User:Tinkaer1991/Ditmarschen Campaign of 1559

The Ditmarschen Campaign of 1559 (Ditmarskenfelttoget af 1559), also commonly known as the Last Feud (Sidste Fejde, 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 of 1559 was swift and inexpensive 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 inherit the Danish Realm. Frederick's first major decision as king was to invade and conquer the Peasant Republic of Dithmarschen.

Dithmarschen had eluded previous Danish and Holsteinian attempts of conquest. The most recent being in 1500, when Frederick's great-uncle John, King of Denmark (r 1481–1513) attempted to subjugate the region, yet lost at the humiliating Battle of Hemmingstedt.

Prelude
Since the mid-1550s 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. By April 1559 he joined Adolf's mobilization together with his second uncle, John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg. The Leading members of the Council of the Realm (Danish; Rigsråd), especially the chancellor, Johan Friis, opposed the war. Their reasoning being, that Denmark was in an imminent danger of attack from Sweden or Lorraine, and therefore it would be dangerous to commit Danish forces to something as insignificant as a campaign in Dithmarschen.

Others (mainly Germans) argued for the campaign, and in May 1559 Danish and Holsteinian forces were mobilized outside the border to Dithmarschen.

Danish force
The Danish-Holsteinian army was composed of three infantry regiments:

The cavalry consisted of roughly 1800 men commanded by:
 * Walther von Waltherthum's regiment of 12 fenniker (c 3600 men)
 * Reimar v. Woldes' regiment of 10 fenniker (c 3000 men)
 * Wolf Schoneweses' regiment of 12 fenniker (c 3600 men)

The armor was of good quality, yet instead of lances, they used two pistols. Additionally, each of the dukes carried 8 field pieces, 2 battering rams, and 8 hearses.
 * 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)

Campaign
On 22 May 1559 Frederick and his forces marched over the border and set camp at Albersdorf.