Iceland was never exactly high up on Denmark’s list of priorities…
@historical-hetalia-week
Notes:
The Theatre War was a mostly minor war in the larger Russo-Swedish War of 1788-90. When Sweden attacked Russia, Denmark-Norway was put into an awkward spot where they had to follow up on their promise to send troops and assistance to Russia. when they did, Sweden took up the opportunity to shore up PR by beating on the ol’ Danish enemies, as many in Sweden were against the Russo-Swedish War.
Fun Fact! The war in Norway is called the Cowberry War in remembrance of the Norwegian Troops who had to survive off the land when denied assistance by the locals. They lost around 3000 men out of their original 8000-10000.
Iceland wasn’t doing so hot in the 1700s….. nor the 1600s… nor the 1500s…. Between June-February 1784, there was violent volcanic activity around the Laki fissure; this eruption led to clouds of poisonous gas compounds that contaminated the soil and killed over half of Iceland’s livestock, and destroyed the vast majority of their crops. This caused a famine that killed 1/5 to ¼ of Iceland’s population. The volcanic activity was responsible for a drop in global temperatures and subsequent crop failures in Europe, which might’ve been behind an increase in poverty and famine in France, eventually resulting in the French Revolution.
There’s like 327483284328 things I could say about Danish Rule in Iceland and the institution of Lutheranism over the formerly Catholic land but this is already way too fucking long
