Reactions of Various Countries

As the war progressed, the battlefield began to turn bloody. After Prussia's initial display, the Austrian Empire also started to show the strength expected of a major power.

On the very next day, the Austrian army launched the large-scale Battle of Königshügel. With a fierce offensive, they successfully pushed the front line close to the Danish defenses.

The Danish defenses immediately appeared precarious. If the other German states had joined in, Denmark's defenses would likely have faced even greater difficulties.

Amidst the smoke-filled battlefield, the heavy weaponry of the German states continued to increase, with the number of cannons steadily rising.

A hundred cannons firing simultaneously intensified the pressure on the Danish lines. The flashes of light illuminated the night, and the weather began to turn foul.

However, the Danish positions clearly could not fully withstand such a powerful artillery assault. Their morale plummeted under the barrage of cannon fire.

Seeing the danger to their lines, and the risk of being outflanked, Danish Commander-in-Chief General Meza began to consider abandoning the position.

On the fourth day, Meza convened an emergency meeting. The Danish generals present wore grim expressions.

Unit commanders complained about the hardships of the war. The enemy possessed overwhelming firepower and countless troops. Before their soldiers could even engage, they were wounded by incoming shells.

They also lamented the incompetence of their own government. Not only were the British remaining inactive, but the anticipated Nordic Allied Forces had also failed to materialize.

Denmark was now isolated and without support. If they lost their troops here, they might as well surrender afterward.

"Alright, I didn't call you here to listen to complaints. I know the predicament we're in, but we have no other choice!" General Meza snapped. He continued, "We have two paths before us. The first is to hold our position and fight the enemy to the death."

As soon as he finished speaking, someone objected, "Fight to the death! How? This position clearly cannot be held. Even if our numbers doubled, we couldn't do it."

Others immediately agreed. The hope of holding this defensive line was slim indeed.

Meza looked at his agitated officers and reprimanded them expressionlessly, "Enough. I didn't call you here to argue. Have you no military bearing? If arguing could solve problems, go argue with the enemy!"

The room immediately fell silent. Meza continued, "Now, for the second option: retreat from our current fortifications, delay the enemy's advance, and look for an opening later. The time has come to choose. Speak your minds."

Immediately, an officer said, "Commander, I believe retreating will preserve a sliver of hope. If the government can later persuade other nations to intervene, we might still have a chance. Blindly holding this position is a sure path to destruction."

Most officers nodded in agreement, but General Meza hesitated to make a decision lightly.

"What you say is good, but retreating also carries risks. Considering the weather alone, it's winter. How to ensure an orderly withdrawal is a major problem. However, we truly have no other choice. But let's consider carefully and decide by vote!"

Following this, General Meza had his generals vote anonymously. The primary reason was that Meza was not optimistic about the war's trajectory, and he absolutely could not allow anyone to find leverage against him at this moment.

By adopting the most democratic method, even if problems arose, they could later attribute them to a collective decision.

Using anonymous voting also severed any possibility for future investigators to claim he manipulated the meeting or acted arbitrarily.

As the voting results were announced, the motion to retreat and preserve fighting strength passed unanimously, with no dissenting votes.

Thus, the Danes began their withdrawal that night. However, the severity of the weather exceeded all expectations. The retreating Danish army encountered a blizzard.

The sudden blizzard disrupted the Danes' plans. On a winter night, the wind was already bone-chilling. Snowflakes began to fall from the sky, and soon, the cold wind, mixed with large, feathery snowflakes, quickly covered the land in white.

The marching column, formed in a long line, trudged through the snowy landscape, appearing as a dark dragon against the white expanse. But tonight, the moon hid behind dark clouds.

With no lights on, the soldiers' vision was obscured. Their boots crunched on the snow, and the white snow beneath their feet gradually turned into dark, muddy slush.

Without the aid of railways, the Danish army could only trek long distances in the blizzard. Their low morale made the march even more difficult. The initially orderly formation slowly began to slip out of the commanders' control.

The chaos exacerbated the unrest among the soldiers. Curses began to rise, mingling with the neighing of horses and mules. The mules and horses also became sluggish in the snow. The sound of whips and angry shouts intertwined in the night sky, appearing somber and bleak against the roar of the wind and snow.

General Meza, overseeing the rear and not yet having retreated, watched the blizzard outside the fortifications, which showed no signs of abating. Unease grew within him, and his heart was clouded with worry.

However, he could no longer recall the order. The main force had departed long ago, making a halt halfway difficult.

General Meza could only place his hope in the gods of fate to protect Denmark. But from Meza's somber expression, so tight it seemed incapable of producing a drop of sweat, it was clear his inner turmoil was far from calm.

The next morning, with the light of dawn, the Danish army began to assess their losses. Affected by the weather, a large amount of supplies and weapons were left behind in the snowstorm. The hasty retreat also led to significant non-combat casualties.

There were also unfortunate souls who got separated from the main force during the night, and it was unlikely they would ever be reunited.

This was a less than ideal retreat, even comparable to the losses of a small battle.

However, the Danish army still completed its withdrawal by dawn on the sixth day, preserving most of its fighting strength and continuing the war.

Poor General Meza still could not escape blame. When news of the failed retreat reached home, angry citizens took to the streets in protest. Meza was dismissed for his incompetent command of the retreat.

The Danish government still had no intention of surrendering or seeking peace. Although the front line had suffered a temporary setback, their main force remained intact, and they could still fight on.

The remaining Danish troops retreated to Flensburg to continue resisting the allied forces, and the war went on.

Although the government did not intend to surrender, their hearts were cold. The intervention they had anticipated from other nations had not materialized. Most infuriating were the British and the Swedes.

Denmark was the linchpin for Britain's control of the Baltic Sea. Sweden and Denmark shared a relationship of mutual dependence, like lips and teeth. Although there were historical grievances with both countries, Denmark was no longer the minor power capable of disrupting the European balance. With other nations allowing Denmark to fail, its decline would accelerate.

The Danish government was in a state of extreme urgency. Britain's response was delayed, and other countries offered no assistance.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was practically "living" at the British embassy. The British Minister to Denmark meticulously relayed the news back home.

However, Britain had not yet reached a consensus. The monarchy, government, and military were locked in a power struggle, and there was no concrete plan for military intervention.

Britain could only send a message to its ambassador in Denmark: "Delay." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, actively engaged with the Nordic countries and the Russian Empire, but without significant progress.