If you wait you may become King of Sweden

[arctic warrior]

1848 May: The Confederation troops of division size assembled in Hanover commanded by general Halkett move into Lauenburg to close on the border with Holstein. The Union troops have occupied Hamburg and the north bank of the Elbe and are awaiting the Confederation force between Bergedorf and Sachsenwald. The Espignol (single or multi barrel musket loaded with a high number of shots that is fired in succession but has to go to the armoury for reloading) Company is with the Union army. The value is good in prepared positions but the weapon has to fire all its rounds in one go and the lack of field reloading is noted. The corps of engineers is tasked after the war with improving the weapon.
On the Elbe the Union frigate Rota was firing at the Confederation flank but being subjected to artillery fire the ship caught fire and had to be towed off to safety at Glückstadt. This incident led to Union warships being given armour plating.
The Prussian corps moves through Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelits into Lübeck. It then moves north into Holstein towards Kiel. After pushing Union troops out of Kiel the Prussians swing southeast to bag the Union army at Hamburg-Altona. Unknowingly the Prussian corps walks into the von Moltke/Laessoee trap.
Union troops on Femern cross the sound to the mainland and marches south east to cut Prussian lines of communications at Plön. The Union force, a reinforced division at Hamburg holds off the Confederation troops.
At Neumünster in central Holstein the Prussians makes contact with Union forces, a division commanded by general Bülow who fights a holding action. As the Prussians assault Bülow the Union main force, two divisions and a cavalry brigade forming a corps arrive from Rendsburg. This force is a nasty surprise for the Prussians especially the corps artillery commanded by colonel Tscherning with a complement of breach loaders, part of them rifled, which keeps up a continuous barrage of the Prussians. Outgunned and outnumbered the Prussians retreat towards Kiel only to find their line of communications severed and then march south towards Segeberg and the Holstein army. Von Moltke and Laessoee moves the Union corps southeast. Union cavalry operating in squadrons is able to locate the Prussian corps and von Moltke deploys the Union corps to await the Prussian arrival.
On the old battlefield of 1227 at Bornhöved the Prussians run into the Union corps blocking their march. Outgunned and outnumbered the Prussians through sheer discipline manages to keep cohesion and when night falls they are able, due to bad reconnaissance by Union cavalry to skirt the Union lines and arrive the next morning at Segeberg. Laessoee leads the march towards Segeberg pursuing the Prussians.
A day later the Union assault on Segeberg unfolds. After a prolonged artillery barrage the Union troops close in and rout the Holsteins. The Prussian situation is untenable and von Wrangel retreat his corps into Lauenburg and Lübeck.
In the west the Union troops has stopped general Halkett’s Confederation troops east of the Elbe and is pushing them back into Lauenburg.
In early July Holstein is cleared of foreign troops and the Rendsburg Depot surrenders. A cease fire is agreed upon mostly due to the Scandinavian Union naval blockade ruining German overseas trade, even though Russia keeps Prussia supplied with everything needed. Only the utter rejection of revolution keeps Tsar Nicholas from openly supporting Prussia.
Stamps are issued but soldiers in service are exempt from using them on letters home. This brings about an enlargement of the Postal Services of all three Kingdoms as tens of thousands of letters are to be delivered each week.
(Map of the operations in Holstein May 1848)

[arctic warrior]

Hmmmm, so they all thought: that was the way it should be - nice...
---
On we go then - new installment:

