This article is about the history of Iceland and the areas comprising modern day Iceland. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland (
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Early history
Iceland is, in geological terms, a young island. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( It started to form about 20 million years ago from a series of volcanic eruptions on the Mid-Atlantic ridge. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR is a Mid-ocean ridge, a Divergent tectonic plate boundary located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. The Iceland hotspot is likely partly responsible for the island's creation and continued existence. The Iceland hotspot is a hotspot which is partly responsible for the high volcanic activity which has formed the island of Iceland.
Iceland remained one of the world's last larger islands uninhabited by humans. It has been suggested that the land called Thule by the Greek merchant Pytheas was actually Iceland, although it seems highly unlikely considering Pytheas' description of it as an agricultural country with plenty of milk, honey, and fruit. Thule (ˈθuːli; Greek Θούλη Thoulē; also called Thile, Tile, Tilla, Toolee, or Tylen) is in Dates Pliny says that Timaeus (born about 350 BC believed Pytheas' story of the discovery of Amber. The exact date that humans first reached the island is uncertain. Ancient Roman coins dating to the 3rd century have been found in Iceland, but it is unknown whether they were brought there at that time, or came later with Viking settlers, having circulated as currency already for centuries. The main Roman currency during most of the Roman Republic and the western half of the Roman Empire consisted of coins including the Aureus (gold the The 3rd century is the period from 201 to 300 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas
There is some literary evidence that Irish monks had settled in Iceland before the arrival of the Norse. The Papar (from Irish pap, father or Pope) were according to early Icelandic historical sources, a group Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who speak one of the North Germanic languages as their native language However, there is no archaeological evidence to support such settlement. The 12th century scholar Ari Þorgilsson wrote in his book, Íslendingabók, that small bells, corresponding to those used by Irish monks, were found by the settlers. Ari Þorgilsson (1067-1148 AD was Iceland 's most prominent medieval chronicler Íslendingabók, Libellus Islandorum or The Book of Icelanders is an historical work dealing with early Icelandic history. No such artifacts have been discovered by archaeologists, however. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos Some Icelanders claimed descent from Kjarvalr Írakonungr at the time of the Landnámabók's creation. Cerball mac Dúnlainge (died 888 ( Old Irish pronunciation mak ðūnləŋe was King of Osraige in Ireland. Landnámabók (meaning "The Book of Settlement" often shortened to Landnáma) is a medieval Icelandic manuscript describing in considerable detail the
Age of Settlement (874-930)
Discovery
According to Landnámabók, Iceland was discovered by Scandinavian sailor Naddoddr, who was sailing from Norway to the Faroe Islands, but got lost and drifted to the east coast of Iceland. The settlement of Iceland began in the second half of the 9th century AD when Norse settlers migrated across the North Atlantic. Landnámabók (meaning "The Book of Settlement" often shortened to Landnáma) is a medieval Icelandic manuscript describing in considerable detail the The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies ( Stofnun Árna Magnússonar í íslenskum fræðum) is an institute of the Ministry of Education Science and Culture Landnámabók (meaning "The Book of Settlement" often shortened to Landnáma) is a medieval Icelandic manuscript describing in considerable detail the Naddoddr ( Icelandic: Naddoður Faroese: Naddoddur was a Viking credited with the discovery of Iceland. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse Naddoddr named the country Snæland (Snowland). Swedish sailor Garðar Svavarsson also accidentally drifted to the coast of Iceland. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Garðarr Svavarsson ( modern Icelandic Garðar Svavarsson, sometimes anglicized as Gardar Svavarsson) was a Swedish man who is considered by many He discovered that the country was an island and named it Garðarshólmi (literally Garðar's Islet) and stayed for the winter at Húsavík. Húsavík Iceland The first Scandinavian who deliberately sailed to Garðarshólmi was Flóki Vilgerðarson, also known as Hrafna-Flóki (Raven-Flóki). Flóki Vilgerðarson ( Floki son of Vilgerdur) was amongst the first Norsemen to find Iceland. Flóki settled for one winter at Barðaströnd. Barðaströnd is an area of historical interest in nortwestern Iceland. It was a cold winter, and when he spotted some drift ice in the fjords he gave the island its current name, Ísland (Iceland). Drift ice is Sea ice that floats on the surface of the water in cold regions as opposed to Fast ice, which is attached ("fastened" to a shore A fjord or fiord (fjɔːd|fiːɔːd or fiːɔːd is a long narrow Inlet with steep sides created in a valley carved by glacial activity.
