The Battle of Leuthen, 5 of December, 1757.
Background
Although the Seven Years’ War was a global conflict, the European front gained unique intensity due to the fierce rivalry between Frederick II of Prussia, known as Frederick the Great, and Maria Theresa of Austria. This rivalry originated in 1740 when, upon Maria Theresa’s accession to the throne, Frederick seized the wealthy province of Silesia. The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) concluded the War of the Austrian Succession, formally awarding Silesia to Prussia. However, Maria Theresa viewed the treaty as a temporary measure, allowing time to rebuild her military strength and forge new alliances with the goal of reclaiming Silesia and restoring her dominance in the Holy Roman Empire.
By 1754, rising tensions between Britain and France in North America provided Maria Theresa with an opportunity to regain lost territories and limit Prussia’s expanding power. In a surprising diplomatic shift known as the Diplomatic Revolution, Austria and France set aside their historic enmity to form a coalition. Maria Theresa further cemented this alliance by arranging the marriage of her daughter, Maria Antonia, to the French Dauphin. Britain, in response, allied with Frederick II, bringing George II’s Electorate of Hanover and other related German principalities into the fold.
In 1756, as war erupted, Frederick struck quickly, occupying Saxony and defeating the Austrians at the Battle of Prague on May 6, 1757. However, his campaigns were interrupted when French forces invaded Hanover. On November 5, 1757, Frederick’s army, vastly outnumbered, achieved a stunning victory at the Battle of Rossbach. Yet, during his absence, Austrian forces led by Prince Charles of Lorraine recaptured much of Silesia.
By late November, Frederick’s army rapidly marched to confront the Austrian forces. His army swelled to approximately 33,000, armed with 167 cannons. They arrived near Leuthen to face an Austrian army twice their size, consisting of 66,000 troops. The battle terrain in Lower Silesia consisted of rolling plains ideal for observation, with soft alluvial soils that hampered swift movement but could conceal the sounds of marching troops. Prince Charles established a defensive line stretching 8 km across the undulating plains, anchoring key positions in the villages of Leuthen, Nypern, and Sagschütz. His command post, set up in a church tower in Leuthen, provided a vantage point over the battlefield. Frederick, familiar with the terrain from previous manoeuvres, devised a plan to exploit the low hills that shielded his forces. With exceptional artillery and disciplined cavalry, he prepared to outmanoeuvre and overwhelm the numerically superior Austrian army, setting the stage for a decisive encounter at Leuthen.
The Battle
Foggy weather cloaked the battlefield, hindering visibility for both sides, but Frederick and his commanders skilfully turned this to their advantage. Leaving a cavalry unit and a small infantry force before the Austrian right flank, he concentrated the bulk of his army toward Leuthen, leading Prince Charles to misjudge it as a retreat.
At 4:00 a.m. on Sunday, Frederick set his forces in motion, advancing in four columns: two inner columns of infantry and two outer columns of cavalry. Concealed by rolling hills, Frederick manoeuvred three columns obliquely to his right, leaving only one cavalry column visible to the Austrians. This feint misled Charles, who shifted his reserves to his right flank, weakening his left. Meanwhile, the main Prussian force, unseen, moved behind the hills, positioning itself to outflank the Austrian left.
The Austrians were stunned when the Prussian infantry appeared on their vulnerable left flank. However, they hastily pivoted their lines and used a shallow ditch for cover. Franz Leopold von Nádasdy, commanding the left wing, urgently requested reinforcements from Charles, who ignored the plea, convinced the primary attack was still on his right. Despite initially holding their ground, the advancing Prussians, supported by artillery, shattered their lines. Running out of ammunition, they were forced into a chaotic retreat.
Frederick marched toward Lissa, where startled Austrian officers surrendered. After resting, he pursued Charles’s army into Bohemia, capturing additional prisoners and supplies. On December 7, Frederick besieged Breslau, which surrendered by December 20. Out of 66,000 Austrians, 22,000 were lost, including 12,000 captured and 3,000 dead. In contrast, the Prussians lost 6,344 out of 36,000 troops.
Aftermath
The Battle of Leuthen dealt a crushing blow to Austrian morale and drastically altered the course of the war. Frederick’s victory, achieved with an army half the size of the Austrians, demonstrated the effectiveness of disciplined manoeuvre warfare and the oblique order of battle. The loss of Breslau on December 20 and the subsequent retreat of Charles’s army into Bohemia left the Austrians reeling. Maria Theresa, recognising the severity of the defeat, replaced Prince Charles with Count Leopold Joseph von Daun as commander of the Austrian forces.
In conclusion, the battle not only secured Prussian control over Silesia but also reinforced Frederick’s military legacy as one of Europe’s most formidable commanders. The Austrian military, having learned the dangers of engaging Prussian forces in open battle, would later adapt its strategies, focusing on more cautious and defensive approaches in subsequent campaigns.
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