The War of the Danish Duchies (1864)
It is the unfortunate destiny of frontier provinces to be in constant dispute between their neighbors: the unwilling, though often resigned victims of interstate tugs-of-war, sometimes going to one country, sometimes to another.
Schleswig and Holstein were two small provinces lying between Prussia and Denmark. Half of the people spoke German; the other half spoke Danish. They had been ruled by the Danish king since 1813 but were not formally part of that country. In 1863 Denmark annexed these two provinces outright.
On February 18, 1864, some Prussian hussars on patrol crossed the border and occupied the Danish village of Kolding. Denmark complained, and Bismarck, plainly seeking annexation, replied as might be expected, prevailing on Austria to support his case.
The Prussians and Austrians attacked; and the Danes, though outnumbered, put up a stubborn resistance. In two weeks, however, Denmark was defeated.
The Austrian infantry had now given up its tall cylindrical shako in favor of a conical variety not unlike the French kepi. In the field, this was encased in an oilskin cover.
In the cavalry, which consisted of cuirassiers, dragoons, hussars and lancers, there had been little change since the war in Italy. The cuirassiers discarded their cuirass in 1860, and the dragoon s, who were now wearing a modernized version of the classical helmet, had absorbed the chevaulegers in 1852. The hussars, twelve regiments strong, were clothed in light or dark blue jackets, and had breeches and pelisses to match. Their shakos were of different colors according to their regiments.
The lancers were still in dark green with red facings, and had reverted to the yellow epaulettes which had been discarded about 1840. In the Prussian Army, the pickelhaube was now firmly established as the standard headdress, although in the artillery the spike was replaced by a ball.
The Prussian dragoons at this time were wearing a light blue tunic, a color which was theirs since Napoleonic times, with facings in regimental colorings. The cuirassiers were in white and the hussars, as usual, in uniforms of different colors for every regiment. A black busby had been in wear since 1850 and the pelisse was discontinued in 1853.
The lancers, or uhlans, wore the traditional lancers’ dress of Polish origin (i.e., the square-topped lance-cap and distinctive tunic, orulanka, of blue cloth with regimental facing colors).
In the infantry of the line, a dark blue tunic had been authorized in 1843, with red collar-patches. The trousers were of a very dark blue, almost black, with red piping down the sides.
The light infantry were termed jager and wore the 1843 tunic, but in dark green with red collar-patches. A helmet was issued originally, but replaced in 1854 by a tall conical shako with a peak back and front.
The Danish infantry was in dark blue kepi s and tunics, piped red, and light blue trousers, while the dragoons and hussars wore light blue tunics with a ‘Roman’ helmet for the dragoons and probably a shako for the hussars.
Peace was signed on August I, 1864 and ratified on October 30. The King of Denmark renounced all his rights in favor of the Emperor of Austria and the King of Prussia. The duchies were merged in the larger Question of the relations between these two powers, who were soon fighting each other; Prussia finally established her supremacy at Sadowa in 1866.
