1849 Engineer Ludvig August Colding, road and water supply inspector of Copenhagen travels to London to study sewers, water and gas supply in the city. His studies are not to be implemented in the Scandinavian Union until after the Cholera-epidemic of 1853.
The railway bridge across the Götaelv is completed as is the section of railway from Göteborg to Skövde, effectively linking Stockholm and Kristiania to Malmö in Scania.
The German constitution is finished in Frankfurt am Main. The Imperial crown is offered Frederick William of Prussia who refuses it and new revolutions break out in the Palatinate, Saxony and Bavaria. Austrian and Prussian troops are despatched to fight the revolutions. Prussia calls for negotiations on a German Union in Erfurt next year.
Russian armies enter Hungary to aid in putting down the Lajos Kossut rebellion.
Prussia exerts pressure on the Confederation in Frankfurt am Main to end hostilities with the Scandinavian Union. The Union government asks the British government to establish contact with its counterpart to end the war.
President Louis Napoleon of France also applies pressure to the German Confederation assembly if only to humiliate the Germans.
At a conference in London the German Confederation accedes to end hostilities. Prussia does not participate. The Scandinavian Union returns Hamburg to the German Confederation and lifts the blockade. Holstein is to remain in Personal Union with Denmark but is to be given a free constitution. The question of succession is to be dealt with when the issue is unavoidable – King Frederick acknowledges that Salic law is to be observed.
King Frederick asks to keep the Scandinavian Union envoy at the Frankfurt assembly. This is not rejected.
Church bells are ringing all over the Scandinavian Union to signal the end of war and thanksgiving services is held to commemorate the fallen heroes.
Von Moltke is promoted to lieutenant colonel and appointed chief-of-staff of the Joint War council. Laessoee is also promoted and appointed chief-of-staff of Stockholm Command. Both are to lecture at the UnionArmyAcademy on their planning and execution of the Holstein campaign.
Princess Juliane Marie Frederikke Margrete turns 18 and is celebrated by Stockholm students singing her grace. Present is among many other guests general of artillery Tscherning who must tell her all about the use, effect and ballistics of the new artillery in the war.

[arctic warrior]

1850 H.C. Andersen travels through Sweden and issues a book “Sverrig” in which he praises Sweden and its peoples. His description of LakeSiljan sets off many a Danish painter to find inspiration. H.C. Andersen also visits the regent Prince Ferdinand Princess Caroline and Princess Juliane Marie Frederikke Margrete in Stockholm where he is received as an old friend.
Duke Christian Frederick of Augustenborg is tried along with his brother, the Prince of Noer for treason against their duke and sentenced to have their estates in Slesvig and any hereditary claims to that duchy or the duchy of Holstein forfeited. The Prince of Noer is dishonourly discharged from army service without right to wear his general’s uniform. They are then forced to take up residence in Holstein.
All men of the Scandinavian Union that served their King during the war is granted right of vote. This prompts the Holstein Movement to raise the issue of mobility of the peasants. Most of the peasants still worked on farms owned by the nobility, renting the farm for life. The Holstein Movement wanted freedom for the peasants, freedom to buy their farm and freedom to settle where they wanted. With the number of new voters primarily from rural areas the Holstein Movement mandate is increased.
A new system of colonial administration is instituted. To reduce corruption and mismanagement each colonial governor or administrator is commandeered of to his posting for a specific number of years. At the termination of his administration a new administrator takes over and a mission from the Union colonial ministry checks the accounts. Any mismanagement is duly reported and taken action at. The new system has the advantage of nobody knowing who is going to be new administrator and so to some extend blocs scheming according to whose in office. The drawback is mismanagement by uninterested administrators, though that is countered by the accounts checking and possible discharge.

[Valdemar II]

I would just like to say, how much I enjoy this timeline. I especially like that the Butterflies are relative limited, but that they still exist.

[arctic warrior]

Thanks Valdemar, but I am afraid that I can't keep on limiting the butterfly effect (even though I try...)

[Valdemar II]

Originally Posted by arctic warrior

Thanks Valdemar, but I am afraid that I can't keep on limiting the butterfly effect (even though I try...)

That is okay, it not that I dislike the butterfly effect, It just I find it a little unrealistic, when the butterfly from a different social reform in Hannover end up with the whole of Europe partiparted 5 year later. I like slow and accumulating butterflies.

[arctic warrior]

Originally Posted by Valdemar II

That is okay, it not that I dislike the butterfly effect, It just I find it a little unrealistic, when the butterfly from a different social reform in Hannover end up with the whole of Europe partiparted 5 year later. I like slow and accumulating butterflies.

