ACT OF UNION, ICELAND BECOMES A SOVEREIGN STATE

Today, The Grandma has been reading about Iceland, that became a sovereign state on a day like today in 1918.

The Kingdom of Iceland, in Icelandic Konungsríkið Ísland, in Danish Kongeriget Island, was a sovereign and independent country under a constitutional and hereditary monarchy that was established by the Act of Union with Denmark signed on 1 December 1918. It lasted until 17 June 1944 when a national referendum established the republic of Iceland in its place.

Under a personal union, due to the Act of Union, the monarch was simultaneously monarch of Denmark. The Parliament of Iceland asked that Denmark represent Iceland internationally, and day-to-day matters were delegated to a Danish plenipotentiary for Icelandic affairs based in Reykjavík, and -after the German invasion of Denmark in 1940- a regent was appointed.

Because of the Kalmar Union, Iceland had been under the control of the Crown of Denmark since 1380, although formally it had been a Norwegian possession until 1814.

In 1874, one thousand years after the first acknowledged settlement, Denmark granted Iceland home rule. The constitution, written the same year, was revised in 1903 and the extent of Iceland's home rule increased in 1904.

On 1 December 1918, the Act of Union, an agreement with Denmark, recognized Iceland as a fully sovereign state, an independent country in personal union with Denmark through a common monarch. 

The Kingdom of Iceland established its own flag and coat of arms and asked that Denmark represent its foreign affairs and defence interests on its behalf while retaining full control over its foreign affairs and defence. 

Iceland opened its first embassy in 1920. The Act would be reviewed in 1940 and could be revoked three years later if agreement to continue it could not be reached.

The Danish-Icelandic Act of Union, an agreement signed by Iceland and Denmark on 1 December 1918, recognized Iceland as a fully independent and sovereign state, known as the Kingdom of Iceland, which was freely associated to Denmark in a personal union with the Danish king. 

Iceland established its own flag, declared its neutrality and asked Denmark to represent on its behalf foreign affairs and defence interests, while maintaining full control of them. Iceland opened its first embassy in 1920.

The Act would be up for revision in 1940 and could be revoked three years later if agreement was not reached.

While a few prominent Icelanders, such as Benedikt Sveinsson [is], wanted to also sever the personal union with the Danish king, the Icelanders did not seriously pursue it. It was understood that the Danish king would not use the veto powers afforded to him by the Act of Union, and the Icelanders considered it unnecessary to sever all ties with Denmark, having gained their independence and full control of all state affairs.

Historian Gunnar Karlsson argues that Denmark was willing to grant Iceland sovereignty in 1918 for two reasons. First, the self-determination of peoples had grown in importance with the end of World War I. Second, Iceland had shown that it was capable of governing its own affairs (starting with Home Rule in 1904) and relations with other states, during World War I when Iceland was cut off from Denmark.

On 17 June 1944, during the occupation of Denmark by Nazi Germany, while the armed forces of the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada were still in Iceland, a referendum was held on severing ties with the monarchy and the country voted overwhelmingly to become a republic.

More information: Library of Congress

 Genetic studies in Iceland have found that many of the women
who were the founding stock of Iceland came from England
and what is now France. 

Some were probably captured and carried off
in Viking raids only 40 generations ago.

Keith Henson