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Reference.org
Second Schleswig War
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<p>The Second Schleswig War , also sometimes known as the Dano-Prussian War or Prusso-Danish War, was the second military conflict over the <a href="/facts/Schleswig%25E2%2580%2593Holstein_question/BBELs4qz">Schleswig–Holstein question</a> of the nineteenth century. The war began on 1 February 1864, when Prussian and Austrian forces crossed the border into the Danish fief Schleswig. <a href="/facts/Denmark/KVtykzsw">Denmark</a> fought troops of the <a href="/facts/Kingdom_of_Prussia/x796l7vx">Kingdom of Prussia</a> and the <a href="/facts/Austrian_Empire/AnAU9bdG">Austrian Empire</a> representing the <a href="/facts/German_Confederation/HWeIcxok">German Confederation</a>. </p><p>Like the <a href="/facts/First_Schleswig_War/72Gq6yVK">First Schleswig War</a> (1848–1852), it was fought for control of the duchies of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. Succession disputes concerning the duchies arose when the Danish king died without an heir acceptable to the <a href="/facts/German_Confederation/HWeIcxok">German Confederation</a>. The war started after the passing of the <a href="/facts/History_of_Schleswig-Holstein/tHvNMFXE">November Constitution of 1863</a>, which tied the <a href="/facts/Duchy_of_Schleswig/N9V5UVz4">Duchy of Schleswig</a> more closely to the <a href="/facts/Denmark/KVtykzsw">Danish kingdom</a>, which was viewed by the German side as a violation of the <a href="/facts/London_Protocol_(1852)/rwMkA6co">London Protocol</a>. </p><p>The war ended on 30 October 1864, with the <a href="/facts/Treaty_of_Vienna_(1864)/wcqPpTWv">Treaty of Vienna</a> and Denmark's cession of the Duchies of <a href="/facts/Duchy_of_Schleswig/N9V5UVz4">Schleswig</a> (except for the island of <a href="/facts/%25C3%2586r%25C3%25B8/txm3AaFC">Ærø</a>, which remained <a href="/facts/Denmark/KVtykzsw">Danish</a>), <a href="/facts/Duchy_of_Holstein/9rv9b3K5">Holstein</a> and <a href="/facts/Saxe-Lauenburg/A5tFBAP2">Saxe-Lauenburg</a> to <a href="/facts/Kingdom_of_Prussia/x796l7vx">Prussia</a> and <a href="/facts/Austrian_Empire/AnAU9bdG">Austria</a>. </p>