Second War of Schleswig

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Part of the wars of German unification

The Battle of Dybbøl by Jørgen Valentin Sonne, 1871

Date	February 1 - July 20, 1864
Location	Schleswig / Jutland
Result	Decisive German victory
Casus belli	Danish succession dispute and the passing of the Danish November Constitution
Territorial changes	Denmark surrenders control over Schleswig, Holstein, and Lauenburg to Prussia and Austria

Combatants

Prussia

Austria

German Confederation

Denmark

Commanders

Friedrich Graf von Wrangel

Christian Julius De Meza
replaced by
George Daniel Gerlach on February 29

Strength

At the outbreak of war: 61,000
158 guns
Later reinforcements: 20,000
64 guns[1]

38,000
100+ guns[2]

Casualties

1700+ killed, wounded, or captured

1,570+ killed, 700+ wounded, 3550+ captured

Second War of Schleswig
Mysunde – Dannevirke – Sankelmark – Rügen – Dybbøl – Fredericia – Heligoland – Als – Lundby

The Second War of Schleswig (or the Danish-Prussian War) was the second military conflict due to the Schleswig-Holstein Question. It is also known in Denmark as the War of 1864 and in Germany as the German-Danish War or the Schleswig-Holstein War of Succession. The war ended in a victory for the German forces, and in Denmark's loss of its southern duchies.

Prompted by a confrontation with the German Confederation, it took place in 1864 between Prussia and Austria against Denmark, which had long ruled Schleswig as a Danish fiefand Holstein as a German fief. Like the First War of Schleswig, the second was fought for control of the duchies because of succession disputes when the Danish king died without an heir acceptable in the German Confederation. Additional controversy arose due to the passing of the November Constitution, a joint Danish/Schleswig constitution.

Less formal, yet more actual reasons for the war were the ethnical controversy in Schleswig and the co-existence of conflicting political systems within the Danish unitary state.

1 Background
2 Constitutional crisis
3 Events
- 3.1 1863
- 3.2 1864
4 Consequences
5 Second War of Schleswig in Literature
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Background

The secessionist movement in Schleswig-Holstein was defeated in the First War of Schleswig (1848–51), but the movement continued throughout the 1850s and 1860s, as proponents of German unification increasingly expressed the wish to include two Danish-ruled provinces Holstein and Schleswig in a 'Greater Germany'. Holstein was completely German, but Schleswig was linguistically mixed between German, Danish and North Frisian. Originally all Schleswig spoke Danish, except for North Frisians on the sea-marshes and polders along its west coast, but roughly the south half had switched to the German language since the 17th century. German culture dominated in clergy and nobility, and Danish had a lower social status. For centuries, when the rule of the King was absolute, these conditions had created few tensions. When ideas of democracy spread and national currents emerged from ca. 1820, some professed sympathy with German, others with Danish nationality.

To that was added a grievance about tolls charged by Denmark on shipping passing through the Danish Straits to pass between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. To avoid that expense, Prussia planned the Kiel Canal, which could not be built as long as Denmark ruled Holstein.

Much of the dispute focused on the future successor of King Frederick. In general terms, the Germans of Holstein and Schleswig supported the house of Augustenburg, a cadet branch of the Danish royal family, but the average Dane considered them too German and preferred the rival Glücksburg branch and Prince Christian of Glücksburg, as the new sovereign. It was very significant that Prince Christian had served on the Danish side in the previous war of 1848-1850.

[edit] Constitutional crisis

As the heir-less king Frederick VII grew older, Denmark's successive National-Liberal cabinets became increasingly focused on maintaining control of Schleswig following the king's future death.

In 1863 Frederick VII died at a particularly critical time as work on a new constitution for the joint affairs of Denmark and Schleswig had just been completed with the draft awaiting his signature. It is described at History of Schleswig-Holstein#The November Constitution.

The newly appointed King Christian IX felt compelled to sign the draft constitution, which he did on November 18, 1863, although expressing grave concerns doing so.

