Denmark had concentrated most of its army on the southern frontier against the expanding French Empire. That deployment addressed the danger of a French pre-emptive attack but left Copenhagen and its expensive rebuilt fleet exposed to Britain. The ships could have been shifted to a safer anchorage, covered by stronger defences, or simply kept at sea in the Baltic. With negotiations under way, British discovery and intervention were foreseeable. The missed dispersal decision left a critical strategic investment exposed to a demonstrated Royal Navy threat.
Notable Point · 17:42-19:14
Why Denmark left its rebuilt fleet exposed
Denmark guarded its southern frontier against France while leaving an expensive rebuilt fleet vulnerable at Copenhagen instead of dispersing it or sending it to sea.