“These are iron men! They can be killed, but they cannot be broken!” - with these words, the Prussian king Frederick II summed up one of the bloodiest battles of the 18th century.
In the battle of Zorndorf, a small village in East Prussia, the Russians and Prussians lost a total of about 30 thousand people.
The battle became one of the symbols of the perseverance of Russian soldiers, which was appreciated by both their opponents and outside observers. Moreover, the soldiers showed this resilience not by order from above, but on their own initiative. In fact, for almost the entire battle, the Russian army was forced to fight without any control from above, since the commander-in-chief, after the first attacks of the Prussian cavalry, fled to the rear and returned only at dusk.
And in general, the Seven Years' War, one of the episodes of which was the Battle of Zorndorf, became an example of how the army finds itself hostage to politics. And - at the same time - an example of how courage becomes an irresistible force at a time when there is no worthy commander. “Iron men” at such moments themselves make the decision to fight to the death, thereby turning actual defeat into a real moral victory.
"The general is fussy and indecisive"
Russia was forced to join the anti-Prussian coalition by the alliance treaty concluded with Austria in 1746, as well as the defensive Austro-French treaty, which St. Petersburg joined in 1756. Russian troops made up more than a third of the total number of all armed forces of the coalition: Vienna and Paris found on whose shoulders to shift the main burden of the battles. It is not surprising that in such conditions, Russian commanders were forced to try to take into account all the nuances of political processes in St. Petersburg and the capitals of European powers. This, in particular, killed Stepan Apraksin. After the Grossegersdorf Victoria, he received news that Empress Elizabeth Petrovna was seriously ill and the heir Peter Fedorovich, an ardent admirer of Prussia and its king, was preparing to ascend the throne. The field marshal, realizing that with Peter's accession the foreign policy course would change, played a retreat - and was mistaken. The Empress recovered, and he eventually found himself under investigation and trial on charges of treason. This had the most negative impact on the course of the war: after Gross-Jägersdorf, the Russian army and its Austrian allies had a chance to finish off the Prussian troops, but it was missed. But Frederick, having learned that the commander in the Russian army had changed, which meant that other changes were inevitable that would temporarily reduce the enemy’s combat effectiveness, was not slow to take advantage of the opportunity that presented itself.
General-in-Chief Willim Fermor, the son of the Scottish nobleman Major General Willim Fermor, who had once entered the Russian military service, replaced the guilty Apraksin. As the outstanding Russian military historian Anton Kersnovsky spoke about Fermor the Younger, “General Fermor is an excellent administrator, a caring boss (Suvorov remembered him as a “second father”), but at the same time fussy and indecisive.”
Indeed, in the role of one of the senior officers who achieves the fulfillment of the task assigned to him by the commander-in-chief, Fermor was in his place during the Crimean campaigns of Minich, and in the battle of Stavuchany, and in the Swedish campaign of 1741. And at the beginning of his participation in the Seven Years' War, Chief General Fermor also proved himself well - both in the Battle of Grossegersdorf and by organizing the capture of Konigsberg and all of East Prussia. But still, the general was primarily concerned about the well-being and safety of the people. Which is not bad for a military leader, as long as this circumstance does not conflict with the strict need to sacrifice both his subordinates and himself for the sake of victory. It was precisely this determination, this courage to send people to certain death that General-Chief Fermor apparently lacked in the battle of Zorndorf. And his subordinates made this decision instead.
“The Prussian is coming!”
Frederick, who on the eve of the Seven Years' War considered the Russian army one of the weakest in Europe, if he did not change this opinion after Gross-Jägersdorf, at least began to take the Russians quite seriously.
Having assessed all the advantages of the position on the banks of the Oder, which Fermor had chosen for the decisive battle, the king immediately saw what the Russian Scot had missed. Alas, the impeccable position of the Russians had one critical drawback: as soon as the enemy attacked not from the front, but from the rear, the ideal position turned into an ideal trap. Frederick, whom no one had yet called the Great, but who had already demonstrated his military genius more than once, could not miss such a chance.
“Fermor received true news about the approach of the king and about his intention to cross the Oder,” writes in his memoirs one of the direct participants in the Zorndorf battle, a Lutheran pastor, Prussian Christian Tege, who accompanied the Russian army on the campaign. - Lieutenant General Kumatov was immediately dispatched to meet him with an observation corps. But this did not prevent Frederick from safely crossing the Oder; Kumatov overlooked the king, through whose fault I don’t know.”
