On 5 December 1757, the Battle of Leuthen was fought in Poland between the Prussians under Frederick the Great and the Austrians under Charles of Lorraine during the Seven Years War.
Why did it happen?
The Seven Years War began in 1756 after Austria attempted to regain the province of Silesia, which had been occupied by the Prussians under Frederick the Great during the War of the Austrian Succession. Austria forged alliances with France and Russia while Prussia allied with Britain, who supported Prussia by sending financial assistance and troops while it fought France in North America and India. In 1757, after suffering two defeats at the battles of Kolin and Gross-Jagersdorf in June and August respectively, Frederick defeated the French and Austrians at the Battle of Rossbach on 5 November. A month after the battle, Frederick marched into Silesia to expel a second Austrian army under Charles of Lorraine at Leuthen.
Who was involved?
The Prussian army at Leuthen numbered 24,000 infantry, 12,000 cavalry and 167 artillery. The Prussian army was arrayed in two lines, infantry in the centre and cavalry on the wings, between the villages of Borne and Lobetinz. Frederick planned to defeat the Austrian army through his favorite tactical manoeuvre: the Attack in Oblique Order. This manoeuvre involves massing steadily increasing strength against one wing of the enemy army until it breaks, while smaller, secondary forces hold the enemy’s attention and stop the transfer of reserves towards the threatened flank. The Austrian army at Leuthen numbered 45,000 infantry, 15,000 cavalry and 210 artillery. Like the Prussians, the Austrian army was arrayed in two long lines with infantry in the centre, cavalry on the flanks and artillery in the vanguard.
What happened?
On the morning of 5 December, Frederick ordered the cavalry on his left-wing to make a feint attack on the Austrian right-wing. In response, Charles of Lorraine ordered part of his left-wing to march to the Austrian right-wing in anticipation of an attack there. At the same time, the Prussian army marched south around some hills to redeploy facing the Austrian left wing. Advancing in Oblique Order, the Prussians quickly defeated the Austrian left wing, forcing it to withdraw towards the village of Leuthen. Realizing his mistake, Charles redeployed the Austrian army to face the Prussian army outside Leuthen. The Austrian right wing under Luchessi then charged the Prussian left flank, only to be repulsed and routed. The Prussian left wing cavalry under Driesen, in tandem with the Prussian left flank, then wheeled around to attack the Austrian army in the flank and rear, causing the Austrian resolve to break and flee the battlefield. While the Prussians suffered 2,300 killed and 4,000 wounded, the Austrian casualties numbered 9,500 killed or wounded and 12,000 infantry and 116 artillery captured.
What changed as a result?
The Battle of Leuthen was a Prussian victory. Napoleon Bonaparte would later comment that the Battle of Leuthen was, “a masterpiece of manoeuvre and resolution. It would suffice by itself to immortalize Frederick and rank him amongst the greatest generals” (Chandler, 2000, p.147). Despite being a tactically brilliant victory, however, Frederick would continue fighting the Austrians and Russians for the next five years. In 1759, the Russians occupied Berlin and it was only after Russia changed sides in 1762 that Frederick was able to stave off defeat, concluding the Peace of Hubertusberg in 1763 which formally ended the Seven Years War. After the war, Frederick devoted his efforts to rebuild his shattered army and country until his death in 1786.
Bibliography
Chandler, David G. The Art of Warfare on Land. Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 2000.
Grant, R.G. 1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History. London, Cassell Illustrated, 2011.
Grant, R.G. Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5,000 Years of Combat. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2005.
Montgomery, Bernard. A History of Warfare. London, Collins, 1968.
Webb, Jonathan. “Battle of Leuthen, 1757.” The Art of Battle. Last revised 2009. http://www.theartofbattle.com/battle-of-leuthen-1757/
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