Faced with the threat of an attack by the British fleet under Admiral Nelson, Sweden and Denmark had linked their telegraph networks to give them early warning. When Nelson attacked Copenhagen on April 2nd 1801, the news was transmitted to Sweden using the first ever network-to-network (or “internet”) protocol. The panels on the Danish telegraph tower at Kronborg were configured to indicate that Copenhagen had been attacked. Across the Oresund strait, the Swedes hoisted a flag to show that they had received the message. The system worked flawlessly—except that the Swedes did nothing to aid Denmark, and the Danish fleet was defeated. Not for the last time, the expectations raised by international telecommunications were disappointed.