Europe 1864: Second Schleswig War

The two most powerful German states were Austria and Prussia. After the German occupation of Holstein (1863), they demanded that Denmark relinquish Schleswig. When the Danes refused to back down, the Austrians and Prussians invaded. By October Denmark had been overrun and forced to come to terms.

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Main Events

1 Feb 1864 Second Schleswig War

In January 1864, with the support of Austria, the Prussian Minister President Otto von Bismarck issued an ultimatum, demanding that Denmark revoke the November Constitution—which had tightened Danish rule in Schleswig—within 48 hours. When the Danish government rejected this demand, a combined force of 38,400 Prussians and 23,000 Austrians crossed into Schleswig, where they were opposed by the 38,000-strong Danish army. Despite some initial successes, the Danes were rapidly driven back and by 18 February the Prussians had pushed through Schleswig into southern Jutland. in wikipedia

29 Mar 1864 Treaty of London

In 1862 the British Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston decided to cede the United States of the Ionian Islands to Greece, on the basis that the islands were no longer seen as strategically valuable and also to reward pro-British moves by the Greeks. After negotiations, the Treaty of London was signed by Greek delegate Charilaos Trikoupis in March 1864 and two months later the British withdraw, leaving the islands to formally unite with Greece. in wikipedia

15 Sep 1864 September Convention

In September 1864 representatives of the Kingdom of Italy and the French Empire met at Fontainebleau, where they stipulated a treaty—the September Convention—to resolve tensions between the two countries over the Papal States. As a result, the French agreed to withdraw their garrison from Rome within two years in return for Italian commitments to not invade the Papal States, to protect them in the case of attack, to allow the formation of a corps of Catholic volunteers to defend Rome, and to take on part of the Papacy’s public debt. To prove that the Italians had renounced Rome as their capital, a secret protocol also required that Italy move its capital from Turin to another city (decided to be Florence) within six months. in wikipedia

30 Oct 1864 Treaty of Vienna

On 1 August 1864 a preliminary peace treaty was signed between the Austrian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Kingdom of Denmark, effectively ending the Second Schleswig War. A formal treaty was signed in Vienna at the end of October in which Denmark agreed to cede the Duchy of Schleswig (including legally Danish enclaves in western Schleswig but excluding the island of Ærø), the Duchy Holstein, and the Duchy of Lauenburg to Austria and Prussia. As a result of these cessions, the Danish monarchy lost 40% of its land area and about one million people, including the Danish-speaking population of northern Schleswig. in wikipedia