First settler
The first permanent settler in Iceland is usually considered to have been a Norwegian chieftain named Ingólfur Arnarson. According to the story, he threw two carved pillars overboard as he neared land, vowing to settle wherever they landed. He then sailed along the coast until the pillars were found in the southwestern peninsula, now known as Reykjanesskagi. Reykjanes (pronounced /ˈreːkjəˌnɛs/) (or Reykjanesskagi) is a Peninsula and a volcanic system situated at the south-western end of Iceland There he settled with his family around 874, in a place he named Reykjavík (Bay of Smokes) due to the geothermal steam rising from the earth. Events By Place Europe Ingólfur Arnarson arrives as the first permanent Viking settler in Iceland, settling For the Greater Reykjavík Area see the Greater Reykjavík Area. This very place would eventually become the capital and the largest city of modern Iceland. It is recognized, however, that Ingólfur Arnarson may not have been the first one to settle permanently in Iceland — that may have been Náttfari, a slave of Garðar Svavarsson who stayed behind when his master returned to Scandinavia. Náttfari (nightwalker escaped from Garðar Svavarsson with a slave and a woman when Garðar set sail to the Hebrides from his new found land which he named Garðarshólmi Garðarr Svavarsson ( modern Icelandic Garðar Svavarsson, sometimes anglicized as Gardar Svavarsson) was a Swedish man who is considered by many
Much of the above information comes from Landnámabók (Book of Settlement), written some three centuries after the settlement. Landnámabók (meaning "The Book of Settlement" often shortened to Landnáma) is a medieval Icelandic manuscript describing in considerable detail the Archeological findings in Reykjavík are consistent with the date given there: there was a settlement in Reykjavík around 870.
Settlement
Ingólfur was followed by many more Norse chieftains, their families and slaves who settled all the inhabitable areas of the island in the next decades. Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair ( Old Norse: Haraldr hárfagri, Norwegian: Harald Hårfagre) (c These people were primarily of Norwegian, Irish and Scottish origin, the Irish and Scots being mainly slaves and servants of the Norse chiefs according to the Icelandic sagas and Landnámabók and other documents. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The Sagas of Icelanders ( Icelandic: Íslendingasögur)&mdashmany of which are also known as family sagas &mdashare prose histories describing Landnámabók (meaning "The Book of Settlement" often shortened to Landnáma) is a medieval Icelandic manuscript describing in considerable detail the A common explanation for this exodus from Norway is that people were fleeing the harsh rule of the Norwegian king Haraldur Harfagri (Harald the Fair-haired), who is believed to have been uniting some parts of modern Norway during the period. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair ( Old Norse: Haraldr hárfagri, Norwegian: Harald Hårfagre) (c It is also believed that the western fjords of Norway were simply overcrowded in this period. The settlement of Iceland is thoroughly recorded in the aforementioned Landnámabók, although it should be remembered that the book was compiled in the early 12th century when at least 200 years had passed from the age of settlement. Landnámabók (meaning "The Book of Settlement" often shortened to Landnáma) is a medieval Icelandic manuscript describing in considerable detail the Ari Þorgilsson's Íslendingabók is generally considered more reliable as a source and is probably somewhat older, but it is far less thorough. Ari Þorgilsson (1067-1148 AD was Iceland 's most prominent medieval chronicler Íslendingabók, Libellus Islandorum or The Book of Icelanders is an historical work dealing with early Icelandic history. It does say that Iceland was fully settled within 60 years, which likely means that all territory had been claimed by various settlers.
