A History of Denmark [Hardcover]

In this introductory guide, Knud Jespersen traces the process of disintegration and reduction that helped to form the modern Danish state, and the historical roots of Denmark's international position. Beginning with the Reformation in the sixteenth century, Jespersen explains how the Denmark of today was shaped by wars, territorial losses, domestic upheavals, new methods of production, and changes in thought. Focusing on the interplay between history, politics and economics, this illuminating text offers an insiders view of Danish identity formation over the last centuries.

This engaging textbook is an ideal resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students taking courses on Danish, Scandinavian or Nordic History. Concise and accessible, it will also appeal to anyone interested in gaining a clear understanding of the development of Denmark.

Acknowledgements .- Maps.- Introduction: What is Denmark and Who are the Danes?.- Foreign and Security Policy: From the Gatekeeper of the Baltic to a Midget State.- Domestic Policy, 1500-1848: The Era of Aristocracy and Absolutism.- Domestic Policy since 1848: Democracy and the Welfare State.- The Church and Culture from Luther to the Present.- Economic Conditions: The Old Denmark, 1500-1800.- Economic Conditions: The New Denmark since 1800.- The Danes: A Tribe or a Nation?.- Notes.- Select Bibliography.- A Short ChronologyKNUD J.V. JESPERSEN is Professor of Modern History at the University of Southern Denmark and Royal Historiographer to H.M. the Queen of Denmark.

• Provides a fully up-to-date account of the history of Denmark, from 1500 to the present
  
• Traces the historical background of the modern Danish welfare system
  
• Includes helpful student resources, such as an updated Chronology and select Bibliography