He came forward with a new proposal and one which was extremely surprising, that the Estates of the Duchies should be summoned, and negotiations entered into with them.

It is one of the most obscure of all his actions; he did it contrary to the advice of those on the spot.

Everyone warned him that if the Estates were summoned their first action would be to proclaim Augustenburg as Duke.
Some suppose that the King insisted on his taking this step; that is, however, very improbable; others that he proposed it in order that it might be rejected by Austria, so that Austria might lose the great influence which by her support of Augustenburg she was gaining in Germany.

Austria, however, accepted the proposal, and then negotiations began as to the form in which the Estates should be called together; what should be the relations to them of the two Powers?
This gave rise to a minute controversy, which could not be settled, and no doubt Bismarck did not wish that it should be settled.

One of his conditions, however, was that, before the Estates were summoned, Augustenburg should be compelled to leave Holstein.