Commonwealth (930-1262)
In 930, the ruling chiefs established an assembly called the Alþingi (Althing). is '''''Þingvellir''''' ( Þing: 'parliament' is ''vellir'' 'meadows'(sometimes transliterated Thingvellir) is a place in Bláskógarbyggð in southwestern The Alþingi, Anglicized variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national Parliament —literally “(the all- thing ”—of The Icelandic Commonwealth or the Icelandic Free State (Þjóðveldið was the state existing in Iceland between the establishment of the Althing in Events By Place Europe With the establishment of the Althing, now the world's oldest Parliament, the Icelandic Commonwealth The Alþingi, Anglicized variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national Parliament —literally “(the all- thing ”—of The parliament convened each summer at Þingvellir, where representative chieftains (Goðorðsmenn or Goðar) amended laws, settled disputes and appointed juries to judge lawsuits. TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A parliament is a Legislature, especially in those is '''''Þingvellir''''' ( Þing: 'parliament' is ''vellir'' 'meadows'(sometimes transliterated Thingvellir) is a place in Bláskógarbyggð in southwestern for the town in Nepal see Gothi Nepal A goði or gothi (plural goðar) is the Old Norse term for a Priest Laws were not written down, but were instead memorized by an elected Lawspeaker (lögsögumaður). See also Medieval Scandinavian laws Lawspeaker ( Swedish: lagman, Old Swedish: laghmaþer or laghman, Danish The Alþingi is sometimes stated to be the world's oldest existing parliament. Importantly, there was no central executive power, and therefore laws were enforced only by the people. Such an environment is very conducive to blood-feuds, which provided the writers of the Icelanders' sagas with plenty of material. A feud (ˈfjuːd (referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud or vendetta) is a long-running argument or fight between parties&mdashoften through Guilt The Sagas of Icelanders ( Icelandic: Íslendingasögur)&mdashmany of which are also known as family sagas &mdashare prose histories describing
Iceland enjoyed a mostly uninterrupted period of growth in its commonwealth years. Settlements from that era have been found in southwest Greenland and eastern Canada, and sagas such as Eiríks saga Rauða and Grænlendinga saga speak of the settlers' exploits. Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page
Christianization
The settlers of Iceland were dominantly pagans and worshipped, among others, Odin, Thor, Freyr and Freyja. Iceland converted to the Christian religion in 1000 AD In Icelandic, this event is known as the kristnitaka (literally "the taking of Germanic paganism refers to the religious beliefs of the Germanic peoples preceding Christianization. Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. Thor ( Old Norse: Þórr) is the red-haired and bearded God of Thunder in Germanic paganism and its subset Norse paganism "Frey" redirects here For other uses of Frey and Freyr, see Frey (disambiguation. Freyja (sometimes anglicized as Freya) is a major goddess in Norse Paganism, a subset of Germanic Paganism. However, by the 10th century political pressure from Europe to convert to Christianity mounted. The historical phenomenon of Christianization (or Christianisation &mdash see spelling differences) the conversion of individuals to Christianity As the end of the millennium grew near many prominent Icelanders had accepted the new faith. In the year 1000, as a civil war between the religious groups seemed possible, the Alþing appointed one of the chieftains, Þorgeirr Ljósvetningagoði, to decide the issue of religion by arbitration. Þorgeirr Þorkelsson Ljósvetningagoði (born ca 940 was an Icelandic Lawspeaker in Iceland's Althing from 985 to 1001 He decided that the country should convert to Christianity as a whole, but pagans were allowed to worship secretly.
The first Icelandic bishop, Ísleifr Gizurarson, was consecrated by bishop Adalbert of Bremen in 1056. Ísleifur Gissurarson ( 1006 - July 5 1080) an Icelandic clergyman became the first Bishop of Iceland, following the adoption Adalbert of Hamburg-Bremen (also Albert; c 1000 &ndash March 16, 1072) was a German prelate who was Archbishop of Bremen -Hamburg from 1043
Civil War and the end of the Commonwealth
During the 11th and 12th centuries passed, the centralization of power had worn down the institutions of the Commonwealth, as the former, notable independence of local farmers and chieftains gave way to the growing power of a handful of families and their leaders. The Age of the Sturlungs or the Sturlung Era (Icelandic Sturlungaöld) was a 42-44 year period of internal strife in mid 13th century Iceland The period from around 1200 to 1262 is generally known as Sturlungaöld, the "Age of the Sturlungs. The Age of the Sturlungs or the Sturlung Era (Icelandic Sturlungaöld) was a 42-44 year period of internal strife in mid 13th century Iceland The Sturlungs (Icelandic Sturlungar) were a powerful family clan in medieval mid- 13th century Iceland, in the time of the Icelandic Commonwealth " This refers to Sturla Þórðarson and his sons Þórður, Sighvatur, and Snorri, who were one of two main clans fighting for power over Iceland, causing havoc in a land comprised almost entirely of farmers who could ill-afford to travel far from their farms to travel across the island to fight for their leader's cause. Sturla Þórðarson (1214 &ndash 1284 was an Icelandic politician/chieftain and writer of sagas and contemporary history during the 13th century Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian poet and politician In 1220 Snorri Sturluson became a vassal of Haakon IV of Norway; his nephew Sturla Sighvatsson also became a vassal in 1235. Haakon Haakonsson (1204 &ndash December 15, 1263) ( Norwegian Håkon Håkonsson, Old Norse Hákon Hákonarson) also called Sturla Sighvatsson (1199 &ndash August 21 1238) was an Icelandic chieftain or Goði of the Sturlungar family clan who Sturla used the power and influence of the Sturlungar family to wage war against the other clans in Iceland. The Sturlungs (Icelandic Sturlungar) were a powerful family clan in medieval mid- 13th century Iceland, in the time of the Icelandic Commonwealth After decades of conflict, the Icelandic chieftains agreed to accept the sovereignty of Norway and signed the Old Covenant (Gamli sáttmáli) establishing a union with the Norwegian monarchy. For the theological use of Old Covenant see Mosaic Covenant, Covenant (biblical and Old Testament.
