Phasing out the Colonial Status of Greenland, 1945-54: A Historical Study

Front cover
Title page
Colophone
Contents
1 · Introduction
2 · Greenland and Denmark before 1945 (Erik Beukel)
	Introduction
	Greenland as a Danish colony
		The aura surrounding this vulnerable colony
		The monopoly
		Consensus
		Relationships with other countries: Vulnerable sovereignty
	Greenland between North America and Europe: World War II
		In the shadow of World War II: American considerations and proposals
		The US, Greenland, and Denmark after 9 April
		Kauffmann’s Greenland agreement
		Two Danish perspectives: Brun and Kauffmann
	World War II as a turning point
3 · The Greenland issue – sovereignty,self-determination and dependence (Erik Beukel)
	Introduction
	Sovereignty
		Sovereignty as a fundamental norm
		Changes in the rules of sovereignty
	National right of self-determination
		Origin and development
		The UN Charter and the right of self-determination in practice
	Factors governing dependence: National security policy and economics
		After liberation
		Denmark and the US in NATO
		Economic dependence
	Conclusion
4 · The international context: The decolonisation process in the UN (Erik Beukel)
	Introduction
	Normative framework
		The initial germination
		The UN Charter
		The US and decolonisation
	Organisational framework
		An organisational apparatus?
		Establishing an organisational apparatus: From an ad hoc committee to the Committee on Information
		A wider scope
		Lists of factors
	Closing remarks
5 · The development of international law concerning decolonisation and selfdetermination (Jens Elo Rytter)
	Introduction
	On the development of international law in general, especially the conditions for the formation of customary law
	On colonial self-determination, the territorial integrity of states, and the rights of minorities
	The establishment of colonial self-determination as a norm of international law
		Self-determination prior to 1945
		Self-determination and decolonisation under the UN Charter
		After 1945: The General Assembly proclaims the right of colonies to self-determination
		When was the right of colonies to self-determination established as a norm of international law?
	Requirements concerning the implementation of colonial self-determination (around 1953-1954)
		The colonial regime in Chapter XI of the UN Charter – the obligation to report to the Secretary-General
		After 1945: The General Assembly attempts to extend the authority of the UN based on Chapter XI
		An informed and democratic process
		The option of choosing independence
		What principles of international law applied in 1953-1954 to the implementation of the right of self-determination?
	Evaluating the process of Greenland’s integration with Denmark in 1953-1954
		Greenland’s integration and General Assembly Resolution 849
		Gudmundur Alfredsson’s critique
		Evaluation in terms of international law
	Summary
		The development of international law on self-determination and decolonisation
		Greenland’s integration with Denmark
	Brief conclusion
6 · A new policy on Greenland in the pipeline: Danish and Greenland initiatives,1945-1950 (Erik Beukel)
	Introduction
	The Greenland issue emerges
		Opposing views in the Greenland Administration
		Press reports
		The Greenland debate and political interests relating to Greenland
	Hedtoft goes on the offensive
		Greenland’s reformer
		Journey to Greenland
		After the journey: Administrative and commercial problems
	The new policy on Greenland gets off the ground
		The Greenland Commission and the new Greenland Acts
		Support and uncertainty in Greenland
	Conclusion
7 · The Greenland issue in the UN, 1945-1950 (Frede P. Jensen)
	The Danish authorities and reporting to the UN
	The UN General Assembly, 1946
	The UN General Assembly, 1947
	The UN General Assembly, 1948
	Meetings in the Fourth Committee
	Defining the concept of a “non-self-governing territory”
	The UN General Assembly, 1949
	The UN General Assembly, 1950
	The American UN initiative
		The Meetings in the UN
8 · The Greenland issue in the UN, 1951-1952 (Frede P. Jensen)
	The Greenland report
	The meetings in the UN
	New Danish deliberations
	Meetings in the 73 (e) Committee: The factor issue
	Outlook in 1951
	The UN assembly in 1952
		The report on Greenland
	Reply to the United Nations Secretary-General on the factor issue
	The Dutch initiative
	Meetings in the UN
		Ad hoc Committee on Factors
	The meetings in the 73 (e) Committee, the Fourth Committee, and the plenary meeting
	Summary of chapters seven and eight
9 · Greenland on the path to constitutional equality, 1951-1953 (Erik Beukel and Frede P. Jensen)
	Introduction
	Consensus on Greenland’s future: Meetings of the Committee on Greenland in 1952
	Poul Andersen and Alf Ross’ expert opinion on Greenland
		Alf Ross’ original legal opinion
		Final phase in the debate about Ross’ separate statement
	Between Nuuk and Copenhagen
		The prime minister’s letters to the governor, August 1952
		Meeting of the Provincial Council, 1952
	Debate in the Folketing
	Why the integration solution?
