_Frederick VI. (1808-1814)_
When, on the death of his insane father, Frederick VI. changed his
title of regent to that of king of Denmark, his domains were in a
sad condition. They were at war with England, but had no fleet.
The finances were in great disorder, which became still worse when
the Danish government tried to improve the situation by issuing a
large amount of paper currency. The English men-of-war blocked the
navigation, and hundreds of Danish and Norwegian trading-ships,
together with their cargoes, were seized by the enemy. In Norway, all
industries were paralyzed, there had been failures of crops, and there
was a great deal of want and suffering. When the Danish government,
as the ally of France and Russia, also declared war on Sweden, the
situation was most desperate. The Government Commission was daily
begged, by petition, to open the public grain magazines to relieve the
distress of the people, and it taxed their judgment and firmness to the
utmost to control the situation and distribute aid where the need was
most pressing. In this condition Norway was attacked, in April, 1808,
by a large Swedish army under the command of General Armfeldt, and
threatened by a British army and fleet, which lay at Gothenburg. In the
hour of distress and danger, however, the Norwegians had awakened to a
consciousness of the fact that they had only themselves to rely upon,
and, during their struggles, they showed a patriotism which shunned
no sacrifice. Men like Marcus Rosenkrantz, Peter Anker, Herman Wedel,
Jacob Aall, Severin Lövenskiold, Thygesen, John Collett, Ludvig Maribo,
and many other patriots, offered their time, energy, and fortunes to
the service of the country, and the popular commander, Prince Christian
August, was strengthened and aided by a strong national spirit among
all classes, when he made his preparations to meet the enemy.
General Armfeldt, on April 17, 1808, advanced toward the fortress of
Kongsvinger, and a battle was fought at Lier, near that place. The
Swedes were at first repulsed, but later received reinforcements and
compelled the Norwegians to retreat across the Glommen River. It is
said that some of the Norwegian troops had to cease firing, during the
battle, for want of ammunition. About the same time a Swedish force
captured the Blaker Redoubt, about twenty-five miles to the southwest
of Kongsvinger, but this position they soon afterward abandoned, upon
hearing of the approach of a Norwegian force which had been hurriedly
despatched against them by Christian August. The Norwegians proceeded
beyond Blaker, and at Toverud (in Urskog Parish, Romerike) surrounded,
and, after a sharp fight, captured a Swedish force under Count Axel
Mörner. On April 24th a Swedish force, under Colonel Gahn, crossed
the frontier and marched along the left bank of the Flisen River, a
tributary of the Glommen. Near Trangen, in Aasnes Parish, Soloer,
they were attacked by the Norwegians, and, after a fight of three
hours and a half, the Swedes surrendered, having suffered a loss of
two hundred killed and wounded. About three hundred and thirty men,
including Colonel Gahn, were taken prisoners. The Norwegians were also
successful in a battle fought on June 10th at Prestebakke in Enningdal,
in the southern part of Smaalenene, near Svinesund. The attack was
made early in the morning, and, after a desperate fight, the Swedes
were forced to surrender; four hundred and forty-five men, including
twenty-seven officers, being taken prisoners. A large amount of arms
and ammunition was also taken. A few days later the Swedish force which
was commanded by General Armfeldt's aide-de-camp, George Adlersparre,
received large reinforcements and recaptured the lost positions in
Enningdal; but, shortly afterward, the Swedish troops again retreated,
the Swedish government desiring to give more attention to the war in
Finland. Negotiations were now opened for an armistice. King Frederick
VI. several times requested Christian August to invade Sweden with
his army; but the prince, as well as his tried advisers, considered
an invasion very unwise, the army being destitute of all necessary
supplies. An armistice was finally entered into on December 7, 1808. A
definite peace was not concluded till a year later.
Great changes took place in Sweden during the following year. King
Gustavus IV. Adolphus had shown great incompetence in the management
of the affairs of Sweden, and after the reverses in Finland, resulting
in the loss of this province, the feeling against the king became very
strong. Early in 1809 rumors began to circulate of the renewal of an
old project, by which Napoleon and Alexander I. had agreed to divide
Sweden between Denmark and Russia, and great excitement was created
among the leading men in Sweden. A conspiracy was formed by a number
of influential men, including George Adlersparre, who marched with
his army toward Stockholm. On March 13, 1809, the king was arrested
and brought to the castle of Drotningholm, and a few days later to
Gripsholm Castle, where finally he was induced to write and sign an
unconditional abdication. He was later transported to Pomerania, and
from there proceeded to Switzerland. When King Gustavus had abdicated,
his aged uncle, Charles, duke of Södermanland, was prevailed upon to
take charge of the government as regent. The Swedish Diet, which met
in May, 1809, confirmed the deposition of King Gustavus and elected
Charles king under the title of Charles XIII. The newly-elected king
being old and childless, a successor to the throne also had to be
chosen, and the choice fell upon the general-in-chief of the Norwegian
army, Prince Christian August, whom the Swedes also had learned to
respect during the war, and whose election, it was supposed by many,
would eventually result in uniting Norway with Sweden. After peace had
been concluded between Denmark and Sweden, at Jönköping, December 10,
1809, Prince Christian August accepted the election as Crown Prince of
Sweden, his name being changed to Charles (or Carl) August. No royal or
princely person had ever, to such a degree, won the affection of the
Norwegians. He left Norway for Sweden January 4, 1810, accompanied by
the blessings and well-wishes of the whole people. Only a few months
later, May 28, 1810, he suddenly died during a military review.
Shortly before the prince's departure from Norway, and at the
suggestion of Count Wedel and other patriotic men, a society was
founded in Christiania under the name of the Society for Norway's
Welfare, which did much to encourage the feeling of independence and
the national spirit in the country and to advocate the wishes of the
people. Thus the long-felt want of a national university was strongly
set forth by Count Wedel. The government having pointed to the lack of
money, such an amount was collected by voluntary subscriptions from
the whole country, especially the cities, that King Frederick at last
yielded, and, by royal decree, the Norwegian University was established
September 2, 1811, and given the name of the king. This event was
celebrated with great joy by the Norwegian people by a national
festival, December 11, 1811.
The condition of the country, however, became very serious during
the next year. Failure of the crops caused a famine, and the use of
bark-bread became quite general throughout the country. The paper
currency became more and more depreciated, and the government was
finally obliged to partially default payment. The British continued to
prevent all importation, and the distress was increased by the breaking
out of a new war between Denmark and Sweden.
During the distressing years of war, when a foreign fleet intercepted
the communication with Denmark, many Norwegians had become convinced
that the union with Denmark was a very unnatural one. Many able and
patriotic men believed that a union or a strong defensive alliance with
Sweden would be much more advantageous to the country, and no doubt
many considered such a union among the future probabilities, when the
beloved Prince Christian August was elected Crown Prince of Sweden.
The sorrow that was felt in Norway at the sudden death of Christian
August was universal. A rumor, probably unfounded, that he had been
poisoned by some of his opponents in Sweden, was, for a time at least,
generally believed in Norway, and extinguished, for the time being,
any desire that may have existed in Norway for a union of the two
countries. In Sweden, however, the plan grew in strength, especially
after the election of the new Crown Prince.