Iceland under Norwegian and Danish kings (1262-1944)
Little changed in the decades following the treaty. Norway's consolidation of power in Iceland was slow, and the Althing intended to hold onto its legislative and judicial power. The Alþingi, Anglicized variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national Parliament —literally “(the all- thing ”—of Nonetheless, the Christian clergy had unique opportunities to accumulate wealth via the tithe, and power gradually shifted to ecclesiastical authorities as Iceland's two bishops in Skálholt and Hólar acquired land at the expense of the old chieftains. A tithe (from Old English teogoþa "tenth" is a one-tenth part of something paid as a (usually voluntary contribution or as a Tax or levy Skálholt ( Old Icelandic: Skálaholt) is an historical site situated in the south of Iceland at the river Hvítá. Hólar is a small community with a population of around 100 located in the Skagafjörður district of northern Iceland, some 379 km from Reykjavík
Danish rule
Iceland remained under Norwegian kingship until 1380, when the death of Olav IV extinguished the Norwegian male royal line. Oluf IV Haakonsson ( 1370 - August 23, 1387) was king of Denmark as Oluf II (1376–1387 and king of Norway as Olav IV (1380–1387 Norway (and thus Iceland) then became part of the Kalmar Union, along with Sweden and Denmark, with Denmark becoming the dominant power. The Kalmar Union ( Danish, Norwegian and Swedish: Kalmarunionen) is a historiographical term meaning a series of Personal "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Unlike Norway, Denmark did not need Iceland's fish and homespun wool. This created a dramatic deficit in Iceland's trade, and as a result, no new ships for continental trading were built. The small Greenland colony, established in the late 10th century, died out completely before 1500, perhaps due to a lack of resources that were normally provided by Iceland. Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the
With the introduction of absolute monarchy in Denmark–Norway in 1660 under Frederick III, the Icelanders relinquished their autonomy to the crown, including the right to initiate and consent to legislation. Christian III ( August 12, 1503 &ndash January 1, 1559) king of Denmark and Norway, was the son of Frederick Denmark–Norway ( Danish: Danmark-Norge Norwegian: Danmark-Norge or Danmark-Noreg is the historiographical name for a former political entity union Frederick III ( March 18, 1609 &ndash February 19, 1670) was king of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death Denmark, however, did not provide much protection to Iceland, which was raided in 1627 by an Ottoman pirate fleet that abducted almost 300 Icelanders into slavery, in the episode known as the Turkish Abductions. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another The Turkish Abductions ( Icelandic: Tyrkjaránið) were a series of raids that took place in Iceland between July 4 – July 19
Reformation
By the middle of the 16th century, Christian III of Denmark began to impose Lutheranism on his subjects. Christian III ( August 12, 1503 &ndash January 1, 1559) king of Denmark and Norway, was the son of Frederick Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Jón Arason and Ögmundur Pálsson, the Catholic bishops of Skálholt and Hólar respectively, opposed Christian's efforts at promoting the Reformation in Iceland. Jón Arason ( 1484 - November 7, 1550) was an Icelandic Roman Catholic bishop and poet The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Ögmundur was deported by Danish officials in 1541, but Jón Arason put up a fight. Opposition to the reformation ended in 1550 when Jón Arason was captured after being defeated in the Battle of Sauðafell by loyalist forces under Daði Guðmundsson. The Battle of Sauðafell ( Orrustan á Sauðafelli) occurred in 1550 when the forces of Bishop Jón Arason clashed with the forces of Daði Guðmundsson Jón Arason his two sons were subequently beheaded in Skálholt. Following this, Iceland became Lutheran and remains largely so to this day.
