Hussars and police officers dealt severely with workers who in May 1872 defied a ban on assembly and turned up at the common, Nørre Fælled, in Copenhagen. Even though the strikers and demonstrating workers lost the Battle of Fælleden on 5 May 1872, the incident helped pave the way for the labour movement’s march to power.

The first genuine trade union was created on 1 September 1871. Many others followed soon after. Several strikes in the winter of 1872 culminated in the Battle of Fælleden on 5 May, which saw violent clashes between the strikers and the police. In 1896, the employers organised themselves into the Confederation of Danish Employers, and in 1898 a total of 39 nationwide trade unions joined to form the Danish Federation of Trade Unions. After a long period of strikes and lock-outs, a settlement was reached between the two main organisations on 5 September 1899 and a basic agreement was signed, which still today serves as a kind of constitution for the labour market.

The basic agreement of 1899 laid the ground for the strategy pursued by the labour movement and the Social Democratic Party throughout the 20th century: a peaceful reform strategy on a democratic foundation. In contrast to the communists, the social democrats after the turn of the century maintained their adherence to the liberal democracy model, which is based on a division between state, market and civil society. Political democracy was regarded as an important step towards social and economic democracy, which was the goal. But in contrast to the liberalists, the socialists believed that it was not the state that needed to be minimised but rather the market that needed taming.

The outbreak of the First World War dealt a serious blow to people’s faith in the strength of internationalism. The war showed that national brotherhood came before international solidarity. The coupling of democracy and social elements lay at the core of the national identity that the Social Democratic Party developed during the inter-war years. This process culminated with the party manifesto, Denmark for the People, published in 1934. By translating the class concept into popular terms, the Social Democratic Party established itself as the large party of the people. In contrast to the racist interpretation of the term “people” adopted by national socialism, the Social Democratic Party developed a popular concept that was based on a social and democratic interpretation. In order to strengthen the feeling of democratic co-citizenship, citizens should be ensured a number of economic and social rights. The demand to abolish the means-tested forms of support and replace them with social rights culminated in 1956 with the Pensions Act, which guaranteed all citizens of the country a basic amount. In this way, “democratic freedom has been given a social dimension”, argued the later Social Democratic Party Prime Minister, Jens Otto Krag (1914-1978).

“With the law – against tyranny! The Social Democratic Party’s Executive Committee will continue to advocate a policy based on law. We categorically reject attempts to deprive the people of its right of co-determination. We fight the dictatorship movement that bears the name of communism, and we fight the various forms of fascism that have also now appeared in this country. One of the preconditions for supporting fascism and thereby related movements, here and elsewhere, is the agitation and movement emanating from Russia that conflict with the nature of the Danish people and conflict with the interests of working people. The Social Democratic Party will join in the relentless struggle against any movement that threatens society and seeks to disrupt the peaceful development of society and society’s functions.”

PARTY MANIFESTO OF THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, DENMARK FOR THE PEOPLE, 1934.

This page is part of the electronic publication "The Danish Democracy Canon"
© The Ministry of Education 2008