Erik Scavenius | |
|---|---|
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| 12th Prime Minister of Denmark | |
| In office 9 November 1942 – 29 August 1943 | |
| Monarch | Christian X |
| Preceded by | Vilhelm Buhl |
| Succeeded by | German military rule (next Prime Minister: Vilhelm Buhl) |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 8 July 1940 – 29 August 1943 | |
| Prime Minister | Thorvald Stauning Vilhelm Buhl Himself |
| Preceded by | Peter R. Munch |
| Succeeded by | German military rule (next Foreign Minister: John C. Møller) |
| In office 24 June 1913 – 30 March 1920 | |
| Prime Minister | Carl Theodor Zahle |
| Preceded by | Edvard Brandes |
| Succeeded by | Henri Konow |
| In office 28 October 1909 – 5 July 1910 | |
| Prime Minister | Carl Theodor Zahle |
| Preceded by | William Ahlefeldt-Laurvig |
| Succeeded by | William Ahlefeldt-Laurvig |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Erik Julius Christian Scavenius 13 July 1877 Klintholm, Møn, Denmark |
| Died | 29 November 1962 (aged 85) Gentofte, Denmark |
| Political party | Social Liberal |
| Alma mater | University of Copenhagen |
Erik Julius Christian Scavenius (Danish pronunciation: [skæˈve̝ˀnius]; 13 July 1877 – 29 November 1962) was the Danish foreign minister from 1909 to 1910, 1913 to 1920 and 1940 to 1943, and prime minister from 1942 to 1943, during the occupation of Denmark until the Danish elected government ceased to function. He was the foreign minister during some of the most important periods of Denmark's modern history, including the First World War, the plebiscites over the return of northern Schleswig to Denmark, and the German occupation. Scavenius was a member of the Landsting (the upper house of the Danish parliament before 1953) from 1918 to 1920 and from 1925 to 1927 representing the Social Liberal Party. He was chairman of its party organization from 1922 to 1924.
Scavenius belonged to a tradition of elite governance that distrusted democratically elected politicians at a time when they were gaining power and influence. He believed that many of them were influenced by ignorant strains of populism and ill-equipped to face tough compromises and realities. For example, during the negotiations over the return of territory to Denmark following the First World War, he advocated a more cautious approach than many more nationalistic figures. He believed that areas that were mostly German should stay in Germany.
His policy of accommodation and compromise toward the Nazi occupation authorities in Denmark during the Second World War is one of the enduring controversies of Danish history. Some see it as a necessary compromise to protect the Danish state and people, but others see it as unnecessarily accommodating of totalitarian Nazi Germany.