In 1788 Sweden takes Norway

[LeopoldPhilippe]

King Gustav III of Sweden wanted to attack Denmark for Norway instead of going to war with Russia.
However Russia refused to abandon her ally with Denmark.
Suppose Sweden was able to make Norway a province. What happens then?

 

[Aolbain]

I don't see Sweden successfully taking and holding Norway. Even if Russia is removed from the scene entirely (not impossible, they were busy with the Turks so Catherine might decide to ignore Scandinavia for the moment) the Norwegian terrain and the not-wonderful state of the Swedish Army are going to be a problem. First of all, can the Swedish Navy keep the Danes from shipping over an army, and if it can, is Gustav III confident enough in its ability to keep things that way to not leave a considerable force in Skåne? And even if Norway can be isolated from Denmark, how is Sweden supposed to occupy all of Norway? Taking Trondheim and Kristiania might be doable but the Swedish forces lacks the ability to advance in force further into the country.

 

[Antipater]

Sweden earns itself the undying enmity of its southern neighbor. Gustav IIII is slightly less likely to be assassinated by conspirators, since their they were just as unhappy with Gustav's absolutism as they were with his futile war against Russia.

It would be hard to predict how this would effect Sweden in during the French Revolutionary wars. Denmark would probably be too aggrieved to join in any joint venture with Sweden to protect neutral shipping, so perhaps the British naval attack on Copenhagen is avoided. If Gustav lives another decade, he may be more inclined to join the first and second coalitions against Napoleon than his successor was.

 

[Westphalian]

King Gustav III of Sweden wanted to attack Denmark for Norway instead of going to war with Russia.
However Russia refused to abandon her ally with Denmark.
Suppose Sweden was able to make Norway a province. What happens then?

Pedantry:
The Swedish government would probably not make Norway one province, but multiple provinces. I am not sure whether they would use the four existing stiftsamter as bases for four new provinces (Akershus län, Agdesiden län, Bergenhus län and Trondhjem län) or the the more numerous amter.

 

[Redbeard]

By 1788 Denmark-Norway was at the start of a Golden age making huge sums on international trade, it would be a very bad time for Sweden to start a lengthy war. She might risk loosing Scania, but that would probably depend more on thumps up/Down among great powers than luck on the Scandinavian battlefield.