During the first years of the 1800s, Denmark suffered the consequences of the Napoleonic Wars. The British interpreted the 1794 neutrality treaty of Denmark and Sweden (joined by Russia and Prussia in 1800) as an act of hostility. An English naval attack on the Danish capital led to the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, and in 1807 the British seized Denmark's battle fleet after bombarding the city. Thus, Denmark entered the war on the French side--with catastrophic consequences. In 1813 the Danish state was forced to declare bankruptcy; after Napoleon's defeat the following year, the Danish-Norwegian kingdom was divided, with Denmark forced to cede Norway to Sweden. These national catastrophes weighed on the young Ingemann, who had--of his own free will--taken part in Copenhagen's defense during the 1807 bombardment. In addition, death thinned out the ranks of his family during this time, and he was especially hard hit by the loss of his beloved mother in 1809. He, too, was plagued with sickness and the expectation of an early demise. In a draft of his memoirs Ingemann relates how, as a student, he plugged the barrel on his pistol in fear that he might "faae Lyst til et pludseligt Spring ind i Aandeverdenen" (suddenly yearn to hop into the next world).
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