Chapter 13

Chapter 13: International Mediation

After a period of instigation and urging by Bismarck, Austria and Prussia finally reached an agreement regarding their joint campaign against Denmark.

The agreement stated that the Austrian army would continue to collaborate with the Prussian army in attacking the Danes unless the Danish government accepted the complete independence of the two duchies.

However, it was evident that Denmark would never agree to such terms. Surrendering Schleswig would mean losing over 30% of Danish territory, a move that would surely be seen as treason by Danish nationalists.

Rather than surrender without a fight, the Danish government preferred to face defeat, as it would garner more sympathy from the Danish people. It wasn't that the Danish government wasn't trying hard; it was that the Germans were perceived as ruthless.

Consequently, the Danish government rejected the German conditions, leading to the resumption of hostilities by the coalition forces.

On March 8, the Austrian Imperial Army took the lead in launching a new offensive and secured victory at the Battle of Weil.

On March 15, the Danish navy announced a blockade of the Prussian coast, and naval engagements began. The newly established Prussian navy faced off against the seasoned Danish naval forces, resulting in tactical victories for Denmark.

Despite the Danish navy's clear advantage, the Prussian navy managed to avoid being completely wiped out.

On the same day, the Prussian Army initiated an offensive against the new Danish position at Dibor. Prussia began with heavy artillery bombardments, followed by a ground assault under the cover of artillery fire.

Faced with the formidable Prussian army, the new Danish commander had no intention of repeating the mistakes of General Mesa. However, this initial skirmish was merely a prelude to the main Prussian offensive.

One month later, on April 18, the Battle of Dibor erupted. After extensive artillery preparations lasting dozens of hours, Prussia launched a full-scale offensive. The firepower of Prussian naval guns pounded Dibor.

Despite the flagship Herolf's efforts, it couldn't halt the Prussian land advance and could only slow the Prussian army's progress.

Under the relentless artillery barrage, the Danish defenders were forced to retreat into their fortifications. Seizing this opportunity, the Prussian forces penetrated deeper into the Danish lines, using the ruined fortifications as cover.

As the vanguard of the Prussian charge reached the edge of Dibor's position, it became clear that Dibor's defenses were crumbling under the relentless Prussian artillery fire.

Eventually, the Prussian troops breached Dibor's defenses, and the Danish commander-in-chief had no choice but to order the troops to abandon the position, leaving behind only the Eighth Brigade of the Danish Army.

The Eighth Brigade of the Danish Army heroically resisted to cover the retreat of the main Danish forces but suffered heavy losses, with over one-third of its troops being casualties. Nevertheless, they successfully fulfilled their mission.

Following the failure of the Battle of Dibor, the Danish military, limited by its resources, had to relinquish its plans to reclaim the Fredericia area, which was already under Austrian control.

As a result of a series of battles, the Danes had lost nearly half of their territory on the Jutland Peninsula, including Schleswig. The Danish people's hopes for victory had been extinguished by the relentless advance of the coalition forces.

The string of Danish defeats led the British government to decide to intervene. Maintaining the balance of power in Europe was a key British interest, and they couldn't allow the conflict to escalate further.

Before the British government issued a stern warning to Prussia, Prussia verbally agreed to a temporary truce on April 12. However, Bismarck postponed the truce until April 25, during which time Prussia took control of all of Dibor.

With support from Russia, France, and Sweden, the British government proposed international mediation for the Jutland Peninsula War, emphasizing that the entire Schleswig issue should be resolved by a group of European countries.

Austria and Prussia, who had already reached a secret agreement, stated that they would accept a resolution as long as it didn't rely on the 1852 agreement as its basis and as long as the principality and Denmark were only connected through personal ties.

The London meeting on April 25 was chaired by the British representative, Viscount Palmerston. Britain accused Austria and Prussia of endangering European peace by waging war.

The German representatives argued that the issues involved were inherently complex. Earl Beust, representing the German Confederation, called for recognition of Augustenberg's sovereignty over the principality.

Austria, despite initially leaning toward the 1852 agreement, ultimately prioritized its influence in the German region and the desire to unify all of Germany. Therefore, Austria reluctantly supported Prussia's proposal, allowing the Principality of Schleswig to gain complete political independence while being bound by a common institution.

In order to appease Britain, France, Russia, and Sweden, Prussia's representative assured them that Prussia sought no territory beyond the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. This condition satisfied the requirement that control of the Danish Strait, a key access point to the Baltic Sea, remained outside the control of major powers.

Sweden, historically a rival to Denmark, remained neutral in the conflict. If Prussia and Austria could weaken Denmark, Sweden would not object. However, this was contingent on the German coalition forces not annexing the entire Jutland Peninsula, which would pose a greater strategic threat to Sweden than Denmark.

Ultimately, both Prussia and Austria seemed to disregard the sentiments of the Danish people. The London meeting did not provide a definitive resolution to the Jutland Peninsula issue but temporarily halted hostilities between the two sides.

With the timing of the meeting, the Danes completed their final mobilization, but many of their efforts on the Jutland Peninsula had already failed.

Danish forces retreated to Als Island, where they would make their stand. In June, the Prussian army began gathering opposite Als Island, marking the onset of a new phase in the Second Schleswig War.

(End of Chapter 13)