Battle of Mysunde Day in Denmark Date in the current year: February 2, 2024

The Second Schleswig War was the second military conflict between Denmark and the German Confederation over the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. They were considered part of Denmark for a long time, but the majority of their population consisted of ethnic Germans, and many German nationalists wanted Schleswig and Holstein to become an independent part of the German Confederation.

The First Schleswig War between Denmark and Prussia was fought between 1848 and 1851. It ended in a Danish victory, and the duchies were joined by personal union with the King of Denmark. However, after King Frederick VII’s death in 1863, Prussia made another attempt to integrate Schleswig and Holstein into the German Confederation. In December 1862, Prussia took control of Holstein and demanded that Denmark give up Schleswig. Denmark rejected the ultimatum, so Prussia and Austria took military action.

On February 1, 1864, combined Prusso-Austrian troops crossed into Schleswig. Danish commander Christian de Meza decided to stop their advancement near the small fishing village of Mysunde located on the southern coast of the Schlei. Due to the narrowness of the Schlei, the defense of Mysunde had great strategic importance; should the Prussians break through, they would be able to surround Danish troops at Danevirke. The Danish had 2,500 men and 20 cannons to protect the village.

The Prussians began to advance at 8 a.m. on February 2. After an initial infantry skirmish, they opened fire on the bastions. An intense artillery duel between Prussian and Danish cannons lasted for several hours, but eventually the fog became so thick that it was virtually impossible to successfully identify and target the enemy positions.

The Prussian infantry began to advance towards the Danish bastions, but in the end, the Prussian commander decided against a frontal assault to prevent the inevitably high casualties. As a result, the Danes managed to defend Mysunde despite being outnumbered 4 to 1. The successful defense of the position boosted the morale of the troops and the general public.

Although Denmark lost the war and renounced the rights to Schleswig and Holstein, the Battle of Mysunde is still considered an important military victory, and its anniversary has been included in the list of Denmark’s flag-flying days.