Battles & Campaigns · 1850
Battle of Idstedt
Idstedt (Isted), Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
What happened
The fighting began when Danish forward troops met Schleswig-Holstein outposts, and the main Danish attack followed that night. Mist and rain made it hard for the commanders to see the battlefield. Around noon Krogh ordered a general advance, and the Schleswig-Holstein army withdrew toward the town of Schleswig.
Why it matters
It was a Danish victory and, at the time, the largest battle in Scandinavian history. But the Schleswig-Holstein army survived, so the war went on.
What came next
In January 1851 the Great Powers pressed both sides, and the Schleswig-Holstein government and army were disbanded.
Did you know?
The Isted Lion statue was put up in Flensburg in memory of the battle, and 25 July is still a military flag day in Denmark.
Timeline
- 24 Jul 1850The first clashes begin.
- 25 Jul 1850Battle of Idstedt.
- Jan 1851The Schleswig-Holstein army is disbanded.
- 1864Second Schleswig War; Battle of Dybbøl.