Forming Kalmar Union as Denmark

Playing as Denmark this guide aims to provide inspiration in regards to forming the empire of Scandinavia (Kalmar Union)

1. Building up the economy, trade and diplomatic relations

Starting as Denmark comes with a big disadvantage as Denmarks lacks access to mines to produce Iron and Coal. Instead construction will need to depend upon Wood and Fabric. As such its important to build up production capacities such as Logging Camps and Livestock Ranches.

In regards to the lack of Iron and Coal my playthrough build heavily upon Denmarks ability to trade with various countries to secure the necessary resources. Therefore Bureaucracy is vital and will have to be developed through adding additional Government Administration. Researching Centralization for the Filing Cabinets production method will help towards this goal. And building "Paper Mills" will secure a steady and cost efficient stream of Bureaucracy.

Building Tooling Workshops will likewise help production costs low.

Other than that I mainly focused on building Textile Mills and Furniture Manufacturies for maintaining low consumer prices for main population needs in regards to clothing and household items.

Build up good trade relations with countries that can provide Denmark with Iron and Coal. Improve Relations and Propose Trade Agreements to free up Bureaucracy costs that can then be used to optimize trade with other countries for alot of much needed import of goods to lower the costs for construction goods, government costs, military costs and basic needs for the population.

2. Grant Investment Rights or Propose investment Agreements

Being unable to change the base production method of Denmark to Iron-Frame Buildings due to the lack of iron, using the Wooden Building production method will result in a very slow industialization in the beginning of the game.

Futhermore the economy will rapidly progress towards debt if Denmark keeps funding government owned buildings. A strategy for avoiding crashing the economy is to Grant Investment Rights or Propose investment Agreements to countries that have the money and resouces for making investments in the danish industry.

These buildings can be nationalized later in the game, but for early game purposes these investments will help keeping costs low on fish, meat, grain, wood, paper, clothing and other pop needs which will help maintain a favourable Standard of Living for most pops.

3. Making the right friends and enemies

Denmark has to little financiel and military muscles to advance the plans for uniting the scandinavian countries without help from one of the great powers in the game.

Great Brittain was the obvious choice for my playthrough as they start out with a protective attitude towards Denmark thus making it easier to progress the diplomatic connections toward trading agreements, investments rights and ultimately a much needed alliance.

Sweden will consider Denmark its rival from the early beginnings. Returning this 'favour' is an obvious choice.

Sweden and Prussia starts out with a Trade Agreement. And it is very likely that these diplomatic relations will progress toward a Defensive Pact or an Alliance.

Therefore adding Prussia as a rival will grant more Influence and adding leverage towards preferred diplomatic relations with Great Brittain or France that will most like add Prussia as an equal rival as the game progresses.

The goal will be to secure a defensive pact with Great Brittain or France as soon as possible. And then progress one of these two pacts towards an alliance. Perhaps adding another defensive pact with a smaller country like Spain or Portugal for backup.

Most likely Prussia will at some point early in the game demand that Denmark transfer Holstein to Prussia, as the state of Holstein is german homelands and one of the State Regions that Prussia will need to secure to form the empire of Confederation of the Rhine or Germany.

When Prussia starts demanding states or simply wants to humiliate Denmark due to rivalry you should at least have a defensive pact established with Great Brittain or France. Swaying one of these great powers to help you in the upcoming war will help you secure a first very important goal for your playthough; weakening Prussias economy, future military power and prestige.

4. Diplomatic Plays

Indirect diplomatic play

In the very likely event that Sweden accepts a defensive pact or alliance with Prussia early in the game, you will find yourself with an excellent opportunity for making an indirect diplomatic play against Sweden, if/when Prussia starts to make direct diplomatic plays against Denmark.
Most likely Prussia will demand that Denmark surrenders Holstein to Prussia. Or simply wishes to humiliate Denmark (due to rivalry). In both cases Sweden will probably join in on the diplomatic play by Prussia, or Prussia will persuade Sweden to join.

This scenario gives Denmark a golden opportunity for demanding concessions from Sweden; preferably by firstly demanding that Sweden releases Norway as a sovereign country and secondly by making Sweden a protectorate to Denmark.

Don’t forget to also demand war reparations from Prussia, since this will really boost the Danish economy during the 5 years the war reparations are in effect.

Direct diplomatic play

Should you choose to make a more direct diplomatic play against Sweden, most of the abovementioned suggestions can be used just in a different order of play.
Should Prussia support Sweden you will have an excellent opportunity for making an indirect diplomatic play against Prussia, thus demanding that Prussia releases Pomerania og Westphalia as sovereign countries, while first and foremost you should make sure, that Sweden releases Norway as a sovereign country and secondly demand that Sweden becomes a protectorate to Denmark. Still don’t forget to demand war reparations from Prussia.

5. Demand liberation of Norway and Sweden to become a Protectorate

Your first diplomatic play (direct or indirect) against Sweden should always be to demand Sweden to release Norway. This will ensure that Sweden no longer can count on the Norwegian troops to help out in future diplomatic plays. And secondly you will have time to establish positive diplomatic relations with Norway which you will need for future support as Unification Candidate when forming Scandinavia.

When Sweden has lost direct control of Norway (estimated to 10 – 15 armies) you will have to wait out the mandatory 5 years of truce before you can continue demanding that Sweden becomes a protectorate of Denmark.

6. Demand Reduce Autonomy of Norway and Sweden form Protectorate to Dominion to Puppet

When truces with Norway and Sweden have come to a conclusion it is time to reduce both countries autonomies from Protectorate to Dominion. And later on reduce again from Dominion to Puppet. When both countries have become non-autonomous countries, you will have gained enough states (11 required out of 16) to Form Scandinavia without launching a Unification Play and without having researched Pan-Nationalism.

7. Unification Candidate -> Form Scandinavia

Congratulations! A new empire is born under the king of Denmark. Kalmar Union!

Lets play Denmark - exchange of experiences

Have you played Denmark? Let me hear your goals and tactics :) Or just some interesting AAR's :) I'm very curious to various play scenarious and strategies as I struggled quite a bit myself with finding a viable way to secure Denmark a place in the sun.

Best regards and have fun!