The Battle of Koniggratz, also known as the Battle of Sadowa, was fought on 3 July 1866 between the armies of Prussia and the Austrian Empire near present-day Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic at the culmination of the Austro-Prussian War. The Prussians decisively defeated the Austrian Nord-Armee in Bohemia, and, nineteen days later, Austria and its German allies signed the Peace of Prague, permanently excluding the House of Habsburg from German affairs.
History[]
When Austria declared war on Prussia in June 1866, Prussian chief of staff Helmuth von Moltke set in motion a bold offensive. Making maximum use of railroads, the Prussians rapidly advanced over 200,000 men to the border. On the principle of "march divided, fight united," Moltke split his forces into three field armies - the Army of the Elbe and the First and Second Armies. The Austrians, commanded by Ludwig von Benedek, dawdled indecisively while the Prussians thrust southward. Armed with breech-loading rifles and fighting in small units, the Prussians inflicted heavy losses on Austrian infantry attacking in dense columns. The three Prussian armies converged upon the Austrians positioned on high ground near the fortress of Koniggratz. Moltke's plan was for his Elbe and First Armies to restrain the Austrians while his Second Army delivered a crushing blow to the right flank. The day of the battle brought driving rain and near disaster for the Prussians. Through a breakdown in communications, the Second Army did not receive the order to attack. The Elbe and First Armies attacked at dawn but were greatly outnumbered. By 11:00 AM their attack had stalled and they were driven back. The Prussians were saved by Benedek's inertia in failing to press home a counterattack and by the superiority of their rifles and artillery. In the early afternoon the Second Army at last received the order to move. Its onslaught from the flank forced Benedek to withdraw. The Austrian emperor Franz Joseph sought a ceasefire three weeks later.