Government Changes
After five years of German occupation the Danish government had changed
greatly. For the last few years of occupation, Denmark did not have a
government at all. The Danish Assembly and King Christian X abdicated
their powers on August 29,1943, giving the government to the Germans and
leaving a vacuum to be filled by the people. The people, in the form of
the resistance movement unofficially controlled the government under the
Danish Freedom Council. After liberation, the members of the Freedom
Council thought that it deserved a right in government for having helped
Denmark last through the occupation. They believed that those who saved
Denmark should have a say in its future. Negotiations between the Freedom
Council and the old politicians resulted in a government that would be an
alliance between resistance and politicians. This alliance in government
created a balance of power that would last for many years (Kjersgaard 78).
The new Danish Assembly, although once again made up of mostly old
government politicians who tended still to enact old government policies,
was balanced by a strong minority of resistance leaders who acted as
representatives of the people and worked to liberalize the government and
strengthen its policies and country. The government became a government
for the people because it was all the people in Denmark that contributed
to the fact that Denmark still existed (Kjersgaard 407).
As the resistance moved into its later years, the Communist
underground that had begun so many resistance groups, especially the BOPA,
seemed to fade into the shadows. The Communist party still lingered in
Denmark and in the 60s ad 70s it would rise up in revolt but not in a
strong political form as it once did. Denmark's movement towards
democracy caused it to align with the United States's dislike of
Communism (Kjersgaard 96).
Also, with his abdication of power along
with the Assembly, King
Christian X lost much of his political sway. The king and the idea of the
king was still loved by the Danish people. Not much of his popularity was
ruined by giving up the government but enough that the people did not want
it to happen again. When he came back into power, most of the power had
already been sent into the Assembly. King Christian X remained as a
powerful national figurehead. The reign of true monarchies in
Denmark came to an end after German occupation (Kjersgaard 407-409).
Back to selection page.