We don't disagree on this one.
Sometimes butterflies have tremendous effect, other times it makes for some slow change from OTL. I try in this one to limit butterflies to Scandinavia but it just gets out of control... and I believe in spreading of butterflies in rings from the centre of events - like when you drop a stone in water...
But still control is retained for some time...

[paxau]

Nice that the Union won the war in Holstein.

Question, will the Union get involved in the ACW?

[arctic warrior]

Originally Posted by paxau

Nice that the Union won the war in Holstein.

Question, will the Union get involved in the ACW?

Thanks - they just had so much more resources.

Answer, no it will not! (Actually I know much too little of the ACW or other internal US affairs to go like anything into detail on such - OTOH they might have gotten into something because of the West Indies, but no - not in TTL)

[paxau]

Originally Posted by arctic warrior

Thanks - they just had so much more resources.

Answer, no it will not! (Actually I know much too little of the ACW or other internal US affairs to go like anything into detail on such - OTOH they might have gotten into something because of the West Indies, but no - not in TTL)

OK thanks for the answer.

[Redbeard]

Nice to see Moltke well situated on the career ladder. Can't wait to see what he will get from a service not unfamiliar to combined operations and flank landings.

Your Holstein movement is also most interesting although my present (lack of) knowledge of events in OTL 1840's makes it impossible for me to determine how much beyond the name is PoD.

Regards

Steffen Redbeard

[JP_Morgan]

I just caught up on this TL, and I have to say, I like it. So I'm guessing Holstein remains with Denmark ITTL? It looks like German union may occur at a slightly different time. Am I right?

[arctic warrior]

Originally Posted by Redbeard

Nice to see Moltke well situated on the career ladder. Can't wait to see what he will get from a service not unfamiliar to combined operations and flank landings.

Your Holstein movement is also most interesting although my present (lack of) knowledge of events in OTL 1840's makes it impossible for me to determine how much beyond the name is PoD.

Regards

Steffen Redbeard

Moltke is going to climb far up that ladder.

Count Holstein was just a orange in my turban - you know; and I've actually just taken his ideas and actions and made them Scandinavia wide. But that makes for some change in Sweden's development of society as I percieve them (and our Swedish friends at this board haven't raised their voices so I feel on firm ground).

[arctic warrior]

Originally Posted by JP_Morgan

I just caught up on this TL, and I have to say, I like it. So I'm guessing Holstein remains with Denmark ITTL? It looks like German union may occur at a slightly different time. Am I right?

Thanks!

Regarding Holstein - you will seeeee.
Regarding German union - yes.

[arctic warrior]

1850 March: meeting in Erfurt of the German States to discuss the Union. The Prussian Union proposal is accepted, but the Austrian re-appearance, after having fought fighting the Hungarian rebellion has Hanover and Saxony break off from Prussia and enter in the Union of Four Kings with Bavaria and Württemberg.
Austria then has the Confederation in Frankfurt am Main reopened and sends in troops into Hesse to aid the Elector fight his Parliament. This almost brings about war with Prussia. And Tsar Nicholas support Austria.
April: Tsar Nicholas wants to settle the unsettled question of Danish succession. The future heir to the thrones of Scandinavia is now recognized by all, but no one says so, to be a woman, Princess Juliane Marie Frederikke Margrete, whose father Prince Ferdinand is brother of the King and whose mother Caroline is daughter of the former King Frederick 6/1/2.
Tsar Nicholas sends a note to the Union Government rejecting the prospect of female inheritance and demanding a settlement of a male heir.
The choice of Nicholas is Duke Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel, married to Alexandre Nikolaevna daughter of Nicholas who died giving birth to their son 1844 who also died shortly after. Duke Frederick William’s mother Louise Charlotte is the sister of King Frederick and Prince Ferdinand.
The Government and the liberals of Scandinavia are enraged. A despot on the throne – never!
The German Confederation headed by Prussia joins in with the Tsar and demand the 1849 treaty unsettled issues dealt with.
King Frederick declines the Russian and Prussian demands referring to the London agreement and being sure of German disunity and Russian inability to act due to the unstable situation in Germany. At the end of the year things cools down.
Just trying to find a peaceful solution to the succession King Frederick suggests his niece marry Duke Frederick William. Princess Juliane Marie Frederikke Margrete says NO.
Prussia decides on a naval building programme. This is seen as a necessity to combat a blockade in future conflicts with the Scandinavian Union.

