Part 5/10:
The chaos of withdrawal shattered the morale of Danish troops, who faced frostbite and exhaustion while the enemy forces moved in decisively. The world watched as one of the great European powers faced a seemingly inevitable fate with considerable uncertainty about the international ramifications.
The Climax of the War
On April 18, 1864, Prussian and Austrian forces launched a well-coordinated and brutal assault on the Danish stronghold at Dybbol. Danish soldiers, although outnumbered and outgunned, resisted fiercely, but it was only a matter of time before the overwhelming firepower of their foes would take its toll. This decisive attack marked a turning point in the war; within hours, the Danish hopes of holding onto Schleswig and Holstein were extinguished.