A window of opportunity 1905

1913
End of first Balkan war in May with formation of Albania on initiative of the Great Powers to the annoyment of the Balkan states.
Thus the second Balkan war erupts during June.

As in previous years the struggle between workers and industrialist's in Denmark continued this year with high intensity.

Bramming just east of Esbjerg is the site of the worst train disaster in Denmark; a troop train moving a mix of Norwegian and Danish soldiers for leave at Kolding collide with a passenger train killing 3 Norwegian 2 Danish soldiers and 20 Danish civilians. (OTL event though no troops involved)

The Jutland West Coast Railway (JWCR) is finished as single track from Hanstholm to Ribe just north of the German border with the new bridge at Oddesund also finished. In following years the Railway is going to get the second track upgrade. Most of the railways in Denmark is single track and bridges rarely seen as ferries serve to bridge waters.
The strategic must is so strong that the JWCR is built as a modern double track with a big railway bridge at the crossing of Oddesund. Also Hanstholm is getting the railway it never got.
As part of building the single track railway across Jutland from Kolding in the east to Esbjerg in the west is upgraded to double track.
Usually considered off the grid West Jutland is soon experiencing an influx of peoples due to the now easy journey along the west coast. Esbjerg in the south west is the main export port for Britain and the railhub for trains coming from the east.
To protect the new bridge a small barracks - an outpost of the Regimental barracks at nearby Struer is built on the southern side of Limfiord to protect the vital bridge. (butterfly - built 1938 OTL)
Where the Navy got all the goodies in years prior the Army see the new railway as theirs.
Slowly Hanstholm itself Thisted Struer Ringkøbing and Skjern along the railway begin growing. (butterfly)
West Jutland had been chosen to avoid the bottlenecks of hilly East Jutland.

During 1911 the new constitution had made for the voting age to be lowered to 25 years of age and a number of prerequisites as to income and personal funds abolished. Now the full age of any person is lowered to 21 years of age. The Socialdemocratic Party is at work in the shadows. (butterfly)

1914 (II)
Cavalry Captain Moltke attached to the Danish Embassy in London report the effects and countermeasures of Zeppelins bombraids.
Both Army and Navy had experimented with AA-guns and machineguns since 1912 but not much had come out of the experimentation beyond locally made mounts for machineguns. (OTL events)
Now the attention is brought forward and a plan is made to build airdefences for Copenhagen and other cities as well as Army and Navy units.
A joint Danish Norwegian scheme is drawn up to in both countries have Madsen Rifle Works make Anti-Aircraft mounts for the light machineguns and to have Navy Works build AA-mounts for older Army and Navy guns to supply both countries armed forces.
The first mounts is expected by early 1915. (broadly OTL events)
Another issue is the procurement of fighter aircraft as these are deemed essential to supply the guns. Neighter Denmark nor Norway possess any and no warring power have any to spare. Ellehammer and the various possible builders in both countries are approached to get projects going.

During 1913 Gunnar Knudsen had formed his second Government in Norway. Though the time since independence had seen frequent change of government due to the Norwegians as in any newly independent nation had to find their own ways and lay the foundation for the future of the political debate in Parliament. (OTL)
This period may not have come to its close with the advent of war but the war served to make for stability as everybody realized would be necessary in these dire times and any fear of the Norwegians suddenly having a change of government during war would over time leave the mind of Danish PM Berntsen.
The Alliance of Neutrality held and had served to delineate its outer limits to both Germany and Entende Powers.

Sweden for the time being mobilized units at Haparanda on the Swedish-Russian/Finn border and at Stockholm as well as on Gotland and Öland. The main force of the Swedish Navy would operate outside Stockholm to guard against Russian raids.
Suffice to say the Russians had more than their hands full in East Prussia and Poland even though a Russian Admiral did come annoying close to the Swedish Artillery Ship Squadron outside Stockholm archipelago in the early days. (OTL)

In Sweden the King had talked of joining the Central Powers for reconquest of Finland or the Baltic States to the horror of the Socialdemocratic Party and Government.
There was some debate at Parliament over what stance to adopt regarding the war and the continued shipping of iron ore to Germany via Luleaa the Ore Railway not reaching all the way down Sweden yet. The majority of ore is still shipped off from Narvik.
The great victories in East Prussia during late August and September makes for increased debate on joining up.

The Swedish debate comes to the attention of the Entente Powers resulting in angry letters from the British and French embassies on behalf of Russia which is up to its ears in the war to Swedish Government warning of bellingerence.

As fall saw the fronts in both east and west more or less frozen in place the expected Russian collapse during September not happening the Swedish debates subsided – for the time being.

None of the Scandinavian powers had prepared for war by stockpiling supplies. (OTL)
With the faltering deliveries due to war Sweden soon realized it might be low on foodstuffs though the Danish – Norwegian Navy actions did ensure a close to normal merchant traffic on Göteborg harbour; greatly helping Swedens ablity to trade with the world.
Even if Denmark hadn't its usual 90,000 Polish Galizian agricultural farm hands this year it wold still be the major producer in Scandinavia of agricultural produce. Nobody friendly to Denmark needed go to bed hungry during the war years even if rationing had to be implemented.
Sweden also realized the closing down of ore traffic on the Narvik railway had to be opened from late fall when the icefloes in the Botnian Bay would slowly but securely lock down Umeå port.
By October the Swedes asked for a trilateral meeting of the Trade and Foreign Ministers. Low on foodstuffs and without the ability soon to ship off iron ore from Luleå the Swedes had realized they needed the Scandinavian cousins however little they wanted.
Meetings taking place during October – November settled the trade issues and use by Swedish merchantmen of Norwegian and Danish territorial waters if need be.
It had been an ugly swallow but it had to be done.

To aid the Russian Baltic Navy the RN decide to move a Flotilla of Submarines into the Baltic; the major objective to stop the iron ore shipping from Luleaa to Stralsund, Germany and if possible wreck havoc upon the German Baltic Navy.
As the German minebarrages are in German territorial waters the decision is made to send the Submarines off by October.
It wouldn't be disclosed until many years later that the British Submarines would meet in Kattegat to the west of Læsø with Danish Submarine depot ship Gejser that would deliver fresh meat eggs bacon and butter as well as fresh air; a trip to the hot showers and an Asta Nielsen movie before the night leg down the Great Baelt and through the Grønsund into the Baltic. The night leg marked by patrolling Danish light units.

It would only be an hour post entering the Baltic for real that a German steamer going down the Swedish east coast with a cargo of iron ore would be sunk when stopped by a British Submarine. (OTL event slightly twisted)
That ended the quiet time of the Baltic.

The Danish Navy Works (Orlogsværftet) begin a building programmen of small Flying Boats with a crew of two. The main task of these will be observation possible direction of artillery and as the war drags on they will also be armed with Machineguns of Madsen make. (OTL)