Battle of Dybbøl

Battle context

The Battle of Dybbøl was the decisive engagement of the Second Schleswig War. Fought on the morning of 18 April 1864 following a siege that began on 2 April, it ended in a severe Danish defeat. Prussia committed 11,000 troops against a Danish force of 5,000; Danish casualties of 3,534 far exceeded the Prussian toll of 1,201. Combined with the subsequent Prussian capture of the island of Als, the battle determined the war's outcome, compelling Denmark to cede the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. The loss transferred control of the duchies to Prussia and Austria and marked a significant contraction of Danish territory, reshaping the political map of the region.