Unified Scandinavia as a Colonial Power

[Chengar Qordath]

Assuming that the Kalmar Union managed to remain relatively stable instead of breaking up, how effective of a colonial power would a united Scandinavia be? Denmark and Sweden both tried their hands at colonial expansion in OTL, but from what I recall lack of resources and concerns closer to home (such as the frequent Danish-Swedish Wars) resulted in most of the colonies withering away or being sold off.

I would think a Unified Scandinavia would be in a good position to engage in colonization following the old Viking route using Iceland as a jumping off point to reach Greenland, Newfoundland, and other points. If the fur trade is as profitable as OTL Scandinavia would be in a good geographic position to dominate it.

On the other hand, I'm not sure if a united Scandinavia would be particularly interested in colonization rather than trying to tighten its control of the Baltic or attempting to expand into the Holy Roman Empire. Anyone more knowledgable on the subject have some thoughts?

 

[Hierophant]

I like the idea of the Scandinavians moving into the Hudson Bay or maybe further south in Quebec. The important thing is to keep them started in the peripheral, so they don't get swallowed up by the other colonial powers, who have more people and more resources.

They also have the most experience with that clime. Finnish Manitoba anyone ?

 

[arctic warrior]

Going beyond the reformation and OTL breakup of course a continued Kalmar Union of the kingdoms Denmark, Norway and Sweden and duchy of Finland would be in a much better position to go on colonial ventures.
Just getting rid of the ever present Danish-Swedish rivalry in the area and in the Baltic would serve to free a lot of resources.

Assuming that the Danish royals still run the show there would probably be a lessened interest in the eastern Baltic shores.
But then again butterflies would do their work. Hmmmmm.

The KU as the regional big power meddling in North German affairs primarily because of the Slesvig-Holstein problem needed to be solved to get a secure southern border, which would be a major objective.

So to sum up:
Slesvig-Holstein problem perhaps solved,
KU interfering in North Germany as the regional big power
and KU gobbling up some slices of land on the Eastern shores of the Baltic, Estonia, Ingria and such.
And then theres all sorts of WI around Poland and Novgorod etc.

The big joker would of course be nobilities of the three kingdoms and their guarding their inheritance bringing them into conflict with the monarch which could account for a few civil wars and breakup of the KU. This demand a monarch able to keep the pieces together post 1523 - perhaps this monarch could be attained by having Gustavus Vasa become ruler of the entire KU (yes heresy, but that should be a way to keep things together)
Butterflies then might make Poland the fourth kingdom of the KU!

Probably nothing much would happen colonialwise until around 1472 when the OTL Danish expedition of Hans Pothorst allegedly reached Labrador. In a united kingdom you might just have the resources to continue this venture that would establish a foothold in Vinland. Probably no-one would know where they were until Columbus anyways.

More probably they would be interested in reestablishing contact with the Norse in Greenland and finding the North West passage. Fur trapping in Hudson Bay area could be a spin-off then.

With a prolonged KU we are able to rule out a few inter Scandinavian wars in the 16. century making for a strong state, possibly, entering the 17.

This would in all make for an interesting 17. century with KU getting colonies in the West Indies, Africa, India and South East Asia, keeping Peters Russia at bay and interfere in the Thirty Years War with some army!
Do we have a Protestant Emperor???

 

[yourworstnightmare]

A surviving KU is always nice AH. However they should not go for a WANK, Scandinvia would never be able to pull it off. Sweden tried IRL and was punished badly. Even with Denmark, Norway and Slesvig- Holstein I don't think they would be able to beat an allied force consisting of Poland, Russia, Saxony, Hannover and Prussia. So if we want them to survive they should not overextend themselves. For colonies, I guess they would have some. Denamrk had a few IRL, even Sweden held St. Bartholomey a while, so a moderate Scandinavian colonial empire would be quite plausible.

 

[Valdemar II]

I think a focus toward the East Baltic is more likely, there were little the KU could get in North America which they couldn't get easier at home, in North Russia or in Balticum, so we likely see something like the Danish Colonial Empire, a few sugarislands in America, a few slaveports in West Africa and a few tradingports in Asia. Scandinavia had little need for Lebensraum and any overpopulation could easily be exported to more thinly populated part of the Union.

 

[arctic warrior]

I think a focus toward the East Baltic is more likely, there were little the KU could get in North America which they couldn't get easier at home, in North Russia or in Balticum, so we likely see something like the Danish Colonial Empire, a few sugarislands in America, a few slaveports in West Africa and a few tradingports in Asia. Scandinavia had little need for Lebensraum and any overpopulation could easily be exported to more thinly populated part of the Union.

It depends upon the focus of the ruler and the Slesvig-Holstein headache, which you very well know was a part of Danish policy since before the KU.

If you want an expansion to the East make sure the southern border is safe.
Even with a Swedish ruler the facts is inescapeable. Get rid of that and make your schemes in the east come real. Don't - get overrun by Germans in the long run.

 

[yourworstnightmare]

As I said earlier, too much expansionism mean too many enemies. Scandinavia would not have the population to raise enough armies to counter Russia, Poland and the North German states at once.