The Two Danish-Prussian Wars and Their Impact on Denmark


 The period from 1848 to 1864 had an enormous impact on Denmark over the following 70 years.
 Denmark We got the first constitution in 1848 and experienced after the first Danish-Prussian war (1848-1851) a roaring
 victory mood, under which national romanticism flourished. After the second war in 1864 Denmark was to be lectured about
 our apparent military and foreign political constraints. Not only did we lose the duchies, but we had also to accept a great
 deal of our countrymen being German and the southern part of Jutland become a German province.
 For the population 1864 got a very special significance. They had to accept to be German subjects and had to accept society
 getting German and denial of everything Danish. A lot of former Danish subjects were forced to serve in the Imperial German
 Army during WW1, and a lot of them were killed during the war.
 1864 was not only very important for Danish defense policy but also our foreign policy considerations the next 40 years to
 come, not least the perception of Germany as both a neighbor and an potential enemy.

 The whole issue of the fortifications of Copenhagen and Danish neutrality policies up to the first World War were greatly
 influenced by the defeat in 1864

 1864 is probably part of Danish national self-conception right up to today.

Victorious  Danish troops retuns to Copenhagen 1850

Prussian troops in the Dybboll stronghold 1864