Historica Wiki
Advertisement

The Battle of Leuthen (5 December 1757) was a decisive battle of the Seven Years War, fought between the 33,000-strong Prussian army of King Frederick the Great and the 66,000-strong Austrian army of Charles Alexander of Lorraine. The Prussians deceived the Austrians by sending a great portion of their army to march around the Austrian flank, heading around the snowy hills, and the Austrians believed that the Prussians were retreating; the Austrians did have twice the number of men, so Prince Charles Alexander saw it as a reasonable maneuver. However, the Austrians were surprised when they were attacked on two sides by the Prussian army, and the Austrians were routed after a fierce battle. Leuthen was one of the decisive battles of the war, and it was a great example of King Frederick the Great's inspirational leadership and clever maneuvers. However, the war would drag on for six more years, and Frederick's skills would continue to be tested as he was faced with more improbable scenarios.

History[]

After the Battle of Rossbach, Frederick the Great was anxious to expel a second Austrian army, commanded by the emperor's brother-in-law, Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine, from Silesia, the immensely valuable province that he had seized from Austria in 1740. The battle of Leuthen is regarded as Frederick's outstanding performance, "a masterpiece of movement, maneuver and resolve," according to Napoleon. The Austrians held a strong position centered on the village of Leuthen, with a front nearly 5 miles wide and their flanks protected by swampy ground. Frederick feigned an attack on the Austrian right, where all attention was concentrated while, partly hidden by a ridge, he advanced on their left. South of Lobetinz, he completed a rapid redeployment with such parade-ground despatch that it attracted jeers from enemy observers. The move placed his troops facing the Austrians' southern flank. The Austrian reaction was too slow; their cavalry had been moved to what was assumed to be the threatened right. At Leuthen the Austrians stood 100 deep but could not stop the determination and courage of their attackers and were decimated by Frederick's "walking batteries" of robotic infantry. Silesia was saved, the defeated Austrians withdrew to Bohemia, and an angry Empress Maria Theresa removed Prince Charles from his post.

Advertisement