This action caused an outrage among the duchies' German population and a resolution was passed at by German Confederation at the initiative of Otto von Bismarck. This resolution called for the occupation of Holstein by Confederate forces. The Danish army withdrew north of the border between Schleswig and Holstein,

[edit] Events

Danish Military Calendar! When did it happen?

[edit] 1863

December 24: Saxon and Hanoverian troops marched into Holstein in the name of the German Confederation, and supported by their presence and by the loyalty of the Holsteiners the duke assumed government as "Duke Frederick VIII".

[edit] 1864

For further political events, see History of Schleswig-Holstein#Bismarck and Holstein.

January: The situation remained tense but without fighting; Danish forces controlled the north bank of the the River Eider and German forces the south bank.
January 16: Bismarck issued an ultimatum to Denmark demanding that the November Constitution should be abolished within 48 hours. This was politically impossible, particularly given the short deadline, and the demand was consequently rejected by the Danish government.

All the inland waters (Eider River, Treene, Schlei, and the marshes east of Husum) that the Danes were relying on as defence, were frozen hard and could be crossed easily.

Feb 1: Prussian and Austrian troops cross into Schleswig, and war becomes inevitable. The Austrians attack the refortified Dannevirke frontally, and the Prussians attack over the inlet Schlei at Mysunde intending to take the Danes in the rear.
Feb 2: Battle at Mysunde near Schleswig town. Prussian forces attack the fortifications but are driven back.
Feb 3: Battle for Kongshøj. Austrian forces commanded by General Gondrecourt push the Danes back to the Dannevirke.
Feb 5: The Danish commander-in-chief lieutenant general Christian Julius De Meza abandons the Dannevirke by night to avoid being surrounded and withdraws his army to Flensburg; 600 men are captured or killed, 10 of them freeze to death^[1]; he had to abandon important heavy artillery.

The combatless loss of the Dannevirke, which in the 19th century had a big role in Danish national mythology due to its long history, caused in Denmark a substantial psychological shock, and de Meza as a result had to resign from supreme command. Later the bulk of the Danish army withdraws in bad weather, through a rearguard battle at Oeversee, to the island of Als. The Austrians under von Gablentz marched north from Flensburg, and the Prussians advanced east on Sønderborg.

Feb 6: Prussians cross the frozen Schlei at Arnis and defeat Danes there.
Feb 6: Battle at Sankelmark. The Danes commanded by Colonel Max Müller stop the pursuing Austrian troops.
Feb 18: Some Prussian hussars, in the excitement of a cavalry skirmish, cross the north frontier of Schleswig into Denmark proper and occupy the town of Kolding.

An invasion of Denmark itself had not been part of the original programme of the allies. Bismarck determined to use this circumstance to revise the whole situation. He urged upon Austria the necessity for a strong policy, so as to settle once for all not only the question of the duchies but the wider question of the German Confederation; and Austria reluctantly consented to press the war.

