Austria's Schleswig Policy

This is the first monograph devoted to the diplomatic history of Austria’s Schleswig policy in the 1848-52 period. The Hungarian historian has used mainly unpublished sources, written in Danish, German, French, and Hungarian to trace Austrian and Hungarian connections to the First Schleswig War and the intricacies of Austro-Danish diplomatic relations throughout the period. The book first sets out the basic problem of the Schleswig conflict within the Danish monarchy and the Prusso-Austrian contention for hegemony in Germany, and then examines how the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848/49 was connected to the First Schleswig War. Finally, it explores Austria’s efforts at consolidation after gaining the upper hand in Germany. The main protagonist of the book, however, is not Austria, Denmark, Germany or Hungary, but the common past of Europe. What makes the writing unique is the way it connects European diplomatic history with the history of Central and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and the province of Schleswig-Holstein.