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{{Short description|Prime Minister of Denmark (1877–1962)}}
{{Infobox
| name=Erik Scavenius
| image= Erik Scavenius 1 (cropped).jpg
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| monarch = [[Christian X of Denmark|Christian X]]
| predecessor = [[Vilhelm Buhl]]
| successor = [[Occupation of Denmark|German military rule]]<br />(next Prime Minister: Vilhelm Buhl)
| office2= [[List of Minister of Foreign Affairs (Denmark)|Minister of Foreign Affairs]]
| term_start2= 8 July 1940
| term_end2= 29 August 1943
| primeminister2= [[Thorvald Stauning]] <br /> Vilhelm Buhl <br /> ''Himself''
| predecessor2= [[Peter Rochegune Munch|Peter R. Munch]]
| successor2= [[John Christmas Møller|John C. Møller]]
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| birth_name= Erik Julius Christian Scavenius
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1877|7|13|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Klintholm
| death_date = {{death date and age|1962|11|29|1877|7|13|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Gentofte]], Denmark
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}}
'''Erik Julius Christian Scavenius''' ({{IPA-da|skæˈve̝ˀnius}}; 13 July 1877 – 29 November 1962) was the [[Denmark|Danish]] [[Foreign Minister of Denmark|foreign minister]] from
Scavenius belonged to a tradition of elite governance that distrusted democratically elected politicians at a time when they were gaining power and influence. He believed that many of them were influenced by ignorant strains of populism and ill-equipped to face tough compromises and realities. For example, during the negotiations over the return of territory to Denmark following the First World War, he advocated a more cautious approach than many more nationalistic figures. He believed that areas that were mostly German should stay in Germany.
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Debate continues over his legacy, and he remains one of the most controversial figures in the history of Danish politics. For example, on the 60th anniversary of the 29 August dissolution of government, prime minister [[Anders Fogh Rasmussen]] chastised his predecessor for his stance, saying that it was naive and morally unacceptable.<ref name=Lemhag>{{cite news|last=Lemhag|first=Linn|title=Who is ... Erik Scavenius?|url=http://cphpost.dk/news/who-is-erik-scavenius.3652.html|access-date=30 December 2014|newspaper=[[The Copenhagen Post]]|date=8 December 2012}}</ref> However, historians like [[Bo Lidegaard]] and [[Søren Mørch]] contend that it was only through Scavenius's policies that Denmark escaped the worst hardships of the war.<ref>{{cite news|last=Stenstrup|first=Brita|title=Kampen om Scavenius' eftermæle|trans-title=The fight for Scavenius' Legacy|url=http://www.b.dk/kultur/kampen-om-scavenius-eftermaele|access-date=14 February 2013|newspaper=[[Berlingske Tidende]]|date=8 November 2003|language=da}}</ref> [[Bertel Haarder]], then a minister in the Rasmussen government, rebutted Lidegaard's theory in 2005, calling it revisionist and arguing that Scavenius carried out an unnecessarily pro-German policy, which was unpopular, dishonourable, and unjustifiable long-term, as he thought that Germany was likely to win the war.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bertel|first=Haarder|title=Nye myter om samarbejdspolitikken|trans-title=New myths about the "cooperation policy"|url=http://www.information.dk/112531|access-date=14 February 2013|newspaper=Information|date=21 September 2005|language=da}}</ref>
Papers found in the [[Royal Library, Denmark|Danish Royal Library]] revealed that in 1961, Scavenius had been informed that he would be awarded the Israeli Medallion of Valor. The medallion was due to be presented to him by [[Eleanor Roosevelt]] at a ceremony in the
==References==
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| before=[[Peter Rochegune Munch]]
| years=1940–1943
| after=[[Occupation of Denmark|German military rule]]<br />(next Foreign Minister: [[Vilhelm Buhl]])
}}
{{succession box
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| before=[[Vilhelm Buhl]]
| years=1942–1943
| after=[[Occupation of Denmark|German military rule]]<br />(next Prime Minister: [[Vilhelm Buhl]])
}}
{{s-ppo}}
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