AHC & WI: Independent Schleswig-Holstein

So IOTL Schleswig-Holstein was a major point of dispute between Denmark and the German Confederation/Prussia, eventually leading
to the entire area being annexed by Prussia.

So WI (and how could) Schleswig-Holstein end up independent?
It can be annexed for a period of time (like Germany annexing territory but losing it later), but must be independent by the Modern day.
 
I doubt it...

...It's the Alsace-Lorraine of the German-Danish border. Its significance was as the pathway for the Kiel Canal. I think that the Kaiser and Bismarck (or their analogues) would never have to exist. Of course, if Britain hung onto British Heligoland (1807-1890, very sad), things might be different...

For my take on it, go to https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=169824. I'm in the middle of the Great War at the moment. Maybe Denmark should get Schleswig back in a postwar peace settlement...?

...Now, that would really get up Hitler's nose!
 
Great Power intervention - British would be best for it

As a note, there is a sort of middle way, sovereign but a member of the German Empire

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
And be swallowed by Germany? Never!

My earliest ancestors came from the Angeln area of Jutland, roughly where the Danevirke runs. Hence some personal interest.

May I suggest partition after the Danes do a Finland and hold the Prussians at the Danevirke?

Germany will invade Denmark in 1914 to further safeguard the Kiel Canal, so in postwar reparations Germany is forced to cede Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark, under British mandated protection that lasts until 1938. In that year, the population has four choices - to join Germany, to join Denmark, to be a British Colony or to go for independence, a bit like Danzig or Estonia. It goes for independence, is invaded in 1939 and only freed in 1945. The Kiel Canal Zone is its major economic asset. As of 2010 S-H is an independent state with two American bases either end of the Kiel Canal and only reluctantly joined the EU after being a successful member of EFTA.

How's that?
 
As a note, there is a sort of middle way, sovereign but a member of the German Empire

That did'nt work out to well for Bavaria. ;)


May I suggest partition after the Danes do a Finland and hold the Prussians at the Danevirke?

Germany will invade Denmark in 1914 to further safeguard the Kiel Canal, so in postwar reparations Germany is forced to cede Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark, under British mandated protection that lasts until 1938. In that year, the population has four choices - to join Germany, to join Denmark, to be a British Colony or to go for independence, a bit like Danzig or Estonia. It goes for independence, is invaded in 1939 and only freed in 1945. The Kiel Canal Zone is its major economic asset. As of 2010 S-H is an independent state with two American bases either end of the Kiel Canal and only reluctantly joined the EU after being a successful member of EFTA.

How's that?

That'd work, but why in the world would becoming a British colony even be considered, an independent state in personal union, perhaps, but a colony?
 
In that year, the population has four choices - to join Germany, to join Denmark, to be a British Colony or to go for independence.

Given that IOTL the Saar region had that option two times and two times voted for Germany, I doubt that you would have that many voting for independence. If, as you propose, Schleswig is already partitioned, there's a clear German majority in what is remaining which would most likely vote to join Germany.


I think the simplest way would be to prevent German unification altogether. Say Prussia looses 1866, Schleswig-Holstein becomes an independent princedom under the Glücksburgs or what-its-name. In a later war, Prussia looses again and its western parts are partitioned into viable states which form an economic confederation of smaller states, the largest of which being Bavaria.
 
I think that the best way would be the Luxemburgway. If the Danes, just like the Dutch OTL with Luxemburg, don't anger the Prussians/Germans, but even remain friendly to them, they might ignore Schleswig-Holstein during the unification of Germany and it ends up remaining independent, although in personal union with Denmark.
 

Valdemar II

Banned
I think that the best way would be the Luxemburgway. If the Danes, just like the Dutch OTL with Luxemburg, don't anger the Prussians/Germans, but even remain friendly to them, they might ignore Schleswig-Holstein during the unification of Germany and it ends up remaining independent, although in personal union with Denmark.

The problem are for that happening you need to change Danish nationalism or government structur radical and break Holsteins Ritterschaft, the main culprit of the later conflict. Honestly it easier to keep Schleswig-Holstein a integrated part of Denmark or Germany than having it in loose union with Denmark.
 
Independent Schleswig-Holstein

There were three wars over the Schleswig-Holstein succession; the first in 1851 when Denmark was victorious over the Augustenburg claimant, then the better-known wars in 1864 and 1866. Suppose Denmark lost or conceded in 1851. The Duke of Augustenburg (the Augustenburgs were a branch of the Danish royal family) would have become Duke at a time that Prussia was far less assertive than in the 1860s, and the next disputed succession in Denmark in 1864 wouldn't have affected succession in the duchies.
 
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