In 1602 Iceland was forbidden to trade with other countries than Denmark, by order of the Danish government. The Danish trade monopoly would remain in effect until 1854.
Independence movement
In the 18th century, climatic conditions in Iceland reached an all-time low since the original settlement. Jón Sigurðsson ( June 17, 1811 &ndash December 7, 1879) was the leader of the 19th century Icelandic independence movement. On top of this, the Laki volcano in Iceland erupted in 1783, spitting out three cubic miles (12. Laki or Lakagígar ( Craters of Laki) is a volcanic fissure situated in the south of Iceland, not far from the canyon of Eldgjá and Year 1783 ( MDCCLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or 5 km³) of lava. Floods, ash, and fumes wiped out 9,000 people and 80 percent of the livestock. The ensuing starvation killed a quarter of Iceland's population. [1] This period is known as the Mist Hardship (Icelandic: Móðuharðindin). Móðuharðindin (literally The Mist Hardships) was a natural disaster in Iceland in the years 1783 - 1785 following the Volcanic eruption
When the two kingdoms of Denmark and Norway were separated by the Treaty of Kiel in 1814 following the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark kept Iceland as a dependency. The Treaty of Kiel was a settlement between Sweden and Denmark-Norway on January 14, 1814, whereby the Danish king a loser in the The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions
Throughout the 19th century, the country's climate continued to grow worse, resulting in mass emigration to the New World, particularly Manitoba in Canada. Jón Sigurðsson ( June 17, 1811 &ndash December 7, 1879) was the leader of the 19th century Icelandic independence movement. For the Greater Reykjavík Area see the Greater Reykjavík Area. The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth specifically the Americas and Australia. Manitoba (English ˌmænɨˈtoʊbə French /manitoba/ is a province of Canada, spanning 647797 square kilometres (250116 sq mi of North America Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page However, a new national consciousness was revived in Iceland, inspired by romantic and nationalist ideas from continental Europe. Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the Continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European An independence movement developed under Jón Sigurðsson. Jón Sigurðsson ( June 17, 1811 &ndash December 7, 1879) was the leader of the 19th century Icelandic independence movement. In 1843 a new Althing was founded as a consultative assembly, claimed continuity with the Althing of the Icelandic Commonwealth, which had remained for centuries as a judicial body and was abolished in 1800 after the dissolution of the Commonwealth. The Alþingi, Anglicized variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national Parliament —literally “(the all- thing ”—of The Icelandic Commonwealth or the Icelandic Free State (Þjóðveldið was the state existing in Iceland between the establishment of the Althing in
Home rule and sovereignty
In 1874, a thousand years after the first acknowledged settlement, Denmark granted Iceland home rule, which again was expanded in 1904. The constitution, written in 1874, was revised in 1903, and a minister for Icelandic affairs, residing in Reykjavík, was made responsible to the Althing, the first of whom was Hannes Hafstein. For the Greater Reykjavík Area see the Greater Reykjavík Area. Hannes Þórður Pétursson Hafstein ( 4 December 1861 &ndash 13 December 1922) was an Icelandic politician and poet The Act of Union, a December 1, 1918, agreement with Denmark, recognized Iceland as a fully-sovereign state (the Kingdom of Iceland), joined with Denmark in a Personal union with the Danish king. The Kingdom of Iceland was a Constitutional monarchy lasting from 1st December 1918 until 17th June 1944, when it became A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct Iceland established its own flag and asked Denmark to represent its foreign affairs and defense interests. The Act would be up for revision in 1940 and could be revoked three years later if agreement was not reached.
World War II and the establishment of the Republic
- Further information: Invasion of Iceland and Iceland during World War II
The occupation of Denmark by Nazi Germany began on April 9, 1940. The invasion of Iceland, codenamed Operation Fork, was a British Military operation conducted by the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines The state of Iceland during World War II was that of a sovereign Kingdom in Personal union with Denmark, with King Christian X as Nazi Germany’s occupation of Denmark began with Operation Weserübung 9 April 1940, and lasted until German forces withdrew Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The Nazis severed communications between Iceland and Denmark. As a result, on April 10, the Parliament of Iceland, Alþingi, elected to take control of foreign affairs, electing a provisional governor, Sveinn Björnsson, who later became the republic's first president. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Sveinn Björnsson (ˈsveitn̪ ˈpjœsːɔn ( 27 February 1881 &ndash 25 January 1952) son of Björn Jónsson (editor and later minister and During the first year of World War II, Iceland strictly enforced a position of neutrality, taking action against both British and German forces violating the laws of neutrality. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including For other uses of Neutral and Neutrality see Neutral A neutral country takes no side in a War between other parties The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers On May 10, 1940, British military forces began an invasion of Iceland when they sailed into Reykjavík harbour in Operation Fork. Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For the Greater Reykjavík Area see the Greater Reykjavík Area.
