| Ditmarschen Campaign of 1559 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Top: Battle of Meldorf, 3 June Bottom: Battle of Heide, 13 June | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Dithmarschen |
 Denmark-Norway Holstein-Haderslev  Holstein-Gottorp Oldenburg | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Jacobs Harder (POW) Drees Johann † Michael Boie Unknown priest |
Frederick II Johann Rantzau Daniel Rantzau Walther Waltherthum Reimar Woldes Wolf Schoneweses † Joakim Blankenburg Didrik Holles Moritz Ranzaus John II Adolf I (WIA) Anthony I (WIA) | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
|
Peasants 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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
The Danish-Holsteinian army composed of three infantry regiments:[3]
Walther von Waltherthum's regiment of 12 fenniker[b] (c 3600 men)- Reimar v. Woldes' regiment of 10 fenniker (c 3000 men)
- Wolf Schoneweses' regiment of 12 fenniker (c 3600 men)
The cavalry consisted of roughly 1800 men commanded by:[3]
King Frederick (c 500 cavalry)
Duke Adolf and John (c 300 cavalry)- Moritz Rantzaus (c 500 cavalry)
- Joakim v. Blankenburg (c 400 cavalry)
- Didrik v. Holles (c 100 cavalry)
The armor was of good quality, yet instead of lances they used two pistols.[3] Additionally each of the dukes carried 8 field pieces, 2 battering rams and 8 hearses.[3]
Campaign edit
On 22 May 1559 Frederick and his forces marched over the border and set camp at Albersdorf.[3]
Initial confrontations edit
Battle of Meldorf edit
Battle of Brunsbüttel edit
Battle of Heide edit
Aftermath edit
Partitioning of Dithmarschen edit
See also edit
Notes edit
- ^ As regent of Lorraine, Christina of Denmark claimed the Danish throne for her father, Christian II of Denmark (for further information, see claim)
- ^ a fennike consisted of 300 men, 1/3 being armed with muskets and rapiers, while the rest of the men were armed with halberds, swords and pikes
References edit
Sources edit
- Lockhart, Paul (2004). Frederik II and the Protestant Cause. Boston: Brill.
- Norrie, Gordon (1959). Dithmarskerkrigene 1500 og 1559 (in Danish). Krigsvidenskab.dk.