User:Tinkaer1991/Ditmarschen Campaign of 1559
| Ditmarschen Campaign of 1559 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Map of the military campaigns | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Dithmarschen | |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Jacobs Harder (POW) Drees Johann † Michael Boie |
 Frederick II Johann Rantzau Moritz Ranzaus Walther Waltherthum Reimar Woldes Wolf Schoneweses † Joakim Blankenburg John II Adolf I (WIA) Anthony I (WIA) | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
| Peasants and local militias | See Danish force | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| c 12.000 men |
c 18-20.000 men 1000 vehicles 7500 horses | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
+3000 casualties ~4000  |
+400 dead +100 wounded | ||||||||
The Ditmarschen Campaign of 1559 (Danish; Ditmarskenfelttoget af 1559), also commonly known as the Last Feud (Danish; Sidste Fejde: German; letzte Fehde), was a quick military campaign of Frederick II of Denmark and his two uncles, Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, against the Dithmarschan peasantry in 1559.
Despite previously succeding in repelling a Danish invasion in 1500, the campaign was a swift and unexpensive for Frederick II, and Dithmarschen would be partitioned by Frederick, Adolf and John.
Background
On New Year's Day 1559 Christian III of Denmark died, and his first son, Frederick II of Denmark would inherent the Danish Realm. Frederick's first major decision as king was to invade and conquer the Peasant Republic of Dithmarschen.[1]
Dithmarschen had eluded previous Danish and Holsteinian attempts of conquest.[2] The most recent being in 1500, when Frederick's great-uncle John, King of Denmark (r 1481–1513) attempted to subjegate the region, yet lost at the humiliating Battle of Hemmingstedt.[2]
Prelude
Since the mid-1550's Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, Frederick's uncle, had been planning an assault in Dithmarschen. As Adolf raised an army for his invasion, it drew the attention of Frederick.[2] By April 1559 he joined Adolf's mobilisation together with his second uncle, John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg.[2] The Leading members of the Council of the Realm (Danish; Rigsråd), especially the chancellor, Johan Friis, opposed the war.[2] Their reasoning being, that Denmark was in an imminent danger of attack from Sweden or Lorraine,[a] and therefore it would be dangerous to commit Danish forces to something as insignificant like a campaign in Dithmarschen.[2]
Others (mainly Germans) argued for the campaign,[2] and in May 1559 Danish and Holsteinian forces were mobilized outside the border to Dithmarschen.
Danish force
Campaign
Initial confrontations
Battle of Meldorf
Battle of Brunsbüttel
Battle of Heide
Aftermath
Partitioning of Dithmarschen
See also
Notes
- ^ As regent of Lorraine, Christina of Denmark claimed the Danish throne for her father, Christian II of Denmark (for further information, see claim)
References
Sources
- Lockhart, Paul (2004). Frederik II and the Protestant Cause. Boston: Brill.
- ^ Lockhart 2004, p. 36.
- ^ a b c d e f g Lockhart 2004, p. 37.