The government of Iceland issued a protest against what it called a "flagrant violation" of Icelandic neutrality. On the day of the invasion, Prime Minister Hermann Jónasson read a radio announcement telling Icelanders to treat the British troops with the politeness due to guests. Hermann Jónasson ( December 25, 1896 &ndash January 22, 1976) was an Icelandic politician of the Progressive Party, who The Allied occupation of Iceland would last throughout the war. The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War.
At the peak of their occupation of Iceland, the British had around 25,000 troops stationed in Iceland, all but eliminating unemployment in the Reykjavík area and other strategically important places. In July 1941, responsibility for Iceland's defence passed to the United States under a U. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the S. -Icelandic defence agreement. The British needed all the forces they could muster closer to home and, thus, coerced the Alþingi into agreeing to an American occupation force. Up to 40,000 soldiers were stationed on the island, outnumbering all grown Icelandic men. (At the time, Iceland had a population of around 120,000. )
Following a referendum, Iceland formally became an independent republic on June 17, 1944, while Denmark was still occupied by Germany. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Despite this, the Danish king, Christian X, sent a message of congratulations to the Icelandic people. Christian X (Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm ( 26 September 1870 &ndash 20 April 1947) was King of Denmark
Republic of Iceland
Iceland had prospered during the course of the war, amassing considerable currency reserves in foreign banks. Foreign exchange reserves (also called Forex reserves) in a strict sense are only the foreign Currency deposits held by Central banks and monetary The government, led by an unlikely three-party majority cabinet made up of conservatives (the Independence Party, Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn), social democrats (the Social Democratic Party, Alþýðuflokkurinn), and socialists (People's Unity Party – Socialist Party, Sósíalistaflokkurinn). Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined The Independence Party ( Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) is a Right-wing Political party in Iceland. Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left Alþýðuflokkurinn (The Social Democratic Party was an Icelandic Political Party based on social democratic ideas Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Sameiningarflokkur alþýðu - Sósíalistaflokkurinn (The People's Unity Party - Socialist Party generally referred to as Sósíalistaflokkurinn (The Socialist Party was an Icelandic The governing coalition decided to put the funds into a general renovation of the fishing fleet, the building of fish processing facilities, and a general modernization of agriculture. These actions were aimed at keeping Icelanders' standard of living as high as it had become during the prosperous war years. The standard of living refers to the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people and the way these goods and services are distributed within a population
The government's fiscal policy was strictly Keynesian, and their aim was to create the necessary industrial infrastructure for a prosperous developed country. Fiscal policy, taking the scope of Budgetary policy, refers to government policy that attempts to influence the direction of the economy through changes in government taxes In Economics Keynesian economics (ˈkeɪnziən also Keynesianism and Keynesian Theory) is based on the ideas of twentieth-century British economist The term developed country, or advanced country, is used to categorize countries with developed Economies in which the tertiary and quaternary sectors It was considered essential to keep unemployment down to an absolute minimum and to protect the export fishing industry through currency manipulation and other means. Due to the country's dependence both on unreliable fish catches and foreign demand for fish products, Iceland's economy remained very unstable well into the 1990s, when the country's economy was greatly diversified.
NATO membership
In October 1946, the Icelandic and United States' governments agreed to terminate U. United States Naval Air Station Keflavik (NASKEF is a former NATO facility at Keflavík International Airport, Iceland. S. responsibility for the defence of Iceland, but the United States retained certain rights at Keflavík, such as the right to re-establish a military presence there, should war threaten. Keflavík (pronounced /ˈkɛplɑˌviːk/) is a town in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland.
