Nansens diary for 1905 is an exception in the general epistolary legacy of the famous Norwegian explorer, as it contains entries on the political aspects of the Swedish-Norwegian crisis of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the formation of an independent Norwegian state. The diary entries are chronologically limited, covering from September 6, 1905, to January 12, 1906. However, the information they contain reveals a complex picture not only of Nansens activities as Norways unofficial diplomatic representative but also illuminates the mechanisms and practices of decision-making and the difficult choices Norways political leadership made. The article analyzes the information presented in the second edition of Nansens diary, published for the 100th anniversary of the dissolution of the Swedish-Norwegian union in 2005. The author comes to the conclusion that the publication of F. Nansens diary for 1905 is a valuable historical source, shedding light on the events of the autumn-winter of 1905, on the attempts of the British authorities to involve in the Swedish-Norwegian strife on the side of Norway, on the methods of influencing the English, Norwegian and Danish public to achieve the goals set by the Norwegian government through Nansens activities in key issues of the countrys future.
Lyudmila Sadova (Wed,) studied this question.