Battle of Prague (1757) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Prague
Part of the Third Silesian War (Seven Years' War)
Date 6 May 1757 Location Prague, Bohemia, present-day Czech Republic 50°05′N 14°33′E / 50.083°N 14.550°E / 50.083; 14.550 Result Prussian victory
Belligerents
Prussia	Austria
Commanders and leaders
Frederick the Great Prince Henry of Prussia Kurt Christoph Graf von Schwerin  †	Charles of Lorraine Maximilian Ulysses Count Browne (DOW)
Strength
64,000	60,000-61,000
Casualties and losses
14,300 killed and wounded	13,275

The Battle of Prague, also known as the Battle of Štěrboholy, happened on May 6, 1757. It was a major fight during the Third Silesian War, which was part of the larger Seven Years' War. In this battle, Frederick the Great led his 64,000 Prussian soldiers against 60,000 Austrian soldiers. The Prussians won, forcing the Austrians to retreat. However, the Prussians lost many soldiers, about 14,300, so Frederick decided not to attack the city of Prague directly. This battle is even mentioned in a famous German poem called Lenore.

Why the Battle Happened

After Frederick's army won against Saxony in 1756, he spent the winter planning how to protect his small kingdom. Frederick was a bold leader and didn't just want to defend. He started making plans for another strong move against Austria.

In the spring, the Prussian army marched in four groups. They crossed the mountains that separated Saxony and Silesia from Bohemia. The plan was for all four groups to meet up in Prague, the capital of Bohemia. This was a risky plan because it could have led to the Prussian army being defeated in smaller parts. But the plan worked. Frederick's group joined with Prince Moritz's group. General Bevern also joined with Schwerin's group. Then, both large armies moved closer to Prague.

Meanwhile, the Austrians were also preparing. They were surprised by the early Prussian attack. But the skilled Austrian field marshal Maximilian Ulysses Count Browne managed to retreat carefully. He brought his forces together near Prague. There, he set up a strong defensive position east of the city. Another army, led by Prince Charles of Lorraine, arrived. This made the Austrian army grow to 60,000 soldiers. Prince Charles then took command of the Austrian forces.

The Austrian army under von Browne took a very strong position. They were on the Ziska and Tabor mountains. The city of Prague was on their left side. To the north, there was a steep valley. To the west, there was a marshy slope with a small stream at the bottom. The two Austrian commanders, von Browne and Prince Charles, disagreed on what to do. Von Browne wanted to attack. But Charles decided to wait for more troops. He wanted to wait for Konigseck, who was retreating towards Prague. He also hoped for General Daun to arrive.

On May 6, around 5 AM, the Prussian army gathered on the Prosek heights to the north. They had 115,000 men. Frederick sent Keith with 30,000 soldiers to the west of Prague. Their job was to stop any Austrian retreat. The Austrians prepared for battle, facing north and east.

The Battle Begins

The Battle of Prague in Bohemia, May 6, 1757, an 18th-century English engraving

Frederick wanted to attack right away. But General Schwerin convinced him to scout around the Austrian right side first. Schwerin found that gently sloping green fields offered a better chance to attack the Austrian rear. The Prussian army started marching around 7 AM. They managed to stay mostly hidden until the Austrian generals noticed their movements around 10 AM. Field Marshal von Browne moved six infantry regiments to take up positions to the southeast.

Schwerin, along with General Winterfeldt, was finally ready to attack. Winterfeldt's infantry led the charge. But the Prussian soldiers soon found themselves in old fish ponds, not meadows. They struggled to move through the muddy ground. During this time, Winterfeldt was hit by a musket ball. The Prussian infantry hesitated. Schwerin bravely rallied them, leading from the front. He was hit several times by Austrian cannon fire. When Frederick heard the news, he ordered the attack to continue. However, Schwerin's death deeply affected King Frederick. Eyewitnesses said Frederick seemed very upset, lamenting the many soldiers lost.

The Austrian infantry saw the Prussians were confused. They began to push the Prussians back down the slope. This created a gap in the Austrian line, between their main force and the part still facing north. At this point, von Browne was badly wounded by Prussian gunfire and carried into Prague.

While King Frederick and General von Zieten reorganized the Prussian infantry in the south for another attack, two other generals, Hautcharmoy and Bevern, saw the gap in the Austrian line. They started sending Prussian infantry into this opening. Austrian Croat soldiers had been fighting Prussians on the north side of the Austrian left flank. But as more Prussians poured into the gap, the Croats pulled back. They formed a new line running south from the west end of the Tabor mountain.

The last part of the battle began around 3 PM. Prussians attacked the still-forming Austrian line and went around their side from the south. Prince Charles then retreated into the city of Prague. His cavalry helped cover the retreat, protecting his soldiers as they pulled back.

King Frederick's exact location during the battle is debated. Records show he spent most of the battle on the southern part of the field. Frederick himself claimed he had stomach pains. This was his way of explaining why he was often absent. He seemed to let Schwerin handle scouting and the decision to attack the village of Sterbohol. So, Schwerin's leadership and the quick actions of other commanders after Schwerin died were very important for the Prussian victory.

What Happened Next

The Prussian victory came at a high cost. Frederick lost over 14,000 men. Two of his best generals were out of action: Schwerin was killed, and Winterfeldt was badly wounded. Prince Charles's army also suffered greatly. They lost 8,900 men killed or wounded and 4,500 taken prisoner.

Because of his heavy losses, Frederick decided to lay siege to Prague instead of directly attacking its walls. He thought that 40,000 soldiers, plus 75,000 citizens, would quickly run out of food and supplies inside the city.

However, Frederick's plan didn't account for the relief army that Austria managed to send against him at the Battle of Kolín. Because of this new threat, Frederick was soon forced to give up the siege of Prague.

Images for kids

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  A map showing the attempted envelopment during the Battle of Prague.