Denmark–Soviet Union relations
Encyclopedia
Denmark–Soviet Union relations refers to the historical relations
between Denmark
and Soviet Union
. Denmark had an embassy in Moscow
, and the Soviet Union had an embassy in Copenhagen
. Diplomatic relations were described as "excellent".
Denmark recognized de jure the Soviet Union on 18 June 1924.
During the Cold War
, the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc
occasionally named Denmark as the "weak links in the chain."
Denmark never recognized the Soviet annexation
of Estonia
, Latvia
and Lithuania
.
visited for the first time Denmark in 1907, for a party meeting of Russian socialists in exile. Denmark deemed the meeting for illegal and gave Lenin 12 hours to leave Denmark. In 1910, Lenin visited Denmark again, for the Eighth International Socialist Congress. Lenin later commented on the Danish socialism and the Danish Prime Minister Thorvald Stauning
; "Stauning was a quasi-socialist as well as one of the most stingy and mean-spirited class snobs he had ever met."
in Finland
from 30 November 1939 to 13 March 1940. 1,010 Danes
including Christian Frederik von Schalburg
traveled to Finland to fight the Russians. Denmark also sent humanitarian aid to Finland.
On 10 April 1940, Soviet troops occupied the Danish island of Bornholm
, to fight the German soldiers. On 5 April 1946, the Soviet Soldiers left Bornholm.
After the assault on the Soviet Union, Operation Barbarossa
, Denmark joined the Anti-Comintern Pact
, the Communist Party was banned in Denmark. As a result, many Communists were found among the first members of the Danish resistance movement
.
On 7 July 1952, Denmark handed over the Danish-built tanker Apsheron to the Soviet Union. The decision faced protests in the United States
. The government of the United States threatened to cut of aid to Denmark. On 26 July 1952, American President Harry S. Truman
ordered the military, economic and financial aid to Denmark to be continued, despite the delivery of the Danish tank to the Soviet Union.
visited Denmark. During his trip to Denmark, Nikita Khrushchev commented Denmark; "I have simply no words to describe the pleasure I felt observing the state of agriculture in Denmark."
Premier of the Soviet Union
Nikolai Bulganin
's policy against Denmark was to influence Denmark to limit their policy and commitments in NATO. In March 1957, Nikolai Bulganin warned Denmark that if they use their bases against the Soviet Union it would be suicide for Denmark. Bulganin said "If war is opened against the U.S.S.R., the annihilating power of modern weapons is so great it would be tantamount to suicide for foreign countries the size of Denmark. [sic]"
in 1981, Denmark economicly sanctioned Poland
and the Soviet Union. In March 1983, Denmark was the first country in the European Economic Community
, to drop the sanctions against the Soviet Union. The Folketing
voted 78-68 against a bill which would have reimposed sanctioned.
Bilateralism
Bilateralism consists of the political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. For example, free trade agreements signed by two states are examples of bilateral treaties. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which refers to the conduct of diplomacy by a...
between Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Denmark had an embassy in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, and the Soviet Union had an embassy in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. Diplomatic relations were described as "excellent".
Denmark recognized de jure the Soviet Union on 18 June 1924.
During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
occasionally named Denmark as the "weak links in the chain."
Denmark never recognized the Soviet annexation
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
of Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
.
Vladimir Lenin era (1922–1924)
Russian revolutionary leader Vladimir LeninVladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
visited for the first time Denmark in 1907, for a party meeting of Russian socialists in exile. Denmark deemed the meeting for illegal and gave Lenin 12 hours to leave Denmark. In 1910, Lenin visited Denmark again, for the Eighth International Socialist Congress. Lenin later commented on the Danish socialism and the Danish Prime Minister Thorvald Stauning
Thorvald Stauning
Thorvald August Marinus Stauning was the first social democratic Prime Minister of Denmark. He served as Prime Minister from 1924 to 1926 and again from 1929 until his death in 1942....
; "Stauning was a quasi-socialist as well as one of the most stingy and mean-spirited class snobs he had ever met."
World War II and the Joseph Stalin era (1939–1952)
During the Winter WarWinter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
from 30 November 1939 to 13 March 1940. 1,010 Danes
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
including Christian Frederik von Schalburg
Christian Frederik von Schalburg
Christian Frederik von Schalburg was a Danish army officer and the second commander of Free Corps Denmark.-Biography:...
traveled to Finland to fight the Russians. Denmark also sent humanitarian aid to Finland.
On 10 April 1940, Soviet troops occupied the Danish island of Bornholm
Bornholm
Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea located to the east of the rest of Denmark, the south of Sweden, and the north of Poland. The main industries on the island include fishing, arts and crafts like glass making and pottery using locally worked clay, and dairy farming. Tourism is...
, to fight the German soldiers. On 5 April 1946, the Soviet Soldiers left Bornholm.
After the assault on the Soviet Union, Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, Denmark joined the Anti-Comintern Pact
Anti-Comintern Pact
The Anti-Comintern Pact was an Anti-Communist pact concluded between Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan on November 25, 1936 and was directed against the Communist International ....
, the Communist Party was banned in Denmark. As a result, many Communists were found among the first members of the Danish resistance movement
Danish resistance movement
The Danish resistance movement was an underground insurgency movement to resist the German occupation of Denmark during World War II. Due to the unusually lenient terms given to Danish people by the Nazi occupation authority, the movement was slower to develop effective tactics on a wide scale...
.
On 7 July 1952, Denmark handed over the Danish-built tanker Apsheron to the Soviet Union. The decision faced protests in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The government of the United States threatened to cut of aid to Denmark. On 26 July 1952, American President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
ordered the military, economic and financial aid to Denmark to be continued, despite the delivery of the Danish tank to the Soviet Union.
Nikita Khrushchev era (1953–1964)
From 16 June to 21 June 1964, Nikita KhrushchevNikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
visited Denmark. During his trip to Denmark, Nikita Khrushchev commented Denmark; "I have simply no words to describe the pleasure I felt observing the state of agriculture in Denmark."
Premier of the Soviet Union
Premier of the Soviet Union
The office of Premier of the Soviet Union was synonymous with head of government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics . Twelve individuals have been premier...
Nikolai Bulganin
Nikolai Bulganin
Nikolai Alexandrovich Bulganin was a prominent Soviet politician, who served as Minister of Defense and Premier of the Soviet Union . The Bulganin beard is named after him.-Early career:...
's policy against Denmark was to influence Denmark to limit their policy and commitments in NATO. In March 1957, Nikolai Bulganin warned Denmark that if they use their bases against the Soviet Union it would be suicide for Denmark. Bulganin said "If war is opened against the U.S.S.R., the annihilating power of modern weapons is so great it would be tantamount to suicide for foreign countries the size of Denmark. [sic]"
Leonid Brezhnev era (1964–1982)
After the Martial law in PolandMartial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland refers to the period of time from December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983, when the authoritarian government of the People's Republic of Poland drastically restricted normal life by introducing martial law in an attempt to crush political opposition to it. Thousands of opposition...
in 1981, Denmark economicly sanctioned Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and the Soviet Union. In March 1983, Denmark was the first country in the European Economic Community
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
, to drop the sanctions against the Soviet Union. The Folketing
Folketing
The Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
voted 78-68 against a bill which would have reimposed sanctioned.