executive, legislative, and judicial organs centered on the Storting and the monarchy of Christian Frederick, later accepted in hereditary form by Charles XIV John. Legal framers referenced texts such as Magna Carta tradition and contemporary constitutions from United States Constitution and French Revolutionary constitutions. Reforms addressed church-state relations involving the Church of Norway and statutes concerning civil rights, property law, and military conscription overseen by ministries located in Christiania. Prominent jurists and politicians—including Wilhelm Frimann Koren Christie and Georg Sverdrup—influenced codification processes that evolved through the nineteenth century under jurists like P.A. Munch.
Society, Economy and Military in 1814
Norwegian society in 1814 comprised urban classes in Bergen, Christiania, and Trondheim; rural farmers in regions such as Østfold, Telemark, and Gudbrandsdalen; and a clergy under the Church of Norway. Economic strain from the Continental System and British blockade affected the Norwegian merchant marine, fisheries in Lofoten and northern fisheries, timber exports from Østerdalen, and the speciedaler currency. The military included battalions of the army and naval units operating from ports like Bergenhus Fortress and reserves of officers trained in institutions influenced by European military reformers. Social leaders—merchants such as Peter Motzfeldt and landowners like Peder Anker—shaped political mobilization that made 1814 a formative year for Norwegian national identity and later nineteenth-century developments in culture, law, and statecraft.
Category:History of Norway Category:1814