Hanover wins a battle but loses its independence

Victory against Prussia in the Battle of Langensalza is followed by the dissolution of the Kingdom of Hanover

The victors of the German-Danish War – Prussia and Austria – immediately fell out over who was going to administer the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. The German Confederation sided with Austria and issued a federal decree ordering mobilization against Prussia, thus beginning the “German fratricidal war” of 1866. As the Kingdom of Hanover sided with Austria and declined the offer of a Prussian alliance, Prussia sent a large army to invade its neighbour. Seeing that discretion was the better part of valour, the Hanoverian army retreated southwards to join with other troops of the German Confederation, but was cut off and encircled by a numerically smaller detachment of Prussians. Having left most of their supplies at home, the Hanoverian forces decided to negotiate.

Without authorization from his superiors, the Prussian commander launched an attack on the Hanoverians on 27 June 1866, but the Hanoverian forces ultimately carried the day following the collapse of the Prussian commander and a disruption in the chain of command. The Hanoverian victory at Langensalza was as spectacular as it was pyrrhic. Exhausted, lacking ammunition and faced by fresh Prussian reinforcements, the Hanoverian army was forced to surrender. The Prussian victory over Austria at Königgrätz/Sadowa a week later left Hannover at the mercy of Prussia, and Bismarck decided to annex the small central German kingdom. Hannover disappeared from the map of Europe only weeks after winning its last victory.