Editing Holstein (section)

===United Holstein===
With the dissolution of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] in 1806 Holstein's imperial vassal status turned void. It thus became a sovereign state. Because of its [[personal union]] with Denmark, the Duchy of Holstein did not come under French occupation during the [[Napoleonic era]] (however, the neighboring duchy of Lauenburg was annexed by France in 1811 and became a part of [[Bouches-de-l'Elbe]]). From 1815 to 1864 it was a member of the [[German Confederation]], though still in personal union with Denmark (the King of Denmark being also Duke of Holstein).

[[File:1866 Black Holstein.jpg|thumb|right|Map of the Duchy of Holstein, 1815-66]] Following the death of King [[Frederick VII of Denmark]] ([[House of Oldenburg]]) in 1863, the inheritance of Schleswig and Holstein was disputed.  The new king, [[Christian IX of Denmark|Christian IX]] ([[House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg]], a cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg), made his claim to the Danish throne through a female line. The [[House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg|Duke of Augustenborg]], a minor scion from another cadet line of the House of Oldenburg, claimed the Duchies, and soon the German Confederation, led by [[Prussia]] and [[Austria]], went to the [[Second Schleswig War]] with Denmark, quickly defeating it in 1864 and forcing it to cede the duchies.

However, the duchies were not given to the Duke of Augustenborg. In 1865 an arrangement was worked out between Prussia and Austria where the Austrians occupied and administered Holstein, while the Prussians did the same in Schleswig. This arrangement came to an end with the [[Austro-Prussian War]] of 1866, which resulted in Schleswig and Holstein both being incorporated into Prussia as the [[Province of Schleswig-Holstein]]. Holstein, meanwhile including former [[Saxe-Lauenburg]] (as of 1876) and the former [[History of the Free and Hanseatic City of Lübeck|Free and Hanseatic City of Lübeck]] and [[Principality of Lübeck#Principality and Region of Lübeck|Region of Lübeck]] (both as of 1937) regained statehood, now united with Schleswig, in 1946, when the British occupation government elevated the province to the [[Schleswig-Holstein|State of Schleswig-Holstein]], followed by the official dissolution of Prussia in 1947.

[[File:Jutland Peninsula map.PNG|thumb|240px|Map of [[Jutland]] and Northernmost [[Germany]] showing [[Schleswig]] and Holstein in today's [[Schleswig-Holstein]]]]

For a list of rulers, see ''[[Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein]]'' and ''[[List of rulers of Schleswig-Holstein]]''.