(Political Relations Prussian-Danish 1815-1866 (Historical Study

Abstract

The study of international political relations between Prussia and Denmark in the period between 1815 and 1866 is one of the most important studies in the history of international relations as it sheds light on the relations between Prussia and Denmark in political terms. These relations have two types: the first is a cooperative pattern of alliances and political ties , And the second pattern is A conflict style based on motives and determinants such as Power, influence and interest.                                                                                                                           

          The study showed the increase in the intensity of conflicts between Prussia and Denmark from 1815 to 1865 due to the different interests and political goals that each country aspired to achieve. Denmark made every effort to annex Schleswig and Holstein to its territory, noting that Holstein was a member of the German Federation according to the decisions of the Vienna Conference in 1815, while Schleswig As for Prussia, it has devoted all its endeavors to include these two dukes in the motherland (Germany), especially after the German Dukaten demanded separation from Denmark and joining their brothers in the German states. Prussian-Danish political relations, and fueling nationalism among the free German nationalists who raised the slogan that the German states would become strong with Prussian leadership and achieve their freedom and political independence.                                                                                                                  

        The research revealed that Prussia pursued a dual policy according to its first political interests: the use of force and the sweep of the territories of the Dukes in 1848, which led to the tension of Prussian-Danish relations, and because of the European countries' opposition to this sweeping, another policy was adopted in concluding a peace treaty and providing the German Confederation with assistance in restoring security in Schleswig and Holstein, which led to the strengthening of Prussian-Danish political relations on the one hand and angered the Germans in the Duketin, who accused the Prussians of betrayal and lack of loyalty to German patriotism on the other hand.                    

The study showed that Denmark did not abide by its promises made in the Treaty of London in 1852, which was one of the most important results of the first Schleswig war, which stipulated that the two duchies would remain united and maintain their constitution, and that the two duchies would not join Denmark, in addition to the pledge of the king of Denmark to equality for the Germans and the Danes in the duchies, but the king of Denmark He ratified a new constitution for his country in 1854 according to which the Duchy of Schleswig was separated from Holstein and merged with his state, and this contradicts the provisions of that treaty, which led to the tension of Prussian-Danish political relations and the outbreak of the Second Schleswig War in 1864 between the dual Prussian and Austrian forces and the Danish forces.                

The study showed how Prussian politicians practiced skilled diplomacy in gaining time to increase the political and military power of Prussia, and to arm its army with modern weapons, and to continue wars to weaken Denmark and wrest the duchies from Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg, and strengthen its political relations with Austria and Russia, and it became clear that the hereditary law in Denmark was a bitter struggle, It led to the tension of Prussian-Danish political relations, and the interest in Russia did not stem from a vacuum, but rather from the geographical location of the Prussian state, where it is surrounded by several countries, and that the possibility of fighting Prussia on several fronts is possible simultaneously, hence the importance of strengthening Prussian-Austrian relations First, to get rid of one enemy, Denmark, instead of the war against two enemies, and the second Schleswig War was fought in 1864, which resulted in the defeat of the Danish forces and the victory of the Prussian-Austrian forces, and the duchies became jointly administered by Prussia and Austria within the Gastein Settlement on the fourteenth of August 1865, and thus this agreement ended relations Prussian-Danish politics, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the joint administration of these duchies led to tension in Prussian political relations. - The Austrian, so Prussia completed its unitary project by removing Austria from control of the duchies, and in order to fight the battle of Sado in 1866 against it, it ended with the defeat of Austria and the annexation of the duchies to the German states, thus achieving Prussia the unity of the northern German lands