View source for 1905 Norwegian union dissolution referendum

{{Short description|none}}
{{Infobox referendum
| country = Norway
| title = Do you approve the "ratified dissolution of the Union"?
| date = {{start date|1905|08|13|df=y}}
| yes = 368208
| no = 184
| total = 371911
| electorate = 435376
}}[[File:Unionsoppløsningen flagg.jpg|right|thumb|Post card urging people to vote yes to the dissolution of the Union.]]{{Politics of Norway}}

A '''referendum on dissolving the [[Union between Sweden and Norway|union with Sweden]]''' was held in [[Norway]] on 13 August 1905.<ref name=snl>{{cite encyclopedia|year=2007|first=|last=|title=unionsoppløsningen|encyclopedia=[[Store norske leksikon]]|editor=Henriksen, Petter|publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget|location=Oslo|url=http://www.snl.no/unionsoppl%C3%B8sningen|language=Norwegian|accessdate=4 April 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612094355/http://snl.no/unionsoppl%C3%B8sningen|archivedate=12 June 2012}}</ref> Dissolving the union, which had been in place since 1814, was approved by almost 100% of voters, with just 184 voting against the proposal out of over 371,000 votes cast.<ref name=NS>[[Dieter Nohlen]] & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p1446 {{ISBN|978-3-8329-5609-7}}</ref>

==Background==
On 27 May 1905 the [[Storting]] passed a bill supported by the government of [[Christian Michelsen]] calling for the establishment of separate Norwegian consulates. Under the terms of the union, Norway and Sweden shared a common foreign policy. [[Oscar II of Sweden|King Oscar II]] vetoed the bill. Rather than countersign it as the king demanded, the government resigned. Oscar refused to accept the resignations, claiming he could not form a replacement government. 

On 7 June the Storting declared the union dissolved because Oscar had effectively abandoned his functions as [[Monarchy of Norway|King of Norway]] by failing to appoint a new government. The Swedish government was prepared to dissolve the union, provided the Norwegian people agreed to it in a referendum.

The question presented to the voters ([[Universal manhood suffrage|only men had suffrage]] in Norway at the time) was whether they approved of the "[[Dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden|already completed dissolution]] of the union" ("den stedfundne Opløsning af Unionen"). The wording was carefully considered to clarify that the Storting considered the union out of force even if the Swedish government insisted it could be dissolved only upon mutual consent.

The Storting announced the referendum on 27 July,<ref name=snl/> anticipating the Swedish demands, thereby avoiding the appearance that it was scheduled in response to Stockholm's demands.

Although women did not have a vote, Norwegian [[suffragist]]s started a campaign to collect signatures in favour of the dissolution and presented 244,765 signatures in favour of the dissolution within two weeks.

==Results==
{{Referendum results
|for=368208
|against=184
|invalid=3519
|electorate=435376
|source=Nohlen & Stöver
}}

==Aftermath==
The referendum was followed by [[Dissolution of the Union between Sweden and Norway#Karlstad negotiations|negotiations in Karlstad]].<ref name=snl/> The two countries reached an agreement on 23 September, which was approved by the Norwegian and Swedish parliaments on 9 October and 13 October, respectively. Oscar gave up all claims to the Norwegian throne on 26 October. In November, Prince Carl of Denmark was elected as Norway's first independent king in over five centuries, assuming the throne as [[Haakon VII of Norway|Haakon VII]].

==See also==
*[[Dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden]]
*[[1905 Norwegian monarchy referendum]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Norwegian elections}}

[[Category:Independence referendums|Norway]]
[[Category:Political history of Norway]]
[[Category:Referendums in Norway]]
[[Category:1905 referendums|Norway]]
[[Category:1905 in Norway|Union]]
[[Category:1905 in international relations]]
[[Category:August 1905 in Europe|Norway]]