Kingdom of Denmark (1430 Custom)

The Kingdom of Denmark is a nation situated Europe at the western end of the Baltic Sea and the southernmost of the Scandinavian countries. The country consists of the duchies of Slesvig, Holsten, Sjælland, Skane, and Øsel, as well as the county of Kronoberg. The land is generally characterized by sandy beaches and flat, rolling plains well-suited for agriculture, and much of the country is comprised of islands.

The Wars of Unification
Sometime before 1430, the nation of Denmark was split into various counties, and external enemies tried to gain control of bits and pieces of Danish land. The first impulses to unite Denmark came from the Duke of Jylland, Undvich, who took the city of Sønderborg and its hinterlands from local lords. However, the main push to unify Denmark came from the Duke of Sjælland. After his coronation in 1438, he waged campaigns to unite what was formerly Denmark, taking Holsten in 1439, Slesvig in 1440, and Skane by 1442. During this time, he also reclaimed Danish territory in Estonia, having the lords of Øsel and Dagø submit fealty to him.

Colonial Ventures
Even while conquering Slesvig, the prospect of war with the Kingdom of Smolensk (now a part of Russia) and its allies laid large on the horizon. In his quest to reconquer Estonia and balance power in the Baltic region, the Duke of Sjælland asked multiple powers to contest Estonia. However, he learned that most of Eastern Europe united into a single pact led largely by Smolensk. To counter Smolensk's influence, the duke created the Barents Sea Trading Company, which traded for raw materials along the White Sea and the Barents Sea.

The most major settlements established by Denmark so far are the city of Dvinaby, a fort a few kilometers upstream of Arkhangelsk, Nyt Flensborg, a salmon-fishing base along the Varzuga, and Laksted, a settlement on the Pinoy. The company also paid a visit to Maero, along the Dvina, and Naryan-Mar, a town along the Pechora.

The Barents Sea Trading Company has dragged Denmark into further conflict with Smolensk as well as an alliance with Finland, as the claims of the three nations started to overlap in this region as well. Smolensk captured Arkhangelsk in 1440, 11 months before the founding of Dvinaby. They quickly moved onto the Kola peninsula, settling the city of Apatity and claiming the region. However, Finland also had claims on the peninsula, inviting the Danish government to secure its eastern half. Smolensk also attempted to take Murmansk, but found out that the Finns had taken the region already.

Unification with Scotland
In late 1444, during the Dano-Russian War, the Danish and Scottish crowns have both entered war with Russia. Although Scottish involvement was late and minimal, it still demonstrated value by reinforcing the Kola blockade.