Iceland became a charter member of NATO on March 30, 1949, with the reservation that it would never take part in offensive action against another nation. The North Atlantic Treaty The membership came amid an anti-NATO riot in Iceland. The Icelandic NATO riot of March 30 1949 is one of the most famous riots in Icelandic history After the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, and pursuant to the request of NATO military authorities, the United States and Alþingi agreed that the United States should again take responsibility for Iceland's defence. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the This agreement, signed on May 5, 1951, was the authority for the controversial U. S. military presence in Iceland, which remained until 2006. Although U. S. forces do not maintain a military presence in Iceland it still assumes responsibility over its defense as the two nations are NATO allies and an attack on Iceland would constitute an a attack on the United States and NATO ally nations. Iceland and Norway have traditionally remained strong allies along with the other Nordic countries. The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, As a consequence Norway, Denmark, Germany and other European nations have increased their defense and rescue cooperation with Iceland since the withdrawal of U. S. forces.
Cod Wars
The Cod Wars were a series of conflicts between Iceland and the United Kingdom from the late 1950s to the mid-1970s. The Cod Wars, also called the Iceland Cod Wars ( Icelandic: Þorskastríðin, "the cod wars" or Landhelgisstríðin, "the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The first Cod War took place in 1958 when Britain was unable to prevent Iceland from extending its fishing limits from 4 to 12 miles (7 to 22 km) off the coast of Iceland. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of Length. It corresponds approximately to one minute of Latitude along any meridian. The second Cod War lasted from 1972 to 1973, when Iceland extended the limit to 50 miles (93 km). Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. The third Cod War began in November 1975, when Iceland extended its zone of control over fishing from 50 miles to 200 miles (370 km). Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Great Britain did not recognize Iceland's authority in the matter and continued to fish inside the disputed area, marking the third time that Iceland and Great Britain had clashed over fishing rights. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Iceland deployed a total of eight ships: six Coast Guard vessels and two Polish-built stern trawlers, to enforce her control over fishing rights. A coast guard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland In response, Great Britain deployed a total of twenty-two frigates, seven supply ships, nine tug-boats and three auxiliary ships to protect its 40 fishing trawlers. For the bird see Frigatebird. A frigate /ˈfrɪgɪt/ is a warship TUGboat (ISSN 0896-3207 is a journal published three times per year by the TeX Users Group. An auxiliary ship is a Naval ship which is designed to operate in any number of roles supporting Combatant ships and other naval operations While few shots were fired during the seven-month conflict, several ships were rammed on both sides, causing damage to the vessels and a few injuries and deaths to the crews. [1]
Events took a more serious turn occurred when Iceland threatened closure of the U.S.-manned NATO base at Keflavík, which, in the military perception of the time, would have severely impaired NATO's ability to defend the Atlantic Ocean from the Soviet Union. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The North Atlantic Treaty Keflavík (pronounced /ˈkɛplɑˌviːk/) is a town in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 As a result, the British government agreed to have its fishermen stay outside of Iceland's 200 mile (370 km) exclusion zone without a specific agreement. [2]
EEA membership and economic reform
In 1991, the Independence Party, led by Davíð Oddsson, formed a coalition government with the Social Democrats. Davíð Oddsson (IPA ˈɔtsɔn (born 17 January 1948 in Reykjavík) is an Icelandic politician and the longest-serving Prime Minister George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The Independence Party ( Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) is a Right-wing Political party in Iceland. Davíð Oddsson (IPA ˈɔtsɔn (born 17 January 1948 in Reykjavík) is an Icelandic politician and the longest-serving Prime Minister Alþýðuflokkurinn (The Social Democratic Party was an Icelandic Political Party based on social democratic ideas This government set in motion market liberalisation policies, privatising a number of small and large companies. At the same time economic stability increased and previously chronic inflation was drastically reduced. Iceland became a member of the European Economic Area in 1994
