286 Scandinavian States. 



time they were sometimes united, or at least under 

 one ruler, sometimes at war with each other, and 

 always torn by interior dissensions bordering on 

 anarchy. 



In 1397, by the Calmar convention, a more per- 

 manent union into one kingdom was effected between 

 Sweden, Norway, and Denmark under Margaret, 

 "the Semiramis of the North." After another period 

 of variable fortunes, Sweden, about 1523, became an 

 independent constitutional monarchy under Gustav 

 Vasa, and Norway remained joined to Denmark 

 under Frederick I. 



Sweden then started on a career of conquest, being 

 almost continuously at war with all her neighbors and 

 especially with Russia and Poland, whereby, especi- 

 ally under Gustavus Adolphus and the adventurous 

 Charles XII, her territory was greatly enlarged. 

 With the treaties of Stockholm and Nystadt (1720 

 and 1721) she came into more peaceful waters, but 

 permanent peace and a settled policy was not attained 

 until the election of Bernadotte, one of Napoleon's 

 administrators, to the kingship, and by the peace of 

 Kiel, in 1814, Sweden became a constitutional heredi- 

 tary monarchy in the modern sense. At the same 

 time, Norway was taken away from Denmark and 

 forced to a union with Sweden, which persisted until 

 1907, when a peaceful separation took place by the 

 action of the Norwegian people. The union has 

 always been hateful to the Norwegians, although 

 only the king and the department of foreign affairs 

 (in which Norway was represented by a delegation 

 from its Council) were in common, all other matters 



