Battle of Copenhagen (1801) 1801
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 2 April 1801 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1801 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
| Era | 19th century (1800–1913) | derived from year |
| Location | Denmark | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | War of the Second Coalition | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Denmark–Norway, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 55.7028, 12.6133 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
In the Battle of Copenhagen, also known as the First Battle of Copenhagen to distinguish it from the Second Battle of Copenhagen in 1807, a British naval fleet defeated a smaller force of the Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy anchored near Copenhagen on 2 April 1801. The battle came about over British fears that the powerful Danish fleet would ally with France, and a breakdown in diplomatic communications on both sides.
As the British ships entered the large harbour of the Danish Navy, several of its ships took up station at the harbour's roadstead, forming a blockade. The Danish fleet defended the capital with these ships and bastions on both sides of the harbour inlet. It was the second attempt by the British to try to prevent a Franco-Danish alliance, as the British had already entered Øresund with a fleet in August 1800, in order to persuade Denmark not to ally with France. The Danes agreed to the British terms upon hearing news of the assassination of Emperor Paul I of Russia, as his death meant the end of the Russian-led League of Armed Neutrality of which Denmark was a member.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Copenhagen (1801) (revision 1376064749), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Battle of Blidebro · 3 km
- Assault on Copenhagen (1659) 1658 · 4 km
- Battle of Copenhagen (1289) 1289 · 4 km
- Siege of Copenhagen (1368) 1368 · 4 km
- Assault on Copenhagen (1659) 1659 · 4 km
- Battle of Copenhagen (1807) 1807 · 5 km
Other battles of the War of the Second Coalition
- Battle of Neuburg (1800) 1800
- Battle of Pozzolo 1800
- Battles of Stockach and Engen 1800
- Battles of Stockach and Engen 1800
- Siege of Genoa (1800) 1800
All 35 battles of the War of the Second Coalition →
Browse more: battles in Denmark · Europe · 19th century battles