Iceland’s External Affairs from 1550-1815: Danish societal and political cover concurrent with a highly costly economic policy

Abstract

The paper argues that there is not necessarily a correlation between political, economic and societal shelter. Iceland received considerable societal and political shelter from Denmark in the period under study, but Denmark failed to provide its remote island with economic cover. Firstly, and most importantly, it provided substantial and highly valuable societal shelter. Copenhagen was the main channel by which new knowledge and technology could enter Iceland. The islanders benefited from educational, health-care and social policies of the crown and it played an invaluable role in preserving Iceland's cultural heritage. Secondly, Denmark provided partial protection of Icelandic waters and land though Iceland's peripheral position continued to be its main protection from outside attacks. However, at the end of our period, the Danish kingdom was in decline and unable to provide political cover. Nevertheless, increased centralization, initiated from Denmark, provided internal order and political stability and citizens became more equal before the law. Thirdly, Icelanders paid a heavy price for the Danish trade monopoly though Icelanders continued to receive partial economic and societal shelter from foreign merchants and fishermen. The crown's policies towards Iceland can largely be explained by current ideological trends at any given time.

Iceland’s External Affairs from the Napoleonic Era to the occupation of Denmark: Danish and British Shelter

“…It will cover part of the 'Danish period' from 1815, at the end of the Napoleonic wars, until 1940 when Danish-Icelandic relations were severed by the German occupation of Denmark. The previous three papers have examined 'the Norwegian Period' (from the Settlement to 1400), 'the English and German Periods' (from c. 1400 to the Reformation in the mid-16 th century) and the first part of the 'Danish Period' until the end of the Napoleonic era (see Þórhallsson 2012;Þórhallsson & Kristinsson 2013;Þórhallsson & Joensen 2014).…”