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09-30-2016, 10:02 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-01-2022, 01:05 AM by Fearless Community.
Edit Reason: Fixed Encoding
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The Second Schleswig War
![[Image: 8_brigades_angreb_ved_Dybb%C3%B8l_1864.jpg]](https://wsrv.nl/?url=upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/8_brigades_angreb_ved_Dybb%C3%B8l_1864.jpg&w=1920&h=1080&fit=inside&n=-1&we)
Spoiler: Background
In 1851, the First Schleswig War, also known as the Three Years War, ended in Danish victory but the Nationalist movement in Schleswig-Holstein didn't end there - there was a majority of Germans in the area and they wanted to be part of a unified Germanic nation. Denmark had since then attempted to integrate Schleswig-Holstein to become a full part of Denmark, but this had just sparked more opposition.
The Danish also enforced a heavy toll on the Øresund-strait between Denmark and Sweden, the only way out of the Baltic Sea, as such Denmark had a heavy amount of trade income in the area. Prussia had started plans about making a canal, the Kiel Canal, which should be made through Schleswig-Holstein. But this could not be done with Denmark controlling it
Not only that, there were also disputes about who should be the heir to the throne of Denmark. The Germans supported members of the House of Augustenborg, a German cadet branch of the Danish ruling house. Meanwhile, the
Danes considered them too German and supported the more Danish House of Glücksburg. '
To make things worse, in 1848 the first constitution of Denmark had been written which was partly the reason why the First Schleswig War started. And now the Danes were supporting democracy for everyone including the Germans. But Schleswig-Holstein wasn't democratic, it was absolutionist. Danish cabinet-members feared that if the Germans were allowed to become part of the cabinet, they would end up with too much power.
The Danish also enforced a heavy toll on the Øresund-strait between Denmark and Sweden, the only way out of the Baltic Sea, as such Denmark had a heavy amount of trade income in the area. Prussia had started plans about making a canal, the Kiel Canal, which should be made through Schleswig-Holstein. But this could not be done with Denmark controlling it
Not only that, there were also disputes about who should be the heir to the throne of Denmark. The Germans supported members of the House of Augustenborg, a German cadet branch of the Danish ruling house. Meanwhile, the
Danes considered them too German and supported the more Danish House of Glücksburg. '
To make things worse, in 1848 the first constitution of Denmark had been written which was partly the reason why the First Schleswig War started. And now the Danes were supporting democracy for everyone including the Germans. But Schleswig-Holstein wasn't democratic, it was absolutionist. Danish cabinet-members feared that if the Germans were allowed to become part of the cabinet, they would end up with too much power.
Spoiler: Start of the War
In 1863, the Danish King died shortly before he was supposed to sign the November Constitution, a joint Danish-Schleswig constitution. The new King Christian IX signed it although showing concerns meanwhile. This caused outrage in Schleswig-Holstein and soon the German Confederation passed a resolution to call for an occupation of Holstein. Denmark decided to retreat back to the border between Schleswig and Holstein, fortifying the most of it at Danevirke, a Danish fortification from the Viking Age.
The Danish army consisted of approx. 38.000 men split up in four divisions. 36.000 of them were fortified at Danevirke.
The Danish army consisted of approx. 38.000 men split up in four divisions. 36.000 of them were fortified at Danevirke.
Spoiler: The War
The danish fortified themselves at other places as well to be used as flank-posititions at places such as Dybbøl and Ebeltoft.
The Danes prepared defenses mainly at the Danevirke which would prove to be a mistake - the winter in 1864 was harsh and there were marshes and water at both ends of Danevirke, as such the Germans simply walked by it instead. The Germans then attacked from the rear, and the Danish army retreated and took a defensive stance at an area called old Dybbøl, part of a small peninsula sticking into the Baltic Sea from Jutland.
The Danish originally defended from the Eider River, although they were pushed back in February. In March, the Prussians attempted to break through to get to Dybbøl, first trying to stop a blockade by the Danish navy and then assaulting the Danish outposts and then Dybbøl. They failed at breaking the blockade and assaulting Dybbøl but did manage to push back the Danish outposts.
Later on in April, the Danish army retreated from Fredericia during a siege by the Austrians who was allied with Prussia.
On the 18th of April, the Prussians moved to their positions, soon after starting a bombardemant of the fortifications at Dybbøl. The Prussians then launched an assault, taking the first redoubt. The Danish 8th Brigade counter-attacked the Prussians but ended up losing half of their men, either wounded or dead. The Prussians advanced 1km to Dybbøl Mill. Soon after, the defense collapsed as the Danish army retreated to the pier. 3,600 Danes died while only 1,600 Prussians died during the battle.
The war went on as the German armies advanced further up into Jutland. The Prussians, having taken Dybbøl, used it as a base to start an invasion of Als, starting out by firing artillery.
The invasion of Als was the last major military engagement of the war, as soon after on the 11th of July, the Germans had reached the top of Jutland - Prussian General Eduard Vogel von Falckenstein signed his name in the church book at the top of Jutland. Jutland had been occupied, to avoid the Germans taking the rest of the Isles of Denmark, the Danes were forced to negotiate for peace.
The peace treaty forced Denmark to hand over Schleswig and Holstein to Austria and Prussia respectively. The defeat was humiliating for Denmark but would be the last conflict Denmark would be in until World War 2
The Danes prepared defenses mainly at the Danevirke which would prove to be a mistake - the winter in 1864 was harsh and there were marshes and water at both ends of Danevirke, as such the Germans simply walked by it instead. The Germans then attacked from the rear, and the Danish army retreated and took a defensive stance at an area called old Dybbøl, part of a small peninsula sticking into the Baltic Sea from Jutland.
The Danish originally defended from the Eider River, although they were pushed back in February. In March, the Prussians attempted to break through to get to Dybbøl, first trying to stop a blockade by the Danish navy and then assaulting the Danish outposts and then Dybbøl. They failed at breaking the blockade and assaulting Dybbøl but did manage to push back the Danish outposts.
Later on in April, the Danish army retreated from Fredericia during a siege by the Austrians who was allied with Prussia.
On the 18th of April, the Prussians moved to their positions, soon after starting a bombardemant of the fortifications at Dybbøl. The Prussians then launched an assault, taking the first redoubt. The Danish 8th Brigade counter-attacked the Prussians but ended up losing half of their men, either wounded or dead. The Prussians advanced 1km to Dybbøl Mill. Soon after, the defense collapsed as the Danish army retreated to the pier. 3,600 Danes died while only 1,600 Prussians died during the battle.
The war went on as the German armies advanced further up into Jutland. The Prussians, having taken Dybbøl, used it as a base to start an invasion of Als, starting out by firing artillery.
The invasion of Als was the last major military engagement of the war, as soon after on the 11th of July, the Germans had reached the top of Jutland - Prussian General Eduard Vogel von Falckenstein signed his name in the church book at the top of Jutland. Jutland had been occupied, to avoid the Germans taking the rest of the Isles of Denmark, the Danes were forced to negotiate for peace.
The peace treaty forced Denmark to hand over Schleswig and Holstein to Austria and Prussia respectively. The defeat was humiliating for Denmark but would be the last conflict Denmark would be in until World War 2
Link to the First Schleswig War