According to indexdotcom, Denmark immediately declared absolute neutrality; but he soon found himself in serious embarrassment when Germany asked (5 August) if Denmark was willing to close the passage in the North Sea with mines. This question was seen as a threat, since in the event of refusal it was feared that Germany itself would lay the mines. On the other hand, there was an attempt to show respect for England. But Denmark finally granted what was asked of it, and England, considering the difficult position this country was in, did not protest. After this critical moment, and the import of coal and fodder and the export of agricultural products regulated by negotiations with England and Germany, internal constitutional issues returned to the foreground: and finally the reform project was accepted by both chambers. In 1916, the West Indian islands belonging to Denmark were sold to the United States for 25 million dollars following a referendum, despite strong opposition from conservatives and left-wing agrarians. In 1918 the relations between Denmark and Iceland were regulated, so that Iceland, considered as a sovereign state, was linked to Denmark with a personal union in the sovereign; its citizens were granted the rights of Danish citizens in Denmark and vice versa. In foreign policy, however, Iceland was to be represented by Denmark. to the United States, the islands of the West Indies belonging to Denmark, despite strong opposition from conservatives and left-wing agrarians. In 1918 the relations between Denmark and Iceland were regulated, so that Iceland, considered as a sovereign state, was linked to Denmark with a personal union in the sovereign; its citizens were granted the rights of Danish citizens in Denmark and vice versa. In foreign policy, however, Iceland was to be represented by Denmark. to the United States, the islands of the West Indies belonging to Denmark, despite strong opposition from conservatives and left-wing agrarians. In 1918 the relations between Denmark and Iceland were regulated, so that Iceland, considered as a sovereign state, was linked to Denmark with a personal union in the sovereign; its citizens were granted the rights of Danish citizens in Denmark and vice versa. In foreign policy, however, Iceland was to be represented by Denmark. its citizens were granted the rights of Danish citizens in Denmark and vice versa. In foreign policy, however, Iceland was to be represented by Denmark. its citizens were granted the rights of Danish citizens in Denmark and vice versa. In foreign policy, however, Iceland was to be represented by Denmark.

The post-war period, which saw the promulgation of some laws of considerable social importance (granting of the eight-hour working day; redemption of the majors), also saw the clash between the opposition and the government aggravated, above all due to the attitude taken by the government in Northern Schleswig issue. The Danes residing in that country had preserved their national sentiments since 1864, despite the efforts of the Prussian government, thanks especially to the members of the Landtag, Ahlmann and Krüger, together with Junggreen, and to the members of the Reichstag Gustav Johannsen, Jessen and HP. Hanssen-Nørremølle. Now, these insisted that, according to art. 5 of the peace of Prague, the population had the moral right to a referendum ; and after Germany had accepted Wilson’s 14 points as the basis of the negotiations in 1918, HP Hanssen-Nørremølle asked for the application of art. 5 of the Peace of Prague. The German foreign minister, Solf, made a commitment to this in a letter. Therefore the Danish delegation at the Paris conference in 1919 raised the question; and it was established that Schleswig should be divided into one area, where voting was to be done en bloc, and in another, including Flensburg, where voting was to proceed by municipalities. The proposal to form a third zone, which was to contain southern Schleswig, was abandoned at the suggestion of the Danish government. On February 10, 1920, the vote took place in the first zone: 75% of the votes resulted for Denmark. In the second zone, on March 14, it resulted in 79% of votes for Germany. Denmark was assigned the first zone, which was re-annexed to the kingdom on 10 July. Now the government was being fought, because it had done away with the third zone proposal. This reason was added to the others, who were already holding the opposition up; and this grew even more, during the discussion on the constitutional changes made necessary by the annexation of Schleswig-Holstein. That is, the government was trying to take advantage of this fact to lower the electoral age down to 21 years; but the proposal provoked strong opposition in left-wing agrarians and conservatives, so that this law was not passed. In March 1920, left-wing agrarians and conservatives issued a declaration calling for new elections. The king agreed to this question; and the president of the ministers, who opposed it, was forced to resign. The tension was great: the Democrats and the Social Democrats regarded what had happened as a coup d’etat; the unions assembled declared a general strike; there was even talk of proclaiming a republic. Negotiations then began with the party leaders at the royal castle of Amalienborg; and the agreement was reached. The new electoral law which sanctioned the proportional principle was approved on 11 April, the elections were held on 26 April, with a slight advantage for left-wing agrarians and conservatives. The left agrarians came to power with Neergaard. In the same year, the necessary changes were made in the constitution. In the elections of 1924 the Democrats and Social Democrats were victorious: and the first social democratic ministry was then in Denmark, chaired by the Stauning, which, however, could not follow a truly socialist policy, since left-wing and conservative agrarians were in the majority in the Landsting. Both the disarmament bill and the one that had to face the industrial crisis did not pass to the Landsting. The government called new elections (December 2, 1926), in which the left agrarians and the conservatives won; then there was the ministry Th. Madsen-Mygdal, of the left agrarian party. This ministry considerably reduced state spending, but disagreed with the Conservatives on the military question, and, having lost its parliamentary base (March 1929), had to hold new elections (April 24).