Battle of Neustadt (1760) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Neustadt
Part of the Third Silesian War (Seven Years' War)
Date 25 March 1760 Location Neustadt, Prussian Silesia (now Prudnik, Poland) 50°19′11″N 17°34′45″E / 50.31972°N 17.57917°E / 50.31972; 17.57917 Result Prussian victory
Belligerents
Prussia	Austria France
Commanders and leaders
Heinrich von Manteuffel	Ernst von Laudon Jacquemin
Casualties and losses
35 dead 65 wounded	300 dead 500 wounded 25 captured

The Battle of Neustadt happened on March 15, 1760. It was a fight between the Prussian Army, led by Heinrich von Manteuffel, and the Austrian army, led by Ernst Gideon von Laudon. This battle was part of the Third Silesian War, which itself was a bigger conflict called the Seven Years' War.

Even though the Austrians ended up controlling the town of Neustadt, they lost many more soldiers than the Prussians. The Prussians won this battle because they caused more damage to the enemy.

The Battle of Neustadt

A Surprise Attack

General Laudon of Austria wanted to surprise the Prussian troops in Neustadt. Neustadt is now called Prudnik and is in Poland. His plan didn't quite work out, even though the Prussians suffered some losses.

On March 15, 1760, the Prussians were getting ready to move. Their leader, Lieutenant General Baron Goltze, knew that General Laudon was gathering his soldiers. He also knew that Austrian cavalry and infantry were moving towards nearby towns.

So, Goltze called back all his smaller groups of soldiers. He began marching his entire force towards Neisse.

The Austrian Plan

General Laudon had left his camp the day before, on March 14. He had a large force with him. This included different types of cavalry, like cuirassiers and dragoons. He also had many hussars and Croats. Plus, he brought 14 companies of grenadiers, who were special soldiers.

Laudon marched all night, hoping to catch the Prussians off guard in Neustadt. But the Prussians were already leaving the town when they found themselves surrounded by the Austrians.

The Fight Begins

General Jacquemin, an Austrian commander, took his soldiers near a place called Buchelsdorf. General Laudon followed with more troops, including 2,000 Croats and the grenadiers. Austrian hussars were on the right side of the Prussian forces.

The Prussians had a small group of 100 men at the front, led by Captain Blumenthal. Another 100 men formed the rear guard, led by Captain Zittzwitz. The rest of their soldiers and their supplies followed behind.

General Laudon used a trumpet to tell the Prussians to give up twice. But the Prussians refused to surrender. So, Laudon ordered all his cavalry to charge.

Prussian Defense

General Jacquemin attacked the front of the Prussian line. General Laudon attacked the back. The hussars tried to attack the Prussian supplies from the side.

Captains Blumenthal and Zittzwitz quickly formed their small groups into a square shape. From this square, they kept firing at the Austrians. The Austrian cavalry charged six times, getting very close to the Prussians. But they saw many of their own soldiers fall, including officers. So, they retreated in a very messy way.

Later, the Croats took over a nearby wood. The roads through this wood were very bad, especially because of rain. This made it hard for wagons to pass. The Croats attacked the Prussians from all sides in this difficult area.

Unfortunately, one Prussian wagon broke down in a narrow pass. The Prussians couldn't stop to fix it. They had to leave behind everything that was stuck behind the broken wagon. This meant five wagons of supplies and eighteen carts of food fell into Austrian hands. The Austrians kept attacking the Prussians all the way to Steinau, constantly fighting the rear guard.

The Outcome

Who Lost More?

The Austrians lost many more soldiers than the Prussians in this battle. They buried over 300 of their men in different places. They also sent 500 wounded soldiers to Neustadt.

The Prussians, on the other hand, captured 25 Austrian prisoners, including some officers. The Prussians had 35 men killed. They also had 4 officers and 69 regular soldiers wounded in Manteuffel's regiment. One lieutenant and three dragoons were also wounded.

The Austrians captured a few Prussians: one junior officer, two drummers, and 35 regular soldiers. So, the total loss for the Prussians, including those missing, was about 170 men. This was not a large number, especially considering how many more soldiers the Austrians had.

After the Battle

Even though General Laudon managed to take control of Neustadt, he couldn't hold it for long. On March 17, at dawn, he left the town. He retreated with his grenadiers to Jägerndorf. He also ordered his cavalry to march to Freiwaldau.