In the face of the Schleswig–Holstein question, this discredited him significantly. When Austria and Prussia came to an agreement at the Gastein Convention, von Dalwigk proved to have chosen the wrong horse once again. He compounded this error in the following year when he took Hesse into the Austro-Prussian War on the Austrian side.
His reputation was severely damaged by the Schleswig–Holstein question. When Austria and Prussia reached an agreement at the Gastein Convention, von Dalwigk made another mistake. He then made a further blunder in the following year when he sided with Austria against Hesse during the Austro-Prussian War.