The rise of Scandinavianism coincided with the decline of the Swedish Empire. The first voices of the pan-Scandinavian idea sounded like a call for revenge and the return of lost territories. Poets, students, and kings were united by the movement for a united Scandinavia with a shared history, culture, and nature. A century later, not a trace of this militant pathos remained. In the mid-20th century, Scandinavia was united not by an empire reborn from the ashes, but by freedom of movement, a common labor market, and inter-parliamentary institutions.