Page 47 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sweden

THE HIST OR Y OF SWEDEN  45

Napoleon. The Battle of Leipzig ended in
defeat for France, but more significantly for
Sweden, Denmark had to hand over
Norway to Sweden. The Norwegians were
reluctant to unite with Sweden, but after a
display of military power in Norway, a union
between the two countries was agreed
Newspaper readers outside the Aftonbladet office in 1841 which lasted from 1814 to 1905.
A long era of peace began, and with it
The Era of Karl Johan and came a dramatic increase in population,
Bourgeois Liberalism which grew by 1 million to 3.5 million by
By the early 19th century the absolute 1850. Many Swedes were driven into
powers of the monarch had been removed poverty because of the shortage of work.
for all time, and the privileges of the Mass emigration followed. From the 1850s
aristocracy were undermined even more in to the 1930s about 1.5 million people left
1809 with a new constitution that divided Sweden, mostly for North America.
power between the king, the government
and parliament. With a new class structure Social Movements and
and the effect of the French Revolution, a Industrialization
new middle class emerged which also As Sweden was transformed from an
wanted to be more influential. Altercations agricultural society into an industrialized
between middle-class liberals and the country, the problems posed by the
conservatives prevailed. One of the best- population surplus were gradually tackled.
known newspapers founded at this time Its industrial revolution started around 1850,
was the liberal mouthpiece, Aftonbladet. gathering momentum in the late 19th
Difficulties in finding a suitable new century, and the textile, timber and iron
monarch led to the choice of one of industries provided the main sources of
Napoleon’s marshals, Jean-Baptiste employment. Here the early and fast
Bernadotte, who took on the development of a coherent railway
Swedish name of Karl Johan. network played an important role.
Founder of the present royal Social movements sprang up in
dynasty, Karl XIV Johan continued the 19th century which still play
to speak French and never fully an important role in Swedish life.
learned Swedish. His French wife, One of the first was the
Desirée, found Stockholm a temperance movement, which
cultural backwater after Paris. emerged from a background of
In 1813 a Swedish army, with Karl alcohol abuse – in the 1820s
XIV Johan at its head, became Swedes heading for a new annual consumption of spirits
involved in the final battle against life in North America was 46 litres (80 pints) per person.

1792 Gustav III 1876 L M Ericsson 1905
is murdered 1810 Parliament chooses 1842 1869 Emigration starts manufacture Parliament
Elementary
1809 Sweden Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte schools to North America of telephones dissolves
loses Finland; as Crown Prince established increases due to union with
Gustav IV Adolf crop failures Norway
deposed August Strindberg
1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900
1818 Karl XIV Johan is crowned 1856 Sweden’s first 1879 August
King of Sweden and Norway railway opens Strindberg’s 1908 Royal
novel The Dramatic
1814 Sweden gains 1850 Sweden has Red Room is Theatre opens
Norway in peace treaty 3.5 million inhabitants; published in Stockholm
with Denmark 93,000 live in Stockholm

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