he Schleswig Wars were fought over the destiny of Schleswig and Holstein, the two duchies at the base of the Jutland Peninsula. Both were ruled by the king of Denmark as their duke, but while Schleswig was part of Denmark, Holstein was a member of the German Confederation. The mixed population of Schleswig (Danish in the north and German in the south) also complicated matters. Danish nationalists wanted to separate Schleswig formally into Denmark, while German nationalists wanted to combine the two duchies
