Someone in the comments calls him a Great Dane. I am
immeasurably sorry I never thought of that one on my own.
The translation of the telegram is great, although all things considered, maybe not worth it?
I still want to know why he fell.
The horse was spooked by something. Not someone, that's important.
Happens in a city where there are all sorts of noises and smoking things moving about. Most cars at the time drove on gas using more or less improvised contraptions.
https://arkiv.dk/vis/2210463
It was noisy and belched smoke and often the engine gave out loud groans of protest.
So perhaps it was a car. Or a stray dog. A tramp or someone ringing too enthusiastically with the bell on the bike.
Christian X's response to Hitlers very long and flattering telegram on his birthday was short and typical for him: Min bedste tak. Which can be translated to: My most sincere thank you, but it can also be translated to: Yeah, well thanks. (But no more than I have to.)
Christian X was a very stern and formal man and I doubt very much he would have been impressed by an overly flowery telegram. Be that from Hitler or anyone else. And being a military man to the innermost core of his bones, he did see the invasion and not least the occupation of Denmark as a personal affront.
Nor was he a man who was particularly diplomatic. Polite but gruff.
Of course from a foreign political point of view the overwhelming and personal telegram from Hitler was very good news. That meant that the footwork had paid off and that DK could hope to continue running our own affairs pretty much without interference from Germany. (And also safeguarding the Danish Jews a little while longer.)
From an icecold and pragmatic perspective the diplomatic appeasement policy by the Foreign Minister and the Foreign Ministry was masterly. It kept the Germans at an arms distance while at the same time quietly reassuring the Allies that DK was not a German client state. (We were actually. Otherwise...)
Of course that couldn't last. That this collaboration policy lasted until 1943 is quite baffling. - But keep in mind that the Germans had a considerable interest in keeping things quiet in DK.
It was a safe place to be stationed. The Danish output of agricultural products meant quite a lot towards the end of the war. (Even today with a considerable reduced farm land we produce food enough for additional eleven million people.) A DK running itself didn't require that many soldiers on the ground. (Towards the end of the war the constant sabotage tied down 200.000 German soldiers.) And the connection between Germany and Norway, and that includes the mines in Kiruna in Sweden was vital for Germany. (By 1944, the railway going up through Jutland was blown up several times a day, every single day.)
DK was also the only occupied country where the Germans caved in after a general strike. The population among other things demanded Danish collaborators off the streets. Where they were a true menace to everybody around them. Sometimes shooting randomly into crowds. And in some cases with German soldiers actually shooting back!
Because it was open war between the Resistance and the Collaborators. Ironically with the average German soldier trying to keep his head down. A very bizarre situation! But not unique for DK.
In Yugoslavia the various ethnic and political factions were just as busy killing each other than the German occupiers.
In Greece the Nationalists and Communists hated each other.
Northern Italy was bordering on anarchy.
In the old days they would have made him king for that alone).
