Member of the Folketing Stauning was trained as a cigar sorter and soon became involved with
trade union activity. From 1896 to 1908 he was leader of the Cigar Sorters' Union (part of the
Danish Tobacco Workers' Union, in 1898 – 1904 also editor of the magazine
Samarbejdet (Co-operation) of the Federation of Trade Unions, and elected Member of Parliament
(Folketinget) in 1906. In 1910 he was elected chairman of the Social Democratic Party (Socialdemokratiet), a position he retained for almost thirty years, until 1939. He participated as
Minister without Portfolio in the
Cabinet of Zahle II from 1916 to 1920.
Prime Minister of Denmark He was elected to government as prime minister in 1924 for the
minority cabinet Cabinet of Thorvald Stauning I which would survive until 1926. His cabinet was considered ground-breaking not only as it was the first purely Social Democratic cabinet, but also because a woman,
Nina Bang, was appointed
Minister of Education, which attracted some international attention, as she was one of the first female ministers in the world. From 1929 he led the successful
coalition cabinet Cabinet of Thorvald Stauning II with the
social liberal Det Radikale Venstre party that would steer Denmark out of the
Great Depression, shaping a major political compromise that greatly improved the
Danish economy, and also transformed the Social Democratic Party from a class party to a
popular party. Under Stauning's leadership Denmark, like the other
Western European countries, developed a social
welfare state. It is often proposed that the long-lived coalition cabinet actively averted the
communist and
fascist movements that were sweeping much of Europe from developing a strong following in Denmark. In January 1933, Stauning's government entered into what was then the most extensive settlement yet in Danish politics—the
Kanslergade settlement ()—with the liberal party
Venstre. The settlement, which was named after Stauning's apartment in Kanslergade in
Copenhagen, included extensive agricultural subsidies and reforms of the legislation and administration in the social sector. in
Christiansborg Palace on 9 April 1940 Stauning holds a record in Danish politics, in having successfully sought re-election no less than three times (
1932,
1935 (with the famous slogan "
Stauning or Chaos"),
1939). However, an attempt to amend the Constitution failed in 1939, as the turnout in the
referendum was insufficient to validate the result. This came as a tremendous blow to Stauning, who seemed to lose his previously sure touch for politics thereafter. He reportedly considered resigning in the wake of the referendum failure, but was persuaded to stay on.
Occupation cabinet Stauning's second cabinet lasted until Operation
Weserübung, the
Nazi occupation of Denmark, began on 9 April 1940, when the cabinet was widened to include all political parties, called the
Stauning III Cabinet. Contrary to most other governments of the Nazi-invaded countries, King
Christian X of Denmark and his government ordered the
army and
navy to stop fighting, and chose to remain in their country also under the occupation, which is believed to have contributed to the Nazi leaders being more lenient in Denmark than in other countries under Hitler's control. During the German occupation of Denmark in World War II, Prime Minister Thorvald Stauning adopted a policy of collaboration with Nazi Germany to protect Danish sovereignty and minimize the impact of the occupation. Stauning believed that cooperating with the German authorities would prevent harsher measures and maintain a semblance of Danish self-governance. His government facilitated economic collaboration, such as supplying agricultural products to Germany, while the Danish police were ordered to cooperate with the occupiers to ensure public order and security. This collaborationist stance was controversial, and Stauning's actions were seen by many as a pragmatic approach to an unavoidable situation. Despite initial intentions to protect Denmark, the Danish government's collaboration with the Nazis faced significant criticism. Resistance movements within Denmark viewed its policies as capitulation, leading to increased tensions between the government and underground groups. Over time, Stauning's health declined, and he died in 1942, leaving his successors to navigate the complex relationship with the occupying forces. The Danish government's collaboration continued under new leadership, but resistance efforts grew stronger, culminating in greater opposition to Nazi policies and significant acts of sabotage. ==Legacy==