Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 355

Chapter 355: Chapter 42, The Second Prussia-Denmark War

The Prussian Government suddenly declared war on the Kingdom of Denmark, leaving King Christian IX of Denmark the most bewildered of all; he had no idea what was happening when the war broke out.

In 1863, Christian IX had just ascended the throne, and soon after his accession, he amended the constitution to incorporate the Schleswig-Holstein Duchies into the Kingdom of Denmark, which was the cause of the Second Prussia-Denmark War in history.

In this timeline, Christian IX did the same. Naturally, it incited the rage of the people in the Germany Region, and the three countries of the region issued warnings.

However, since the Paris Conference provided them with legal support, and these territories did not border Austria, the Vienna Government only roared a few times and then let it be.

Without Austria taking the lead and with support from the Russians, the Kingdom of Denmark successfully merged the Two Principalities.

As it turned out, this advantage was not easy to take. The Prussians held back at the time but were actually brewing a major move. Now that the Russians were preoccupied with their own troubles, the Prussians made their move.

War was declared on the afternoon of October 24, national mobilization was undertaken by the Berlin Government on October 25, and by October 27, the Prussian Army had crossed the border and entered Danish territory.

On the surface, this seemed to comply fully with international law, with military mobilization taking place the day after the declaration of war, appearing like a sudden decision.

However, not every country is like Prussia, possessing so many armies. The Kingdom of Denmark did not engage in relentless military buildup, having only a few tens of thousands in their standing army.

In normal times, under the protection of the Russians, this army was indeed sufficient. Once war broke out, that was no longer the case; the Prussians easily deployed tens of thousands of soldiers, leaving the Danes struggling to cope.

King Christian IX demanded, “Why has Prussia waged war without any advance warning? How long has it been since the last Prussia-Denmark War? Has your vigilance been consumed by dogs so quickly?”

This self-contradictory question, of course, went unanswered. Without any warning, who could have known the Prussians would suddenly attack?

It was a matter of perception; the advent of railways had greatly accelerated troop movements. Two days’ time was already enough for the Prussians to assemble tens of thousands of troops, which was sufficient.

Prime Minister Lachell advised, “Your Majesty, what’s done is done. We should immediately proceed with a national mobilization and counter the Prussian offensive.

At the same time, order ambassadors stationed in European countries to engage in diplomatic mediation, especially to seek support from the Russians.”

Christian IX nodded, no matter whether the government was at fault, now was not the time to assign blame. The most important thing during wartime was stability.

…

The government was bewildered, and Danish civilians were even more perplexed. Why had a peaceful situation suddenly erupted into war?

The normal modus operandi involved two countries squabbling and engaging in verbal battles in newspapers for months or even longer. After the failure of negotiations, the War Party would gradually gain the upper hand and then look for an excuse to declare war.

This time was truly abnormal, as the Prussian Government found an excuse and declared war without any diplomatic effort.

The Danish capital, Copenhagen, was already in turmoil, and countless Danes felt their dignity had been provoked. They remembered their ancestors once lived in prosperity; how could they allow themselves to be provoked by the barbaric Prussians?

In a bakery, several customers whispered among themselves; as the owner, Laks could still vaguely hear their conversation.

“Robert La, the King has issued a call to arms, and I’m preparing to thrash those Prussian barbarians. Do you want to join me?”

Robert La confidently replied, “Kolfingen, have you taken leave of your senses? The Prussian barbarians are not so easily dealt with, and we’re no match for them on our own!

For now, just stay put and wait for the European countries to intervene. Don’t forget our geographical location; we’re the gateway to the Baltic Sea, and the Russians surely won’t tolerate the Prussian barbarians taking over here.”

Kolfingen dissatisfiedly said, “In days past, didn’t you pride yourself on being brave? How have you turned into a coward now? How can the valiant Danes fear a bunch of barbarians?”

Robert La scoffed, “Don’t be foolish; everyone has witnessed the military strength of the Kingdom of Prussia.

In the last Prussia-Denmark War, our troops were utterly confused by the Prussians. Did you know? We lost over thirty thousand men and still lost the war.

The Prussians didn’t retreat because of us; they were frightened off by the military threats of the Russians. If it had been up to our own strength, the Jutland Peninsula would’ve changed hands.

The Kingdom of Denmark has declined, and now we’re just a small country surviving under the wings of the great powers. Such wars are not suitable for us.”

…

Their voices faded into the distance as they walked further away, disappearing from Laks’ hearing. This wasn’t the first time he’d heard such conversations. The elderly Laks sighed; Denmark was no longer the Denmark it once was.

Even during the unsuccessful Prussia-Denmark War about a decade ago, the courage shown by the Danes was not something that could be matched now; Laks had personally taken part in that war.

Despite the heavy losses and repeated defeats, they continued to fight. A large number of youths volunteered to join the army, tirelessly battling the Prussians.

