The reason why the US attempt to buy Greenland after WWII, and why the Danish Rejected the offer

The US entered into an agreement with German occupied Denmark where the US military was allowed to set up military and weather installation on Greenland, to keep the territory out of German hands. The US used Greenland for ferrying aircraft from north America to Europe, anti-submarine patrols, LORAN navigation transmitting and weather stations. The US considered Greenland vital to its military, and offered to but it for a price of $100 million dollars in Gold. The offer was rejected. The Likely reasons for the rejection include national pride, fear of loosing a prized possession, and Russian interference into Scandinavia territories.

[JimmySailor]

It’s a twist of history that the invasion of Denmark lead to the development of the atomic bomb. Otto Frisch, a leading expert on nuclear physics was living in Copenhagen while working with Niels Bohr at his institute. Frisch was the leading expert in nuclear fission, a phrase which he himself coined. He was on vacation at the time of the invasion but had planned on returning to Denmark. As a Jew who had already fled Germany once he obviously couldn’t go back.

Instead he came to the US where he published the Frisch–Peierls memorandum in 1940, which was the starting bell for the Manhattan project. He would go on to lead the team at Los Alamos that designed the core of the bomb.

Had Germany not invaded Denmark, or delayed it a year there’s little chance an Atomic bomb would have been ready in 1945.

[gregsutton]

love the thumbnail of a Catalina landing on snow with its boat hull. Had no idea.

[BobjrsGaming]

There are some interesting footnotes to add, concerning Danish history and this video. First, the signing of the US-Danish agreement for the use of bases and stationing of US troops in Greenland during WW2 was done independently by the Danish ambassador to the US Louis Hans von Kauffmann, who considered himself as the Danish government in exile for the duration of the war. He completely ignored instructions from Denmark, and signed the deal regarding Greenland on his own accord. When the war was over, he was generally viewed as a hero for his work, however this also meant that the treaty that was still in power was not formally signed or negotiated by the Danish government. The impasse was finally cleared in 1951, when Denmark and the United States signed a treaty (The Greenland Treaty) enshrined that both Denmark and the United States held mutual responsibility for the defense of Greenland.

Second, the document towards the end of video is sorta on point, but there are some geopolitical considerations also. The Soviets had occupied the Danish island of Bornholm, and it was feared that selling territory to the Americans might imply that Danish territory was for sale, or that Denmark was willing to bend to foreign pressure and therefore be vulnerable to Soviet pressure. All of this of course takes places before NATO comes into being, so Denmark at the time was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Around this time, the Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden and Denmark) were also looking into making an alternative military alliance system to guard against foreign encroachment, but discussions around this alliance falter, as it quickly becomes apparent that the alliance would be unable to exert enough power to guard itself against the two new superpowers. This later leads Norway and Denmark (1949) to join NATO, while Sweden remains neutral.

Third, what this video doesn't cover is the decades following this first attempt at a sale. Generally, the Danish government has been open and willing to let the US build and maintain as many bases as it feels is necessary on Greenland, with the Thule air base being the prime example of this. The Danish government was also willing to subvert its own domestic policy, as a stated "no nuclear weapons stationed on Danish soil" policy was disregarded in secret on Greenland, with the Americans hosting a nuclear arsenal on Greenland throughout the Cold War. In that sense, successive Danish governments have been more than flexible in terms of meeting American security demands.

As a personal non-historical note, it's hard to understand why some American politicians are now under the impression that Greenland has somehow become a security gap when the US/NATO has had at least one large base on the island ever since the formation of NATO itself, and could have more bases if it so wished and budgeted. If the US was to annex Greenland, all that would change from a security perspective is the loss of Danish (and presumably the rest of NATO's) patrols around the island, as well as the US having to take over subsidizing the local Greenlandic government. That's not even mentioning the fact that the island isn't for sale, as it isn't just an island, it's a self-governing state, akin to if the US tried to sell Iowa or Florida.

[CA]

Thank you for quickly making this video on such a timely topic. It privides some context to the rejection by Denmark. I did not know about the Danish Islands in the West Indies. Denmark had already 'lost' Iceland 25 years earlier when it was planned to become independent in 1944. Although the cheque book/checkbook diplomacy of the Allies during WW2 'bought' Iceland's assistance although some of the locals resented it and their compromised independence. The resentment still lingers into the modern day.

[mattwilliams]

The Coasties really don’t get enough credit, then or now.

[CPK]

"Just take it"
-some Austrian painter

[jacafren]

Thank you for your diligent work and for digesting primary sources. A small note on the conclusion in the 1947 US document on the Danish rejection. We should note that this document merely speculates about Danish motives. The quality of these speculations may be questionable. Particularly because it includes a gross factual mistake in its reasoning. It is true that Iceland severed the ties to the Danish king during the war and became a republic, but even after that Greenland 🇬🇱 was not the only overseas territory/nation connected to Denmark 🇩🇰 - so was the Faroe Islands 🇫🇴 They remain with Denmark, but with significant independence, in spite of a strong desire by about half of the population for full sovereignty. It is, as the document states, true that some Danish politicians in 1945-1947 were toying with the idea of a Nordic defense pact with the other Nordic countries. At the same time others were arguing for the need of an alliance with the UK 🇬🇧 and the US 🇺🇸 In these years it was however not clear that the US could be counted on long term as part of a European security architecture. When that became clear with NATO Denmark was one of the founding members along with Norway 🇳🇴, and Iceland 🇮🇸 while Sweden 🇸🇪 opted for neutrality along with Finland 🇫🇮 (having less of a choice) - so again the document is speculating about Danish motives, but provide only “half” of the Danish considerations and not taking into account the as yet unproven and uncertain US long term commitment to European security. The Danish government was in fact being (or acting) reluctant in relation to continuing US involvement in Greenland, because they wanted in return US involvement in Europe. The US needs collaboration with Denmark in Greenland and Denmark needs the US in Europe. One could say that this situation remains to this day 🤝

[charleshaggard]

Very interesting. Another great video.

[higgydufrane]

Thanks again for another informative video. I always look forward to the next one.

[markaxworthy]

A clear exposition with sourcing. Thanks.

[mikeynth]

"Coast Guard - All of the Dirty Work, None of the Glory."

Sounds like today. Seriously.

[FionaOfMountLawley]

By percentage of the total land area of the Danish Realm:- Denmark = 1.94%, Faroe Islands = 0.06%, Greenland = 98.00%. Asking a nation to give up 98% of it's land area doesn't seem like a proposition likely to succeed.

[davidkavanagh]

Ah yes, the Masters Of The Air video game is back!

[dukecraig]

When we went on REFORGER in 1986 our C141 Starlifter stopped in Greenland to refuel.

[jrherita]

This was very interesting overall. The history of Denmark-US "purchase" relations, the bombers and military use for Greenland, etc.

[redtobertshateshandles]

Definitely named by a marketing department. 😂

[onenote]

Also the Greenland - Iceland - UK passage that Soviet submarines needed to access the rest of the world. It became one end of the SOSUS chain.

[richardfranklin]

Although the 4:44 WW2 News Reel indicates Commentary by Sidney Walton, he sure sounds like Walter Cronkite.

[revolutionaryhamburger]

Maybe we could trade with Denmark and maybe give them something we don't need like New Jersey for the icy wastes of Greenland.

[Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@WWIIUSBombers >>> Great video...👍