Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1939, Page 377
REVUE LITTÉRAIRE
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the slightest understanding of those
facts, which must decisively in-
fluence the foreign relations of a
state like Denmark, if he had ever
studied Danish and foreign diplo-
matic documents concerning the
Period 1870—1914, he could hardly
maintain most of the exorbitant
utterances advanced in his book.
The view that Denmark is parti-
cnlary threatened by danger under
the present development of inter-
uational politics is by no means a
new one. This opinion has been ex-
Pressed from different sides on
s^veral occasions since 1870. It is a
matter of course that Denmark’s
situation at the entrance of the Bal-
ttc Sea is exposed, and nobody will
hcny that the geographic structure
°f the country involves great diffi-
cnlties and risks. It must also be ad-
mitted that the present condition
°f lawlessness in international rela-
tions represents a growing danger
f°r all small Powers, Denmark as
^ell as other similar states. But it
ls a fact that since 1870 Germany
has never had hostile plans against
^enmark. It is a fact that in spite
°f her exposed situation, Denmark
was not involved in the Great War
f^l4—1918. It is further-more a
fnct that the Third Reich has never
faised political claims against Den-
mark. All rumours and contentions
t0 ^he contrary, from whatever side
rhey are put forward, — and Mr.
Joesten tells in his book many
st°ries of this sort — have no con-
nection at all with actual facts.
When the question is of judging
Denmark’s international position, it
is not without importance to keep
these three facts in mind. Anybody,
who has studied the diplomatic
documents on the policy of the Eu-
ropean Great Powers from 1870 to
1914, which are now available to
the public, knows that various pro-
minent diplomats not infrequently
operated with the idea of supposed
German plans directed against Den-
mark, and that at times such sup-
posed plans played no small part in
the views of the statesmen con-
cerned. As a whole the large ma-
terial, which has been published
during the latest two decades, does
not support contentions in that di-
rection. And as far as the policy
pursued by the Third Reich vis-á-
vis Denmark and the Northern
countries is concerned, it is possible
from the very beginning to point
out a definite trend followed con-
sistently by leading German quar-
ters, and in spite of the extremely
serious tension of international re-
lations to-day, nothing in the pre-
sent situation indicates that it
should be the intention of the Berlin
Government to depart from this
attitude. Without exaggerating the
importance of the Non-agression
Treaty concluded the 31st of May
between Germany and Denmark,
we believe that this treaty may be
considered as a general confirma-
tion of this point of view.
It is evident that an international
political situation like the present,
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