The Kingdom of Denmark

Starting Resource: 24 -- From Land: 20 -- From Trade: 4 Capital Territory: Denmark Nation Class: Medium Total Starting Military Infantry: 13 Cavalry: 2 Knights: 0 Artillery: 0 Generals: 1 Merchantmen: 1 Frigates: 1 Ships of the Line: 1

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People have continually lived in Denmark since around 12,500 BC and agriculture made inroads around 3,900 BC. The Nordic Bronze Age (1800-600 BC) in Denmark was marked by burial mounds which left an abundance of findings, including lurs and the Sun Chariot. During the Pre-Roman Iron Age (500 BC-AD 1), native groups began migrating southwards into Germania. The Roman provinces maintained trade routes and relations with native tribes in Denmark, attested by finds of Roman coins. The first Danish people came to Denmark between the Pre-Roman and Germanic Iron Age, in the Roman Iron Age (AD 1-400).bPrior to the arrival of Danish settlers, who came from Scandinavia and spoke an early form of north Germanic, most of Jutland and part of the islands had been vacated or partly vacated by the earlier Jutes, the descendants of populations known to be there from sources in ancient history (such as Tacitus and Ptolemy). A large part of the Jutes were known as the Angles and the Saxons. They vacated Jutland en masse to take up residence in the land now named after them, England. The Danevirke defence structures were built in several phases from the 3rd century forth, and the sheer size of the construction efforts in 737 are contributed to the emergence of a Danish king. The new runic alphabet was first used at the same time, and Ribe, the oldest town of Denmark, was founded around 700. Up until the 10th century the Danes were known as Vikings, together with Norwegians and Swedes, colonising, raiding and trading in all parts of Europe. Viking explorers first discovered Iceland by accident in the ninth century, en route to the Faroe Islands. After its conquest of Norway, Denmark had become a powerful nation in the north, which become a super power after it had joined with Sweden to create the Union of Kalmar. Under the Union of Kalmar Scandinavia as a whole prospered and Denmark grew rich and powerful. When Sweden left the Union of Kalmar it left much of Denmark vulnerable and split the kingdom into several sections. Denmark is challenged because it must maintain a strong navy to protect its military transport routes, but must also maintain a strong army in Denmark proper and in Norway to prevent attacks by either Germany or Sweden. For Denmark it is critical that they gain a strong alliance with either Sweden, England, Germany or Russia. Secondary alliances with Spain, Portugal or Scotland could also prove useful. Visit the 1483 Discussion Forums to chat about Denmark.