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their country, and relieving its necessity. At the end of 1809,
Prince Christian August’s friend, Count Herman
Wedel-Jarlsberg, and other patriots, founded the «Society for Norway’s
Welfare», whose object it was to labour for the material welfare and
mental development of the nation. As early as 1811, the founding
of a Norwegian university had been accomplished, a proceeding which
the Danish government had hitherto opposed. But it appeared that
the Society had another and wider aim in view, namely, that of
freeing Norway from her union with Denmark. The union between
the countries, however, wras to be broken sooner than was expected,
and without the intervention of the Norwegian people.
Immediately after the conclusion of peace in 1809, the prince
of Augustenborg had repaired to Sweden, where, as heir to the
crown, he assumed the name of Carl August. Great were the
hopes that attached to this popular prince; but in the summer
of 1810, he suddenly died during a gathering of troops in Skaane.
The Swedes then chose as heir to the throne, the French marshal
Bernadotte, hoping thereby to gain the friendship of the emperor
Napoleon, and thus regain possession of Finland. They had reckoned,
however, without their host. Napoleon and Bernadotte had never
been friends, and the latter, who, as crown-prince, took the name
of Carl Johan, took up his position in his new home independently
of the interests of the empire. Soon after his arrival in Sweden,
he undertook the government on behalf of the senile Carl XIII,
and joined the friends of his predecessor, Carl August. They,
remembering with gratitude the magnanimity of the Norwegian
people towards their nation in 1809, endeavoured, in conjunction
with various Norwegians, to bring about, in a peaceable manner,
a union between the Scandinavian kingdoms. Towards the same
goal, but from an altogether different point of view, another party
was striving, who craved compensation for the loss of Finland.
For the present, however, the crown-prince was able to work with
both parties.
It was not long before a rupture took place between Napoleon
and Carl Johan; and when the war broke out between Russia and
France, the Russian emperor Alexander concluded an alliance with
the Swedish crown-prince, promising him the possession of Norway
(1812). After the destruction of the great French army in the
course of the winter, Prussia, England and Austria joined the
alliance. The first two powers guaranteed to Sweden the
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