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The battle of Prague was a battle fought on May 6, 1757 during the Seven Years' War. A
Prussian army of 65,000 men fought an Austrian army of 62,000 men. The Prussians lost 14,300 men, the Austrians lost ca. 13,400 men.
Prelude
After Frederick had forced the surrender of Saxony in the 1756 campaign, he spent the winter devising new plans for a defense of his small kingdom. It was completely
impossible for his character to sit back and defend.
In early spring the Prussian army marched in 4 columns over the mountain passes separating Saxony and Silesia from Bohemia. The 4 corps would unite at the Bohemian
capitol of Prague. Though risky, because it exposed the Prussian army to a defeat in
detail, the plan succeeded. After Fredericks corps united with a corps under Prinz Moritz, and General Bevern performed his junction
with Schwerin, both armies converged near Prague.
Meanwhile the Austrians had not been idle. Though initially surprised by the early Prussian attack, the able Austrian Marshall
von Browne had been retreating skilfully and concentrating his armed forces towards Prague. Here he established a fortified
position to the east of the town, and an additional army under Prince Charles of Lorraine arrived swelling the Austrian numbers
to 60,000. The prince now took command.
The Austrian army under von Browne had taken up a near invincible position on the Ziska- and the Tabor mountains. The town was
on their left flank, the North by a steep gorge, and to the west by a marshy slope with a brook at the bottom. The two Austrian
commanders are in disagreement about the course of action: von Browne wants to attack, but Charles decides to wait for Konigseck,
who got defeated at the battle of Reichenberg but is
known to retreat towards Prague, and possibly even for the arrival of Daun.
On the 6th of May, around 5 a.m., the Prussian army assembled to the north on the Prosek heights, 115.000 men strong, and
Frederick sent Keith with 30,000 to the west of the town to cut off any Austrian retreat. The Austrians drew up for battle facing
north and east.
The battle
Frederick ordered an immediate assault, but Schwerin convinced him to make a reconnaissance around the Austrian right flank.
He returned with the information that gradually sloping green meadows offered a better chance for attack at the Austrian rear.
The Prussian army started marching around 7 a.m., and succeeded to stay largely out of sight till the Austrian generals noticed
the movements around 10 a.m. Fieldmarshall von Browne shifted six infantry regiments to take up position south east.
Schwerin, accompanied by general Winterfeldt, was finally prepared to attack. The attack was lead by the infantry of
Winterfeldt. The Prussian infantry soon found themselves not in lusty meadows, but in the remains of fish ponds. While they
struggled through, Winterfeldt was hit by a musketball. The Prussian infantry wavered and Schwerin rallied them, leading them
from the front. He was hit several times by Austrian canister. Frederick, when he heard the news, ordered to press the
assault.
The Austrian infantry smelled the Prussian confusion and started to press the Prussians back down the slope, opening a gap
between them and the remainder of the Austrian line still facing north. At his time von Browne was killed by Prussian infantry
fire and carried into Prague.
While King Frederick and General von Ziethen reorganised the Prussian infantry in the south for another attack, the generals
Hautcharmoy and Bevern spotted the gap in the Austrian line and started to filter infantry into the gap. Austrian croats had
engaged Prussians to the north of the Austrian left flank, but with the gap in the Austrian line being exploited by a steady
strem of Prussians he pulled back and formed a new line running south from the west end of the Tabor mountain.
The final phase of the battle started around 3 p.m., with Prussians engaging the still forming Austrian line and outflanking
them from he south. Charles withdrew into the town, the retreat being covered by his cavalry.
Aftermath
The Austrians had lost 13,400 men and 5,000 prisoners. Having suffered over 14,000 casualties in his own army, losses hard to
replace for the small Prussia, Frederick decided not to assault the city walls of Prague. He calculated that 40,000 soldiers in
addition to 75,000 inhabitants would soon consume the city stores.
His calculation, however, did not take into account the relieve army Austria managed to field against him at the battle of Kolin.
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