I was just reading about the North Sea Empire, which was a Danish lead kingdom including both Norway and England. Is there any way the union could have lasted longer?
AHC: A longer lasting North Sea Empire
- Thread starter Enigmajones
- Start date
Doubtfully, it was a personal realm of Cnut and consisted of several Kingdoms. He himself called him “King of all England and Denmark and the Norwegians and of some of the Swedes” suggesting that he saw his Empire as a collection of realms rather than one single one.
Perhaps a traveling court that moves from realm to realm every year would help?
Also have Cnut get Danish and Norwegian nobles to intermarry with the English nobility to maintain political connections
Jonathan1997
Banned
That is very much like the Karling and merovingians befor them they had not intention of keeping a united realm. If canute the Great was to keep his kingdoms he would have leaving instructions in his will to that effect as well arranged managers
This could be good option for a try. If Cnut were willing to try to build a lasting empire at least. Some effort similar to the Domesday book would help secure the needed funding for the integration, though making it consistent not just in Britain but in Scandanavia as well will be very difficult. Establishing a law to reduce trade overheads between the different regions could help too. Scandanavian ores traded for wool and such could build some small unity between the disparate peoples.
The founding of a 'royal navy' of some kind could well prevent revolts if it were well known. But I doubt all of this could be done.
If the North Sea Empire stay together for several kings it will likely be mostly be the accidental result of a stable succession in Denmark, long reigning kings snd only a single heir. So let Harthacnut survive u til he’s in his 60ties and have a single heir who are somewhat competent and we will likely see the union survive until the heir’s death at least. It should be said the longer the union survives the more likely it is to last longer, but even with that it’s hard to imagine it not breaking at some point. Of course a long stable rule in Denmark will also have it own effects with a growing population.