1864: Denmark - you will never walk alone

[Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy]

Now VoCSe, did you get what you wanted or did we wander too far off course???

Go on, this is fascinating. I had Schleswig remain Danish and Holstein going German in my TL, but this discussion has led me to decide to divide Schleswig.

 

[arctic warrior]

Yes, that would most probably be the outcome.
The idea of Danish appeasement would only work if you butterfly Bismarck away, but would, IMO, be interesting in the long run with Denmark probably being dragged into WWI on the side of Germany. Hmm ought to do a TL on this one...

 

[Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy]

Yes, that would most probably be the outcome.
The idea of Danish appeasement would only work if you butterfly Bismarck away, but would, IMO, be interesting in the long run with Denmark probably being dragged into WWI on the side of Germany. Hmm ought to do a TL on this one...

Well one of the PODs (I had 3 of them) was that Bismarck doesn't become prime-minister in 1862 (he still gets into power later on). The 1864 Treaty of Sanssouci gives Lauenburg to Prussia and northern Schleswig to Denmark, while the rest and Holstein form the Duchy of Schleswig and Holstein under Friedrich von Augustenburg. Denmark and Sweden-Norway eventually form a Scandinavian Confederation to defend themselves from Russian and North German imperialism.

 

[arctic warrior]

Without Bismarck that should be possible, because Bismarck disliked the idea of letting Friedrich von Augustenburg come to power, reserving Sleswig and Holstein for incorporation into Prussia.

 

[bill_bruno]

Scandanavian Confederation

You can still to that here, perhaps encourage by the British as a check on future German sea-power in the Baltic.

 

[arctic warrior]

Maybe, but keeping the Germans in the Baltic, would also mean keeping the British out of it and keeping the Russians in the Baltic, a situation none of these would like.
A Scandinavian Confederation would be difficult to establish, worse (perhaps) to maintain.
Though the British might encourage it for keeping the Germans in the Baltic, they wouldn't like it for the possibility of a neutal Scandinavia keeping them out. The Germans got around the problem by means of the Kiel Canal. The Russians would probably see the establishment as a threat to Finland and oppose it.