Lauenburg Succession Conflict, 1689-1693




The Duchy of Sachsen-Lauenburg became an object contested by her neighbours, when Duke Julius Franz died in 1689 without leaving behind a son. Sachsen-Lauenburg was an Imperial fief.
Duke Georg Wilhelm of Braunschweig-Lüneburg (residing at Celle), had the Duchy occupied, thus creating a fait accompli. King Christian V. of Denmark - who had an old account to settle (in 1686 approaching troops of the Duke of Braunschweig-Lüneburg had caused his to break off the Siege of Hamburg) in 1693 sent an army into the Duchy of Lauenburg, demanding foreign (Braunschweig-Lüneburgian) troops to leave the country. When this demand was denied, the Danish troops conquered and destroyed the fortress city of Ratzeburg - the city, except for the Cathedral district (which belonged to Mecklenburg) was part of the Duchy of Lauenburg. Only in 1690 had the fortifications of Ratzeburg been strengthened.
Emperor Leopold I. did not interfere directly, as he was involved in the War of the Grand Alliance 1689-1697 against France. Yet he condoned the occupation of Lauenburg by Duke Georg Wilhelm of Braunschweig-Lüneburg. Denmark did not commit to an all-out war and, after the sack of Ratzeburg, withdrew her troops; the fate of Sachsen-Lauenburg remained tied to Braunschweig-Lüneburg.


EXTERNAL
FILES 		Article Lauenburg, from Schleswig-Holstein von A bis Z, in German
Ratzeburg, from Ferienland Schleswig-Holstein, in German; from Stadtarchiv Ratzeburg, in German
Bibliography (Danish) Campaign against Ratzeburg 1693, by D. Schorr
Pamphlets concerning the Danish demolition of Ratzeburg 1693, from Univ. Augsburg Digital Library
DOCUMENTS List of Dukes of Sachsen-Ratzeburg (i.e. Sachsen-Lauenburg), from Regnal Chronologies, scroll doiwn for Saxony, Sachsen-Ratzeburg
Tredje fransk-nederlandska kriget 1684-1697 (Third French-Dutch War 1684-1697), from RA Stockholm, Krigsarkivet, list of maps/plans; a few on Ratzeburg 1693
REFERENCE



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted on March 16th 2004, last revised on November 19th 2004

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