Second Schleswig War

Second Schleswig War
Part of the unification of Germany
Top: Battle of Dybbøl, 7–18 April
Bottom: Battle of Als, 30 June
Date1 February – 30 October 1864
(8 months and 29 days)
Location
Schleswig and Jutland
Pre-war actions in Holstein and Lauenburg
Result Austro-Prussian victory
Territorial
changes
Denmark loses Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg to Prussia and Austria
Belligerents
Prussia
Austria
Denmark
Commanders and leaders
  • Christian IX
  • Christian Julius de Meza
Strength

At the outbreak of war:

  • 61,000 soldiers
  • 158 guns

Later reinforcements:

  • 20,000 soldiers
  • 64 guns[1]
38,000
100+ guns[1]
Casualties and losses
  • Dead: 1,275[2]
  • Wounded: 2,393[2]
  • Missing: 165[2]
Total: 3,833
  • Dead: 2,933[2]
  • Wounded: 3,159[2]
  • Captured: 7,000
Total: 13,092

The Second Schleswig War (Danish: Den anden slesvigske krig; German: Deutsch-Dänischer Krieg or German Danish War), also sometimes known as the Dano-Prussian War or Prusso-Danish War,[a] was the second military conflict over the Schleswig–Holstein question of the nineteenth century. The war began on 1 February 1864, when Prussian and Austrian forces crossed the border into the Danish fief Schleswig. Denmark fought troops of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Austrian Empire representing the German Confederation.

Like the First Schleswig War (1848–1852), it was fought for control of the duchies of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. Succession disputes concerning the duchies arose when Frederick VII, King of Denmark died without an heir acceptable to the German Confederation. The war started after the passing of the November Constitution of 1863, which tied the Duchy of Schleswig more closely to the Danish kingdom, which was viewed by the German side as a violation of the London Protocol.

The war ended on 30 October 1864, with the Treaty of Vienna and Denmark's cession of the Duchies of Schleswig (except for the island of Ærø, which remained Danish), Holstein and Saxe-Lauenburg to Prussia and Austria.

  1. ^ a b "Den Kongelige Livgarde til Fods i Krigen i 1864". 29 October 2013. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e Clodfelter 2017, p. 182.


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