Battle of Torgau facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Torgau
Part of the Third Silesian War (Seven Years' War)
Frederick the Great after Torgau, by Bernhard Rode
Date 3 November 1760 Location Süptitzer Höhen, near Torgau, Saxony, Holy Roman Empire 51°34′30″N 12°55′30″E / 51.57500°N 12.92500°E / 51.57500; 12.92500 Result Prussian victory
Belligerents
Prussia	Austria
Commanders and leaders
Frederick the Great (WIA)	Leopold von Daun (WIA)
Strength
48,500 309 guns	52,000 275 guns
Casualties and losses
13,120-16,670	11,260-15,897

The Battle of Torgau happened on November 3, 1760. It was a big fight between the Prussian army, led by King Frederick the Great, and the Austrian army, led by Field Marshal Leopold Josef Graf Daun. The Prussians won, but it was a very costly victory. This battle was one of the bloodiest during the Third Silesian War, which was part of the larger Seven Years' War.

Why the Battle Happened

In August 1760, the Austrian commander Daun missed a chance to defeat the main Prussian army. King Frederick's army was outnumbered three to one. But Frederick managed to escape by defeating an Austrian force at the Battle of Liegnitz.

Later, the Prussians stayed in Silesia. Their enemies, who had more soldiers, attacked them. About 18,000 Austrian soldiers joined with Russian forces near Berlin. This made a total of 35,000 allied soldiers. While 13,000 Prussians hid in a fortress, the Austrians and Russians captured 3,000 Prussians in Berlin on October 9.

Planning the Attack

In late October, Daun's Austrian army moved west to Saxony. There, another Austrian force joined him. The Austrian government told Daun to fight the Prussians. So, Daun chose a strong position on the Süptitzer Heights, just west of Torgau.

This area had been used before by Prince Henry. It was protected by fallen trees (called an abatis) on the west. A small stream protected the south side. The Austrians faced south. One part of their army was closer to Torgau, and Daun's main army was further west. In total, Daun had 42,000 foot soldiers, 10,000 cavalry (soldiers on horseback), and 275 cannons.

King Frederick decided to send General Hans Joachim von Zieten to keep Daun busy from the south. Meanwhile, Frederick's main army would go around the west side of the Austrian lines. They would attack from the north.

Zieten's force had 21 groups of foot soldiers and 54 groups of cavalry. Frederick's main army had 41 groups of foot soldiers and 48 groups of cavalry. In total, the Prussians had 35,000 foot soldiers, 13,500 cavalry, and 309 cannons.

The Battle Begins

Map of the Battle of Torgau

Frederick before the Battle of Torgau

Frederick embracing Zieten after the battle. Painting by Peter Janssen.

Around noon, Frederick's main army was still struggling through the woods north of the Austrian position. At the same time, Zieten's soldiers started fighting with the Austrian light infantry. Daun quickly realized what the Prussians were doing. He moved his first line of soldiers to the north side of the heights. Soon, cannons began firing from both sides.

Frederick heard the cannon fire and worried that Zieten was in trouble. So, he decided to attack too early. He sent ten groups of elite soldiers forward. But the Austrian cannons and muskets fired heavily. This caused 5,000 Prussian soldiers to be lost in just half an hour.

When the main group of Prussian foot soldiers arrived, they also attacked uphill. Daun had to use his backup soldiers to stop this second attack. The Prussian cavalry, led by Prince Georg Ludwig of Holstein-Gottorp, tried to break the Austrian line, but they also failed.

A cannonball hit Frederick in the chest. He was badly hurt and went to a nearby village. The king spent the night sitting on the church altar steps, waiting for news. Daun, the Austrian commander, was also wounded in the foot. He went to Torgau to get his wound treated. Daun sent a message to Empress Maria Theresa of Austria in Vienna, saying they had won.

The Tide Turns

As evening came, the battle changed. Zieten's soldiers, who had been fighting without much progress, finally launched a big attack. He moved his troops to the west. There, he found an unguarded path between two ponds. He sent five groups of soldiers into this gap. Zieten then followed with the rest of his foot soldiers. Soon, his troops gained a strong position on the heights.

Hearing Zieten's successful attack, Lieutenant General Johann Dietrich von Hülsen led the remaining soldiers of Frederick's main army in a final push. The Austrian lines were now being attacked from both the north and the south. They finally began to break apart.

Zieten's men captured the Austrian cannons and turned them against their former owners. The Austrians tried twice to get their cannons back but failed. By 9:00 p.m., the fighting slowed down. The Prussians were still in control of the heights.

Aftermath of the Battle

The Prussians won the battle, but it cost them a lot. They reported losing 16,670 soldiers. The Austrians lost 15,897 soldiers, including about 10,000 men and 49 cannons captured.

Even after all this bloodshed, the Battle of Torgau didn't change much strategically. Daun still held Dresden and southern Saxony. Also, another Austrian general was free to set up winter camps in Silesia.

The battle left both sides very tired. Prussia lost almost as many soldiers as Austria, making its army weak again. However, Austria also lost much of its ability to attack. They couldn't win a big victory against the Prussians. Also, Austria was running out of money. After the 1760 fighting season, Austria had to make its army smaller. This meant they had little hope of defeating Prussia without help from Russia, which left the war in 1762. For the Austrians, this battle was a big blow to their spirits and their hope of winning.