Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 59:50-1:00:23

Could Denmark receive the Kiel Canal after the war?

A severe peace settlement could place the Kiel Canal under Danish control as territory and a defensible frontier.

Alternate HistoryDenmarkGerman EmpireKiel CanalTreaty Of Versailles
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Question

Could Denmark receive the Kiel Canal if Germany were broken up after the war?

Short answer

Possibly; a complete breakup could award the canal to Denmark as a defensible border.

Notes

One proposal gives Denmark the Kiel Canal as part of a wider breakup of Germany. The canal could serve as a defensible Danish frontier while removing a strategic asset from the German successor states. This remains a conditional outcome within an already severe settlement, because it depends on the victors dismantling Germany much more completely than they did historically.