Frederik VI (1768-1839) became king of Denmark and Norway in 1808. He supported reforms that increased trade and greatly improved the lives of Danish peasants. But his loss in a long and costly war forced him to give Norway to Sweden.
Frederik was born on Jan. 28, 1768, in Copenhagen. He was the only son of King Christian VII, who reigned from 1766 to 1808. Christian was mentally unstable, and other officials controlled the government from early in his reign. In 1784, Frederik and a group of reformers led by the Danish statesman Andreas Peter Bernstorff seized control of the royal council. Although Christian remained king, Frederik ruled in his father’s name. Frederik and Bernstorff introduced major reforms that freed the peasants from harsh laws and customs and made it easier for peasants to own land. Frederik and Bernstorff also reduced tariffs (taxes on traded goods) and promoted trade. After Bernstorff died in 1797, Frederik assumed full responsibility for government policy.
Frederik tried to keep Denmark and Norway neutral during the Napoleonic Wars (1796-1815), in which Napoleon I of France fought an alliance of European states that included Austria, the United Kingdom, Prussia, and Russia. But Denmark and Norway eventually joined the conflict and allied with France in 1807. The British responded with a naval trade blockade that caused hardship in Denmark and Norway. Under the Treaty of Kiel of 1814, Frederik was forced to give Norway to Sweden, which was allied with the British. Denmark and Norway had been ruled by the same monarchs since the late 1300’s. After the Treaty of Kiel, Norway remained part of Sweden until its independence in 1905. Denmark kept the former Norwegian territories of Greenland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. Frederik ruled Denmark until his death on Dec. 3, 1839.
See also Denmark (Wars with Sweden) .
