Copenhagenization

For the concept in urban planning to encouraging cycling, see Cycling advocacy § Copenhagenization.

The British Bombardment of Copenhagen 1807

Copenhagenization is a term coined in the early 19th century, and has had occasional use since. It alludes to the Bombardment of Copenhagen in 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars.

Background

In 1807 Britain was at war with France, and the Emperor Napoleon had created an embargo, known as the Continental System, to strike at Britain's trade. Denmark was neutral in the war, but was believed to be leaning towards joining the embargo; also, her sizeable navy and geographic position at the entrance to the Baltic, commanding Britain's trade route with her ally, Sweden. In August 1807 Britain chose to attack Denmark, landing an army on Zealand which invested Copenhagen and commenced bombarding the city. Denmark was forced to capitulate and surrender her fleet; after the British withdrawal Denmark joined in an alliance with France against Britain and her ally, Sweden. The brutal action, bombarding a city of civilians without a declaration of war, shocked other neural nations, including the United States, which had her own issues with the United Kingdom.

First use of the term

The term "Copenhagenization" first appeared in an article in the Philadelphia Aurora in February 1808, which suggested British spies had traduced Denmark and would do so in America also: Her spies and agents here are pursuing the same course and expect the same consequences. Our cities will be Copenhagenized — and our ships, timber, treasury, etc. will be amicably deposited in Great Britain

In April William Cobbett made a robust response in his weekly Political Register: Oh, that example of Copenhagen has worked wonders in the world ! It will save a deal of strife, war, and bloodshed. I (would) like to see the name of that city become a verb in the American dictionary. "Our cities will be copenhagenized" is an excellent phrase. It's very true, that Sir John Warren would copenhagenize New York with very little trouble…

Further uses

In 1830, the American author Richard Emmons published an Epic poem on the late war of 1812, The Fredoniad, or Independence preserved in which he wrote of the merits and risks of independence:

Aw'd by the naval sceptre of the king—
Our fleet would Copenhagenize each town,
And with the torch burn every hamlet down.

The term would later be used by Justin Winsor in his Narrative and critical history of America (1888) where he described the outfitting of independent vessels to warfare being done somewhat covertly, in order to avoid the vessels being "Copenhagenized at once by the invincible British Navy" at the outbreak of hostilities. Also, in the 1881 Political Science, Political Economy, and the Political History of the United States, John J. Lalor, editor, wrote:

But, even when the [embargo] was repealed in 1809, the belief that Great Britain would "Copenhagenize" any American navy which might be formed was sufficient to deter the democratic leaders from anything bolder than non-intercourse laws, until the idea of invading Canada took root and blossomed into a declaration of war.

In 1940, after the Fall of France, the British destroyed the warships of neutral Vichy stationed in the ports of Oran and Dakar with the attack on Mers-el-Kébir, fearing that the French ships would fall into German hands.