The Donnersmarck Plot

The Donnersmarck plot, also known as the Denmark Affair or the Donnersmarck Incident, was a plot in 1838 to instigate a war with Denmark over Schleswig-Holstein. The plot included notable Prussian politicians and capitalists such as Ludwig Henckel von Donnersmarck, Erich von Labiau, Christoffer zu Muskau, Carl Helmke and Hans Carstein. Some historians also claim that capitalist Franz von Stockbrünn was involved, but no solid proof has surfaced so far. The basic idea behind the Donnersmarck plot was an attempt to stage a diplomatic incident involving people paid to act like refugees going from Denmark to Prussia to attempt to start and war to free the German state puppeted by Denmark.

However, during the preparation stage of the plot, the plotters ran into several difficulties, including an incident at a bar between Danish merchants and Erich von Labiau and Josef Stanislaus von Heidelberg. The biggest mistake in the preparation of the plot was made during a meeting at the Donnersmarck estate of all the plotters to discuss the planned border incident. During this meeting, Ludwig von Donnersmarck had tried to invite outsiders such as Thomas Drach and Wilhelm Hoth. As the latter did in fact arrive, he was stunned by what the plotters were planning and left mid-meeting to reveal this information to the King.

Several days later, on the 20th of March 1838, a group of foreigners was arrested on the border between Holstein and Mecklenburg for illegally crossing the border. The foreigners claimed to be refugees from Holstein who seeked refuge in Prussia from Danish oppression. However, one of the refugees was carrying a large sum of money with him. When asked where he had acquired the money, the man reveiled that Ludwig von Donnersmarck had paid him and his family to cross the border and stage an international incident.

A police investigation, in combination with the information that Hoth had provided, revealed the extent of the plot. The attempt to stage a war failed and backfired massively as many of the plotters were arrested and executed. Erich von Labiau, Christoffer zu Muskau and Hans Carstein were all courtmartialled and sentenced to death. Ludwig von Donnersmarck, as a civilian, was sentenced to life in prison, where he eventually died. Carl Helmke was reprimanded, but not given any official sentence as he was following orders from a superior officer and was not aware that a crime was being committed. The Donnersmarck Incident had a huge effect on Prussian politics as a large section of the right had died, leaving room for the rise of Wilhelm Hoth to prominence.