[arctic warrior]

State of the Union 1850:
Since the tying together of the three Scandinavian Kingdoms in 1815, well technically since Christian Augusts naming as successor to the Swedish throne in 1809, but the construction was sanctioned by the Great Powers 1815, then 45 years have elapsed.
The Kingdoms are unified by the Monarch in Personal Union.
1818 to 1839 King Frederick6/1/3 of Denmark/Norway/Sweden of Iceland, Greenland and the Faeroe Islands, Duke of Slesvig and Holstein.
Since 1839 the Kingdoms has been ruled by his successor King Frederick 7/2/3.
Heir to the throne is King Frederick 7/2/3 son, Prince Frederick. But as Prince Frederick hasn’t produced any issue in his two marriages; thus the succession question is open. The will of the peoples of Scadinavia is that Princess Juliane Marie Frederikke Margrete, whose father Prince Ferdinand is brother to the King, should be successor.
The war of 1848-49 with the German Confederation served to prove tri-national will to cooperate in the direst of circumstances. Peace has been achieved but the last part – the succession question is to be dealt with by Salic law in Holstein when it will be imperative.
Government is still done by the King in his capital of Copenhagen. The Union share government, army and navy. The King is supreme commander-in-chief. The acting chief of Union Joint War council is Danish Field Marshal Krogh. In the other two Kingdoms a regent is residing to act on day-to-day business of that Kingdom.
Each Kingdom has its own institutions: Parliament, National Bank, Universities etc.
The currency in all three Kingdoms is the Krone. This has made for a stronger economy and the Krone is by now exchangeable in silver.
The Kingdom of Denmark is mostly an agrarian society, Norway has an export economy based on timber and iron but also fishing make up an important part as does the merchant marine. Sweden is a major producer of armaments, especially modern guns and iron build warships but also timber, copper and agricultural products. Together the three Kingdoms are able to procure most needed goods and are self-supplying in agricultural produce. An important import is fertilizer for the agricultural production.
In Sweden more land has been made to use for agriculture since 1820. This is made possible because of the Holstein Movement originating in Denmark. The Holstein Movement was an offspring of the ideas of Count Holstein who wanted to help improve the situation of the peasants. He did so by introducing savings and loan associations and cattle insurance. The ideas spread to Sweden and have served to improve prospects for Swedish peasants.
Early use of steam engines for timber logging and propulsion of ships and trains have also served to improve economy. Steam engines are manufactured locally.
The Scandinavian Union is a leader in the development of modern guns, its artillery and warships being issued breach loaders and is state of the art.
Politically Norway and Denmark have free constitutions and an elected parliament. Sweden has an estates based parliament in which the nobility holds the majority. This nobility hold on power is being contested by liberals and the Holstein Movement.
The liberals benefit from the free press of Norway and Sweden until 1848 when Denmark also attained its free constitution and freedom of press is expected soon in Denmark. This have led to the liberals being more vocal which in turn have served to irritate the Tsar, who fortunately have been so preoccupied with wars and uprisings that he haven’t had the time to take military action against the Union.
The Holstein Movement benefited markedly by the giving right of vote to all servicemen of the war of 1848-49, as most conscripts were still drawn from the peasants.
The introduction of basic education in the three Kingdoms have served to make the populations aware of their rights as well as able to know what is going on in society and take part in the local rule as outlined in the Local Municipality Act of 1841/2/3. An idea fostered by Count Holstein.
Culturally the peoples of the Union are interested in getting to know each other. The military service is party to this as it brings together young men from the three Kingdoms to serve together for several years. Understanding each other is essential in this business as the war of 1848-49 has showed. As such the languages serve to help cooperation as they do not differ greatly. And a sort of inter-Scandinavian service language of army and navy is developing.
Writers travel the Kingdoms and issue their perceptions to eager audiences. Painters meet at beautiful places or travel to Rome to find inspiration.
But inspiration from far away is not uncommon as the colonies provide the exotic and unexpected – black peoples in state service or on training in the Kingdoms, spices, fruits, plants and strange animals from the West Indies, Africa and India. But this is mainly a big city issue.
Another way to get inspired is to travel the colonies as a state servant or settle as many are induced by the government to do. The early days of rounding up the poor and send them off as settlers are over. The settlers are given low interest loans to establish themselves and foreign land owners are taxed harder than Scandinavians.
Generally a feeling of being Scandinavians, not Danish nor Norwegian nor Swedish is beginning to spread.
Scientifically the Union benefit from the Natural Sciences Board having been set up in Göteborg and from the extensive colonial empire reaching from the arctic to the tropics making field work in almost any climate is possible within the Union.
The Galathea expedition has produced a wealth of information which is only being digested as has the results of the air current investigative expeditions of 1836.
Another result of the Galathea expedition was political; the setting up of a colony in Nicobar Islands and a treaty with the King of Hawaii. Captain Bille drew up the last on behalf of his Scandinavian majesty, with his majesty of Hawaii.
Slavery has been abolished in the Scandinavian Union and its colonies. To meet the demand of labour and the growth of populations Scandinavians as mentioned has been encouraged to settle in the colonies. This has been a success as the migration to the USA has dwindled markedly since the commencement in 1825.
(Map of the World 1850)

