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The battle of Kolin was a battle fought on June 18, 1757 during the Seven Years'
War.
A Prussian army of 32,000 men fought an Austrian army under Daun of 44,000 men. The Prussians lost the battle and nearly 14,000 men, the Austrians lost
9,000 men.
Friedrich II. had won a battle against Austria and was now sieging Prague. Marshall Daun had been too late to participate in the battle of Prague, but picked up
16,000 men who had escaped from the battle of Prague. With this army he slowly moved to relieve Prague and the Prussian forces
had to be split.
Friedrich took 32,000 of his men to intercept Daun. Knowing that the Prussian forces were to weak to both siege Prague and
keep Daun away from Prague for a longer time (or to fight the Austrian army reinforced by the Prague garrison), the Austrian took
defence positions on hills at Kolin. So
Friedrich was forced to attack the numerically stronger opponent. Reports of the Austrian strengths are mixed: some report 44,000
men, some reprots mention 65,000 men. The battle field of Kolin consisted of gently rolling hill slopes.
Friedrich's plan was to envelop the Austrian defence positions with most of his army (of course off range of the Austrian
weapons). Along the Austrian lines (Prussian left wing and center) there were only enough Prussian troops to be kept to hide the
concentration on the Prussian right wing.
The Prussian main force was to turn right toward the Austrians in order to attack their left flank. In the strong Prussian
right wing the Prussians would even outnumber the Austrians. After the Austrian left wing would be defeated the battle would be
decided.
Unfortunately for Friedrich his main force turned toward the Austrians too early and attacked the defence positions frontally
instead of outflanking them. Austrian light infantry (Croats) seems to have played an important role in this, harassing the
regular Prussian infantry under Generals von Manstein and Tresckow they provoked them into a premature attack.
Now the disunited Prussian columns all blundered into a series of uncoordinated attacks, each against superior numbers. By the
afternoon, after about 5 hours of fighting, Dauns troops were pinching the disoriented Prussians, and driving them back.
Prussian Curassers under Oberst von Seydlitz (promoted to major-general on that day) finally showed up. The Krzeczor Hill was
the location of numerous charges and counter charges. The first Guard battalion under General von Tauentzien saved the Prussian
army from a worse fate, covering the Prussian retreat.
The battle was Fredricks first defat in this war. This disaster forced him to abandon his intended march on Wien, and entailed raising the siege of Prague, and the Prussians fell back on Leitmeritz. The
Austrians, reinforced by the 48,000 troops in Prague, followed them 100,000 strong, and, falling on Prince August Wilhelm of
Prussia, who was retreating eccentrically (for commissariat reasons) on Zittau, inflicted a severe check upon him. The king was
compelled to abandon Bohemia.
Fredrick blamed his defeat on his generals such as Prince Moritz von Anhalt-Dessau. The truth is more subtle. The greatest blame must be laid in
Fredrcik himself. He opted for an assault against a numerically superior opponent. He choose a risky strategy for the battle. An
often underestimated factor in the battle was the tenacious and skillful defense organized by the Austrian marshall Daun. In
other battles Fredrick opted for the same flanking strategy, and won a brilliant victory. The Austrian army under Daun not only
withstood the Prussian assaults but also selected the correct momentum for a careful counter attack.
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