Feb 22: Prussian troops attack the Danish forward line at Dybbøl and force them back to the main defence line.
Feb 28: Five Danish dragoons from the 4th Squadron of the 6th Dragoon Regiment are surprised by Prussian hussars on the road between Kolding and Vejle in Denmark proper. One dragoon escapes, three are captured, but one, Niels Kjeldsen, is shot by a Prussian standard bearer, count Gustav von Lüttichau, after a fierce fight
Feb 29: Skirmish at Vorbasse. A squadron of Danish dragoons defeats a squadron of Prussian hussars.
Mar 8: Austrian forces capture Vejle after fierce house-to-house combat.
March 11: A fresh agreement was signed between the powers, under which the compacts of 1852 were declared to be no longer valid, and the position of the duchies within the Danish monarchy as a whole was to be made the subject of a friendly understanding.
Mar 15: Prussian siege artillery begin to bombard the Danish fortifications at Dybbøl from positions at Broager.
Mar 17: Skirmish in front of Dybbøl: the Prussian army drives back the Danish outposts.
Mar 17: Naval Battle of Jasmund also known as the Battle of Rügen: A Prussian naval force attempts to break the Danish naval blockade of Schleswig and Holstein. Van Dockum's Danish squadron with the frigate Sjælland pushes the Prussians back to Swinemünde.
Mar 28: Prussian forces attack the outposts of Dybbøl at 3 a.m. but are driven back
Mar 29: Skirmish at Assendrup. A Danish corps captures a group of Prussian hussars.
Apr 2: The Prussian front artillery batteries in front of Dybbøl start to bombard the fortifications and the town of Sønderborg. Until April 18 approx 65,000 shells are fired at the Danish positions.
Apr 18: At 10 a.m. at Dybbøl 10,000 Prussian soldiers storm the Danish fortifications after 6 hours of artillery preparations and take Dybbøl fort. The Danish 8th Brigade fails a counter-attack but is praised for courage. 1,700 Danish casualties; this source says about Danish 5000 dead and wounded and captured, and about 1200 Prussian. (18 April is a military memorial day in Denmark for this defeat, including a ceremony on Dybbøl fort hill.)
Apr 25: The Danish army commanded by General Niels Christian Lunding, on direct order from the Minister of War, abandons Fredericia, which was beseiged by Austrians.
Apr 25 - June 25: A conference in London about the political issues involved. For the discussions there, see History of Schleswig-Holstein#London conference.
May 9: Naval Battle of Heligoland.
May 12: The conference in London led to an ceasefire, which soon broke down, as they could not agree on a clear fixing of the boundaries; partitioning the duchy of Schleswig was seen as possible. War continued. Prussians from beside Dybbøl bombarded Sønderborg.
June 24: Seeing that the truce was ending, Austria and Prussia arrived at a new agreement, that the war was to completely separate the duchies from Denmark.
June 25: The conference in London broke up without having arrived at any conclusion.
June 29: At Arnkil Prussians crossed to Als island by boat. The Danish modern armored ship Rolf Krake was in Augustenborg fjord, and went to the Alssund (the strait between Als and the mainland), but could only evacuate Danish troops. This let the Prussians build a pontoon bridge over the Alssund. Regiment 5 went north to Sønderborg, and regiment 18 fought against Prussians near the village Kjær. The Danes lost nearly 3000 men (dead, wounded or captured) on Als.[3].
June 30: The Prince's Life Regiment is the last of the Danish army to leave Schleswig and Holstein.
July 3: A Danish force commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Charles Beck attacks a Prussian force at Lundby south of Ålborg in the north of Jutland. See da:Kampen ved Lundby (in Danish, has map). This is the last battle in the Second War of Schleswig.
July 14: The Prussian general von Falckenberg reaches Skagen at the north tip of Jutland ^[2]. With this all of Jutland, the Danish mainland, was occupied by the aggressors. Now also the Danish islands were endangered, and the Danish government had to again accept armistice and peace negotiations, now however under clearly more difficult conditions.
July 29: The Prussian army occupies Als.
Aug 1: The preliminaries of a peace treaty are signed: the King of Denmark renounces all his rights in the duchies in favour of the Emperor of Austria and the King of Prussia.
Oct 30: In the Treaty of Vienna (1864) Denmark cedes Schleswig, Holstein, and Lauenburg to Prussia and Austria.

See History of Schleswig-Holstein#Treaty of Vienna etseq for further events.

[edit] Consequences

In its first clash of arms since reorganization, the effectiveness of the Prussian forces proved clear, something the Austrians ignored, to their cost just 18 months later. Prussia and Austria took over the respective administration of Schleswig and Holstein under the Gastein Convention of August 14, 1865.

[edit] Second War of Schleswig in Literature

Danish author Herman Bang wrote about the war and its effects on the island of Als in his novel Tine, published in 1889. The book has been translated into many languages, including English, and is considered to be an example of an impressionist novel.