		Greenland’s vulnerability
		The aspect of sentiment and identity
		Nationalism
		Opinion makers and decision makers
	Conclusion
10 · The Greenland issue at the UN, 1953 (Frede P. Jensen)
	The report on Greenland
	Negotiations at the UN, 1953
		The Ad Hoc Committee on Factors
		Committee on Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories (73 (e) Committee)
	Denmark’s notes to the UN Secretary-General
	Hermod Lannung’s initiatives
	Meetings of the Fourth Committee
		The new list of factors
		The cessation of the transmission of information by the Netherlands and the US
	The fate of the draft resolution in the plenary session on 27 November 1953
	Conclusion
11 · The Greenland issue at the UN, 1954 (Frede P. Jensen)
	Report on Greenland
	Negotiations at the UN in 1954
		Preparations for the meetings of the 73 (e) Committee
	Meeting of the 73 (e) Committee
	Brazil’s draft resolution
	Preliminary recapitulation
	Conclusion of the Greenland issue at the UN: Meeting of the Fourth Committee and the General Assembly
	Meeting of the Fourth Committee
		Voting in the General Assembly on 22 November 1954
		Support for Denmark on the Greenland issue by the Eastern Bloc
	Conclusion
12 · Conclusion (Erik Beukel and Frede P. Jensen)
	Why did Greenland’s status become a political problem?
	Greenland’s integration as a Danish-Greenland project
	The Greenland issue at the UN
	The issue of international law
	Why was the integration solution desirable?
Appendices
	Appendix 1 · Terms of reference for preparing a historical study of Greenland’s change in status from a colony to an equal part of the Kingdom of Denmark pursuant to the Constitutional Amendment of 1953
		Source materials
	Appendix 2 · Memorandum of 4 March 2005 from Greenland’s Home Rule government. Clarification of the issue concerning analysis of the process preceding Greenland’s change of status in 1953
		A. Internally
		B. Externally. In relation to the UN
	Appendix 3 · Original expert opinion of 17 June 1952 provided by Poul Andersen and Alf Ross
	Appendix 4 · Expert opinion of 17 June1952 provided by Poul Andersen and Alf Ross, with the amended separate statement by Alf Ross of January 1953
	Appendix 5 · Prime Minister Erik Eriksen’s letter of 13 August 1952 officially requesting the issue to be presented to the Provincial Council of Greenland
	Appendix 6 · Letter of 13 August 1952 containing personal and highly-confidential information from Prime Minister Erik Eriksen to Governor Lundsteen
	Appendix 7 · UN Resolution 567 (VI) of 18 January 1952 with the first list of factors
	Appendix 8 · UN Resolution 648 (VII) of 10 December 1952 with the second list of factors
	Appendix 9 · UN Resolution 742 (VIII) of 27 November 1953 with the third list of factors
	Appendix 10 · UN Resolution 849 (IX) of 22 November 1954 (the Greenland Resolution)
	Appendix 11 · Important bodies in the administration of Greenland
	Appendix 12 · Change of status in 1953: The Greenlanders’ relationship with Denmark from 1945 to 1954 (Jens Heinrich)
		Introduction
			Direct references in the source materials
			Indirect references in the source materials
			Opportunities for expression
		Associations
		Newspapers
			Kalâtdlit (1939-1945 and 1947-1959)
			Grønlandsposten (1942-1950)
			Atuagagdliutit/Grønlandsposten – AG (1952- )
			Nûp Avisia and Godthåb Avis (1951-1952)
			Nasigfik
			Atuagagdliutit (1861-1952)
			Sujumut
			Avangnamiok (1913-1958)
		Conclusion
			Direct references
			Indirect references
			Concluding remarks
	Appendix 13 · Icelandic claims to Greenland (Margit Bech Larsen)
		Introduction – historical background
		Establishment of a three-man commission and Pétur Ottesen’s proposal in the Icelandic Parliament
		The importance of the Greenland issue for the position adopted by Iceland at the UN
		Conclusion
Sources
	Danish and Greenland archives
		The Labour Movement’s Library and Archives(Arbejderbevægelsens Bibliotek og Arkiv (ABA))
		The Arctic Institute Archives
		Library, Archives and Information Service of the Danish Parliament
		The Royal Danish Library, Copenhagen
		The Danish National Archives
		Greenland National Museum and Archives, Nuuk
	Foreign archives
		United Nations’ archives, USA
		National Archives, USA
		Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University, USA
Bibliography
Index of names
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