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Danish soldiers returning home from the first Schleswig War. (credit: Otto Bache, 1894) [more in post]
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JohnnyEnzyme piefed.social JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-06-11
(edited) Quote

Seems like PJ used to post ~10 of these a day when he was active, so I figured I'd throw my hamster in the ring. 🙂

The First Schleswig War or Schleswig-Holstein uprising and the Three Years' War (Danish: Treårskrigen), was a military conflict in S. Denmark and N. Germany rooted in the Schleswig–Holstein question: who should control the duchies of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg, which at the time were ruled by the king of Denmark in a personal union. Ultimately, Denmark proved victorious with the diplomatic support of the great powers, especially Britain and Russia, since the duchies were close to an important Baltic seaway connecting both powers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Schleswig_War

NOTE: there's a higher-quality 4298x3165 image at the link above.

Also fun to look at the assorted art here:
https://www.google.com/search?q="First+Schleswig+War"&udm=2


Finally, some comments via the EE:

It's exactly the kind of national romantic naïveté expressed by this painting that got Denmark into the Second Schleswig War, which was a disaster.

Lord Palmerston (British PM) apparently said "Only three people have ever really understood the Schleswig-Holstein business – the Prince Consort, who is dead – a German professor, who has gone mad – and I, who have forgotten all about it."

XD

Quick TL;DR of the Schleswig-Holstein Question?

So we have two duchies, Schleswig and Holstein. They are right next to each other and ruled by the same Duke, who also is the King of Denmark. Holstein is fully German, was part of the HRE and then the German Confederation. Schleswig has been Danish since the Viking Age but has a growing German population and is governed autonomous from Denmark. In the past Danish Kings signed treaties that the two duchies would remain forever undivided. In 1848 the Danish King tried to integrate Schleswig into Denmark proper. The Germans living there revolt and Holstein joins in.

Small correction. It was not the King's decision to integrate Schleswig. It was due to Denmark becoming a democracy and wanting to be a national state. The people in Schleswig did not want to be a part of the Danish national state and they did not want to be a minority inside a democracy. In fact in the beginning of the revolt, they thought that the king had been overthrown and they were prepared to fight as royalists(!)

As for the 'EE,' there are a few more interesting comments if you wish, but please put on your hazardous protective wear if one intends to visit them:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BattlePaintings/comments/1tmpu1r/danish_soldiers_returning_home_from_the_first/

42   Original
Diplomjodler lemmy.world Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-01-08
#2 · Quote Reply

What did your hamster do to deserve this?

1
JohnnyEnzyme piefed.social JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-06-11
#3 · Quote Reply

What did your hamster do to deserve this?

Bah, elle avait juste besoin de faire un peu d'exercice !

(trop de graines, etc.)

1
Diplomjodler lemmy.world Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-01-08
#4 · Quote Reply

Bah, elle avait juste besoin de faire un peu d'exercice ! (trop de graines, etc.)

Wie bitte? Ich spreche kein Italienisch.

1
ChicoSuave lemmy.world ChicoSuave@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-08-12
#5 · Quote Reply

Thank you for the great post!

4
JohnnyEnzyme piefed.social JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-06-11
#6 · Quote Reply

Wie bitte? Ich spreche kein Italienisch.

Sorry, I answered in French. My bad. Let me try again?

Ach, sie musste sich einfach nur ein bisschen bewegen!

(zu viele Samen usw.)

(Note: I suck BAD upon High German, so I had to get help to understand what you were saying. My bad.)

2
Diplomjodler lemmy.world Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-01-08
#7 · Quote Reply

Sorry, I answered in French. My bad. Let me try again? Ach, sie musste sich einfach nur ein bisschen bewegen! (zu viele Samen usw.) (Note: I suck BAD upon High German, so I had to get help to understand what you were saying. My bad.)

Das macht doch nichts!

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JohnnyEnzyme piefed.social JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-06-11
#8 · Quote Reply

Thank you for the great post!

Foof.
Thank you!

"PugJesus" was such a great poster here,
Solo me gustaría mantener su trabajo, de vez en cuando!

2
JohnnyEnzyme piefed.social JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-06-11
#9 · Quote Reply

Das macht doch nichts!

OMG, I LOVE this bumbling communication process so much. It's just... totally HUMAN! And I love puzzles, haha.

Right so, err-- you're saying something like... 'the might ... nights!'

WHICH is obviously wrong. Dammit.
Wait, wait... this is a metaphor, right..??

1
Sibbo sopuli.xyz Sibbo@sopuli.xyz
Joined: 2023-06-06
#10 · Quote Reply

How are they all smiling? Was war less terrible back then? Did they pick the unused reserves for the parade? Or is this just the artists interpretation?

1
JohnnyEnzyme piefed.social JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-06-11
#11 · Quote Reply

How are they all smiling? Was war less terrible back then? Did they pick the unused reserves for the parade? Or is this just the artists interpretation?

Through the usual mechanisms, obviously.

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Bipauler sh.itjust.works Bipauler@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2026-06-04
#12 · Quote Reply

Nice dress bro

2
JohnnyEnzyme piefed.social JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-06-11
#13 · Quote Reply

Nice dress bro

Wait till you see the high-def version, ol' cheese!

:D

1
Diplomjodler lemmy.world Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-01-08
#14 · Quote Reply

OMG, I LOVE this bumbling communication process so much. It's just... totally HUMAN! And I love puzzles, haha. Right so, err-- you're saying something like... 'the might ... nights!' WHICH is obviously wrong. Dammit. Wait, wait... this is a metaphor, right..??

ไม่มีปัญหา

1
JohnnyEnzyme piefed.social JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-06-11
#15 · Quote Reply

ไม่มีปัญหา

Gesundheit!

1
Diplomjodler lemmy.world Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-01-08
#16 · Quote Reply

Gesundheit!

願你活在有趣的時代

1
jaycifer lemmy.world jaycifer@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-03-12
#17 · Quote Reply

With Prussia being my favorite to play in Victoria 3, it’s cool to see a little more about what the deal was with Schleswig-Holstein.

1
Sharkticon lemmy.zip Sharkticon@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2025-12-21
#18 · Quote Reply

How are they all smiling? Was war less terrible back then? Did they pick the unused reserves for the parade? Or is this just the artists interpretation?

If war is so bad then why would they not be smiling when coming home and ending said war?

1
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