In 1995, the Independence Party formed a coalition government with the Progressive Party. The European Economic Area ( EEA) came into being on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between member states of European Free Trade Association (EFTAthe The Progressive Party ( Framsóknarflokkurinn) is an agrarian, liberal and centrist party in Iceland. This government continued with the free market policies, privatising two commercial banks and the state-owned telecom Siminn. Síminn, previously named Landssíminn, is an Icelandic telecommunications company Corporate incomes tax was reduced to 18% (from around 50% at the beginning of the decade), inheritance tax was greatly reduced and the net wealth tax abolished. A system of individual transferable quotas in the Icelandic fisheries, first introduced in the late 1970s, was further developed. The coalition government remained in power after relatively successful elections in 1999 and 2003. In 2004, Davíð Oddsson stepped down as Prime Minister after 13 years in office. Halldór Ásgrímsson, leader of the Progressive Party, took over as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2006, followed by Geir H. Haarde, Davíð Oddsson’s successor as leader of the Independence Party. Halldór Ásgrímsson (ˈhaltour ˈauːskrimˌsɔn (born September 8, 1947) was Prime Minister of Iceland from 2004 to 2006 and leader of the
After a temporary recession in the early 1990s, economic growth has been considerable, about 4% per year on average from 1994, and Iceland is now one of the wealthiest countries in the world according to OECD statistics. The governments of the 1990s and 2000s have adhered to a controversial but staunch pro-U. S. foreign policy, lending nominal support to the NATO action in the Kosovo War and signing up as a member of the Coalition of the willing during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The North Atlantic Treaty The term Kosovo War or Kosovo Conflict is often used to describe two sequential and at times parallel armed conflicts in Kosovo: 1996–1999 The term coalition of the willing is a post-1990 political phrase used to describe military or military/humanitarian interventions for which the United Nations Security Council The 2003 invasion of Iraq, from March 20 to May 1 2003 was spearheaded by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia
In March 2006, the United States announced that it intended to withdraw the greater part of the Icelandic Defence Force. The Iceland Defense Force ( IDF) was the Military command responsible for protecting Iceland, headquartered at Keflavík, and manned On the 12th of August 2006, the last four F-15s left Icelandic airspace. The United States closed the Keflavík base in September 2006.
Following elections in May 2007, the Independence Party headed by Geir H. Haarde remained in government, albeit in a new coalition with the Social Democratic Alliance. The Social Democratic Alliance ( Samfylkingin) is a Political party in Iceland.
See also
- Icelandic History Timeline
- Sturlungaöld
- Icelandic Military History
- Cod War
- Alþingi
- Politics of Iceland
- Kingdom of Iceland
References
- ^ TED Case Study: Iceland Cod War
- ^ "Now, the Cod Peace", Time, June 14, 1976. 9th Century 825: Dicuil, an Irish Monk refers to fellow The Age of the Sturlungs or the Sturlung Era (Icelandic Sturlungaöld) was a 42-44 year period of internal strife in mid 13th century Iceland History See also Military history of Iceland In the period from the settlement of Iceland in the 870s until it became part of the realm of the Norwegian The Cod Wars, also called the Iceland Cod Wars ( Icelandic: Þorskastríðin, "the cod wars" or Landhelgisstríðin, "the The Alþingi, Anglicized variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national Parliament —literally “(the all- thing ”—of Politics of Iceland takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Iceland The Kingdom of Iceland was a Constitutional monarchy lasting from 1st December 1918 until 17th June 1944, when it became p. 37
- Axel Kristinsson. "Is there any tangible proof that there were Irish monks in Iceland before the time of the Viking settlements?" (2005) in English in Icelandic
- Bergsteinn Jónsson and Björn Þorsteinsson. "Íslandssaga til okkar daga" Sögufélag. [2] Reykjavík. (1991) (in Icelandic) ISBN 9979-9064-4-8
- Byock, Jesse [3]; "Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas and Power" University of California Press (1988) ISBN 0-520-06954-4 ISBN 0-226-52680-1
- Guðmundur Hálfdanarson [4]; "Historical Dictionary of Iceland" Scarecrow Press. [5] Maryland, USA. (1997) ISBN 0-8108-3352-2
- Gunnar Karlsson. "History of Iceland" Univ. of Minneapolis. (2000) ISBN 0-8166-3588-9 [6]
- Gunnar Karlsson. "Iceland's 1100 Years: History of a Marginal Society". Hurst. [7] London. (2000) ISBN 1-85065-420-4.
- Helgi Skúli Kjartansson [8]; "Ísland á 20. öld". Reykjavík. (2002) ISBN 9979-9059-7-2
- Miller, William Ian [9]; "Bloodtaking and Peacemaking: Feud, Law, and Society in Saga Iceland" [10] University Of Chicago Press. [11] (1997) ISBN 0-226-52680-1
- http://www.iceland.or.jp/Files/iceland/his.htm History of Iceland from the Icelandic embassy in Japan
- http://www.state.gov/www/background%5Fnotes/iceland%5F9910%5Fbgn.html U. S. Government text (public domain).
External links
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