Anglo-Danish War of 1807–14

Anglo-Danish War of 1807–14 

a war waged by England against Denmark; a constituent part of the so-called Napoleonic Wars.

On Aug. 16, 1807, England, striving to prevent Denmark from joining the continental blockade, made a landing on the Danish coast; this force, in collaboration with the English fleet, blockaded Copenhagen. On September 7, after a fierce artillery bombardment of Copenhagen, the English forced the Danish military command to surrender the capital. The British seized nearly the entire Danish flotilla. Despite its setbacks, the Danish government did not capitulate to England; after concluding a military alliance with France at the end of October 1807, it joined the continental blockade. On Nov. 4, 1807, England officially declared war on Denmark. Denmark waged war against England until 1810, with the support of Russia, which declared war against England on Nov. 7, 1807. This aided Denmark in 1808–09, when it had to fight against Sweden as well. Denmark concluded the Treaty of Kiel of 1814 with England and Sweden; the treaty’s basic resolutions were confirmed by the Congress of Vienna in 1814–15. Denmark, as an ally of Napoleon I, ceded Norway to Sweden and Heligoland to England. The Anglo-Danish War, like Denmark’s generally unsuccessful participation in the Napoleonic Wars, had a very adverse effect on the country’s economy, reducing Denmark to the status of a second-rate naval power.