[arctic warrior]

1851 Law on Freedom of Press is issued in Denmark.
The primary railways of the Scandinavian Union have now been completed linking Stockholm and Kristiania to Copenhagen by steamship across the Oeresund. Anybody able to pay the price can travel by train from Hälsingborg to Stockholm or Kristiania in two days! Quite a number of young men have travelled the route for free during their national service.
The Joint War council evaluate the experiences gained in the War of 1848. The artillery is strengthened with more breach loading guns.
The naval forces are to receive more steam-powered vessels to increase flexibility. Also a number of ships are to be armour clad to better resist hits from shore-based batteries. John Ericsson of Sweden takes this task upon him – to find the best solution of armament versus armour and speed. All placed in a new iron hull.
The Espignol is redesigned to be reloaded in the field. It is now a heavier weapon but with an exchangeable barrel. Each gun now goes into action with several barrels. Von Moltke has the gun re-designated an infantry weapon instead of being part of the artillery. Being mounted on a light wheeled carriage it is given some tactical manoeuvrability, but is principally seen as a defensive weapon.
The Rasmussen musket is abandoned for use with the army, as it is viewed to be time consuming to reload under combat conditions and too complicated for the average infantryman. Some improvement is undertaken: it is rifled and retained by the Marines who usually is engaged in small scale swift action and need the firepower to hold off superior numbers of opponents. The longer service time for the average Marine compared to the conscripted army makes for better field maintenance of the weapon.
Death of King Ernest Augustus of Hanover, the new King is George 5.
Louis Napoleon dissolves the National Assembly and is by referendum elected President for 10 years.

[Faeelin]

Originally Posted by arctic warrior

Slavery has been abolished in the Scandinavian Union and its colonies. To meet the demand of labour and the growth of populations Scandinavians as mentioned has been encouraged to settle in the colonies. This has been a success as the migration to the USA has dwindled markedly since the commencement in 1825.

Scandinavia merely has the danish and Swedish colonies, right?

[arctic warrior]

Originally Posted by Faeelin

Scandinavia merely has the danish and Swedish colonies, right?

Yes - the islands in the West Indies - St.s Thomas, Jan, Bartholemy and Croix, Danish Gold Coast and a small settlement in Cameroon, Danish possessions in India - Tranquebar, Tanjore, Calicut, Serampore and Danmarksnagore in Bengal and Nicobar Islands.
The Scandinavian element in the colonies is larger due to government inciting peoples to go there. With a somewhat better economy than OTL and following will to keep the colonies and invest in them to try to get a benefit.

[Faeelin]

It's a minor nitpick, but that doesn't seem like enough land, or an attractive place, to settle.