The decomposition of the D anish imperial monarchy

One of the classical questions in the study of nationalism concerns the end of empires. Is nationalism, to use the phrase of H iers and W immer, the cause or consequence of the end of empire? This paper considers a neglected case, that of the decomposition of the D anish imperial monarchy in the years between 1848 and 1864. We find that nationalist conflicts indisputably caused the end of this political entity. Crucially, D anish nationalists in the imperial core preferred to downsize the territories controlled by the O ldenburgs rather than to share power with G erman speakers in the periphery. Decomposition was not, however, inevitable: an early introduction of power‐sharing schemes might have saved the imperial monarchy.