Under attack from the Prussians, they held out for more than a year without yielding. Now, a younger generation has pinned their hopes on the intervention of the great powers.

There’s no way around it; the Kingdom of Denmark has truly declined. Apart from the Two Principalities, the Danish population doesn’t even reach 2 million—it’s around 1.66 million to be precise.

Population isn’t everything for a country, but without sufficient people, the country can never become strong.

In the last war, the Prussians failed to capture the Two Principalities, but they inflicted serious damage on the Kingdom of Denmark, which still haunts many to this day.

They make a lot of noise with their mouths, but actually put them on the battlefield, and each one is more cowardly than the next.

In contrast, it’s a different scene entirely in the Kingdom of Prussia. Ever since the Berlin Government issued the mobilization order, militias and reservists have spontaneously gathered at designated locations.

After being forced to concede defeat in the last Prussia-Denmark war, the Prussians were extremely dissatisfied. If Russia hadn’t been a bit too powerful, they would have charged headlong into battle.

The mockery from the German Region only compounded the humiliation for the young Prussian generation, who wished to wash away the disgrace of that year.

Russia was indeed powerful, but the young generation wasn’t afraid at all. Like naïve calves who don’t fear tigers, a bunch of overzealous youths believed that as soon as war broke out, all the states from the German Region would support them.

This claim wasn’t wrong; the Prussian Government could indeed garner support from the states in the German Region if it chose to do so.

It was easy to orchestrate, reliving the Shinra era. As long as the Berlin Government dared to act, the Vienna Government wouldn’t mind tearing up the Russian-Austrian Alliance.

Especially now, with the Russian Empire in a weakened state, coupled with England and France as allies, they could all kick the Russian Empire while it’s down and trample it a few times more to settle the score.

The specific plan involved dismembering Russia, and granting independence to Finland, the Three Baltic Countries, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Bulgaria, the Caucasus Region, Central Asia, and the Far East.

Such an endeavor would halve the Russian Empire’s population in a single stroke. Even if they wished to invoke the Soviet model for a rapid rise, Comrade Lenin wasn’t even born yet, was he?

Having dealt with one threat, the Prussians would no longer feel timid before England and France. If Italy wasn’t enough, then include the Low Countries as well.

Where interests lie, any conflict can be postponed. There’s no deep-seated hatred between Germany and France at this juncture, so why would Napoleon III refuse a tender morsel offered to him?

The simultaneous rise of both Greater Germany and Great France would probably baffle John Bull, unsure of which one to tackle first. One wrong move, and Europe could be dominated by a single entity yet again.

As long as the British hesitate, allowing Austria to consolidate the German Region, the subsequent standing will be impregnable.

Using the tactic of overwhelming numbers, the German People could crush the French. In this era, John Bull doesn’t have the capacity to organize millions of cannon fodder to send to the European Continent for attrition.

Without a doubt, this is merely what the German nationalists believe, predicated on the assumption that all rulers in the German Region are void of selfish interests.

This thought may seem a tad naïve, but one can’t expect too much from idealists. Those who dare to take up arms and fight for the unification of Germany are exceptional talents.

Chief of General Staff Maoqi has personally taken command amongst the troops. Without the banner of German unification, it has become difficult to write inspiring slogans.

What’s more troublesome is the need to explain to the soldiers why they can’t adopt the banner of German unification—it would certainly be inappropriate to say it’s just for the sake of interests. The New Shinra System stirred up by the Vienna Government has already won the hearts of the vast majority of the German People.

The loss of power by the ruling class doesn’t concern the common folk. Their interests aren’t harmed, so the possibility of gain is even greater.

Looking at battle reports bearing the word “German,” Maoqi frowned and said, “Replace all this content; from now on, all military documents will center around Prussia as the core. ‘German’ is the name of a region and cannot represent our country.”

A middle-aged officer objected, “But General Staff Chief, this time we are reclaiming the Two Principalities from the German Region; isn’t it inappropriate to remove ‘German’?”

Without this banner, there’s a lack of legal justification—in fact, it would be accurate to say there’s no legal basis at all.

We can’t continue using the German People, so surely we can’t resort to using the Germanic peoples’ banner either? That encompasses a broader scope, including the Danish as a northern branch of the Germanic people.

Using the banner of the Kingdom of Prussia directly wouldn’t sit well with the inhabitants of the Schleswig-Holstein Duchies.

This is a unique cultural trait of Europe; change the terminology, and people simply won’t accept it.

However, politics don’t deal in what-ifs. Having discovered they had no chance to unify the German Region, the Berlin Government had already decided to de-Germanize, just as Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland have each formed their own systems.

This was also the will of England and France, who sought to permanently prevent the unification of the German Region by the most effective method: dividing them.

Maoqi glared at him fiercely and said, “Major Amanda, I don’t want to hear any reasons. Now you only need to execute orders!”