gogm said:
Prussia's War with Denmark
Although now a little known historical footnote, the consequences of the Danish War were incalcuable. It was the first step in the organizatin of a future Germany under the most miliataraistic and conservative state in the German Confederation. There were German states with more liberal, democratic institutions (Bavaria, Hanover, and others) and less belicose, militaristic outlooks. The Danish War was the first step in Prussia's absorbtion of some of the more liberal German states such as Hannover and Hesse and the end of their constitutional monarchies.
If there had been a more democratic, less miliatristic approch taken to German unification, the history of the 20th century may have been quite different.
The Danish War was also an important step in changing the British perception of Prussia and Germany from a potential ally against their historical enemy France to a dangerous enemy.
The fact that their popular Princess of Wales was Danish was an important factor in shaping British attitudes."
Perhaps this land grab by the Prussians was sowing the seeds of what was to become the first world war.
But then, Prussia has a long history of grabbing territory... didnt they grab Silesia from Austria in the Seven Years War ? Marie Antoinette's mum was not very pleased !
But back then Prussia and Fred the Great was a big ally of England facing up to the French.
Years later... at the Battle of Waterloo, many say that it was Blucher and the Prussians who saved our bacon and sent Napoleon to his final defeat.
In later years Prussia, under the devilish control of Bismark eventually swallowed up the other German states including Bavaria and brought about the unification of Germany under Prussian.. and Berlin control.
Historically it was Vienna and the Habsburgs who were a major power in Europe competing with the French for territory, now these Prussian upstarts were taking over...
Meanwhile the Austrian Empire was fading fast.
Bertie began to view Germany as a threat and looked to France as an ally... hence the entente cordial.
Europe began to polorize into two sides
Germany... Austria... Italy....The Triple Alliance
versus
Britain... France.... Russia.... The Triple Entente.
A young, teenage Serbian lit the fuse in 1914 and .. bingo... we had the First World War !
