Frederick exercised practical authority because the king was unable to provide effective direction. His ideal view of international order was poorly matched to the military world in which policy had to operate. Denmark-Norway chose a course likely to produce war with Britain but did not support that choice with adequate naval preparation. Copenhagen can therefore be read as a failure to connect diplomacy, grand strategy, and defence planning as well as a tactical defeat.
Notable Point · 1:13:18-1:17:03
Crown Prince Frederick and the limits of fixed strategy
Crown Prince Frederick's rigid view of how events ought to unfold contributed to Denmark-Norway's predicament because it did not match the existing balance of power.