Hello everyone and welcome to the History of England, episode 133 of the History of Europe,

part 7.

So in the words of Phil Collins, one more night listeners, just one more night.

We've had a good hack at the history of Europe over the last couple of weeks, but we still

have some notable areas to cover today. The exotic east in the main, and a new player

into our story, and also a few bits and bobs about our nearest and dearest neighbour, La Fonce.

But before we start and all that, let's briefly talk about Scandinavia.

Once the centre of our world and now, sadly barely getting an honourable mensch. While honourable

mensch, here we come. Through the 13th century Denmark established its control along the Baltic

shore, particularly on what became the Dutch-Hiverstonia. Sweden expanded through the northern

crusades into Finland to the east, while in the North Sea, Iceland's Commonwealth came to an

agreement called the Old Covenant, with Norway in 1262, after which it came under the Norwegian

crown. The main pressure on the Scandinavian states came of course from the south. In the form

of the Hans towns and the Dutonic knights. From 1346, indeed, the Danish Duchy of

Estonia became the possession of the Dutonic knights. Denmark, Sweden and Norway all

faced the challenge to their territorial integrity and control of trade from the towns of the

hands, and as a result, the monarch has worked to bring all three Scandinavian countries

together under one crown, which impressively they achieved in 1397 through the union of

Kalmar. Under the union, each other countries was ruled according to their own institutions

and law, but foreign relations were dictated by the joint monarch. It was to prove a troubled

existence, Sweden continually kicked against what they saw as a Danish dominance and external

position. The nobility constantly challenged the rights of the crown, but it was to survive

...