Frederick scheduled the attack on the Russian positions, the weakness of which by that time had become obvious to both Fermor and his headquarters, for the early morning of August 14, 1758. This is how Tege describes the beginning of the battle: “Our soldiers woke me up shouting: “The Prussian is coming!” The sun was already shining brightly; we jumped on our horses, and from the height of the hill I saw the Prussian army approaching us; the rest of it shone in the sun; it was a terrible sight... The terrible beating of Prussian drums reached us, but no music could be heard yet. When the Prussians began to approach closer, we heard the sounds of oboes playing the famous hymn Ich bin ja, Herr, in deiner Macht (“Lord, I am in Thy power”)... While the enemy was approaching noisily and solemnly, the Russians stood so motionless and quiet, that there seemed to be no living soul between them.”
“It was not a battle, but better said, a massacre to death.”
The first blow was taken by the unfired observation corps: Frederick understood perfectly well who should be hit first. But, to his greatest surprise, the recruits not only did not rush to their heels, but did not even begin to move back much, meeting the attackers first with dense rifle fire and then with bayonets. And this battle abounded in such surprises for the Prussian army from the first to the last minute!
This is how the Russian historian Baron Alexander Weidemeyer described the course of the battle in the book “The Reign of Elizabeth Petrovna”: “The advanced Prussian army under the command of Major General Manteuffel began the attack; but, not being reinforced by the left wing, as was intended, this army moved too forward and thereby exposed its left flank to the Russians, which had no support. General Fermor, noticing this mistake, sent out cavalry, which attacked the Prussians so quickly that they were forced to retreat all the way to Zorndorf. Seeing the success of this attack, General Fermor ordered the infantry of the Russian right wing, deploying a carré, to pursue the enemy; but the Prussian general Seydlitz, rushing with his squadrons at the Russian cavalry, overthrew it and forced the infantry of the Russian right wing to retreat with great damage to it. At noon of the same day, rest followed on both sides; for both armies were tired..."
When the troops rested a little, the battle began to boil with renewed vigor. “The Russian cavalry rushed to the right wing, but the cannon fire of the Prussians forced it to retreat; the enemy cavalry pursued her, causing her great damage and took the battery back, writes Weydemeyer. - ... Widespread horror spread among the Prussians, whom neither the requests nor the threats of the officers could restrain, and they left the battlefield in shameful flight; even in the center many regiments fell into disarray. But Seydlitz with the cavalry... and then corrected the position of the Prussian troops... Meanwhile, the infantry of the Prussian right wing penetrated the Russian left and handed it over to the defeat of the cavalry. Both sides fought with the greatest ferocity; finally engaged in hand-to-hand combat; Both opposing armies were in great disorder, but the Prussians, accustomed to rapid movements, soon entered the lines and, despite the stubborn resistance of the Russians, overthrew them. Our people, retreating, rushed to the Mitsel River in order to cross to the opposite ... bank; but the bridges... were destroyed in advance by order of Frederick in order to cut off the Russian retreat; however, this means, used by the king to destroy our army, saved it. The Russians, having come to Mitsel and not finding bridges, saw that they could either defend themselves or die in the river. Little by little they began to come into order and formed different detachments that served as points for connecting the entire army.”
In the monograph “The History of Frederick the Great” by the Russian historian Fyodor Kony, it is said this way: “The Russians fought like lions. Entire rows of them lay down in place; others immediately stepped forward, challenging the Prussians at every step. Not a single soldier gave up and fought until he fell dead to the ground. Finally, all the shots were spent: they began to fight with cold steel. The stubbornness of the Russians further inflamed the anger of the Prussians: they chopped and stabbed everyone without mercy. Many soldiers, throwing away their weapons, bit each other with their teeth. Before the start of the battle, Frederick did not order pardon. “Let us also stand up for ourselves, brothers!” the Russians shouted. “We will not give pardon to the German, and we will not accept it from him: it’s better that we all lie down for Holy Rus' and Mother Queen!” There has never been an example of such a battle in history. It was not a battle, but rather, a massacre to death, where there was no mercy for the unarmed.”
In the battle of Zorndorf, the Russian army lost half of its personnel, the Prussian army lost a third. In absolute numbers it looks like this. Koni’s monograph says: “In the Zorndorf affair, the Prussians had 31,000 people, the Russians - up to 50,000; the loss of the former extended to 13,000 dead and prisoners, the latter to 19,000 people. The Prussians captured 85 cannons, 11 banners and most of our convoy. The Russians captured 26 guns, 8 banners and two standards from them.” According to later calculations by historians, the Prussians lost 11,000 people in the battle, the Russians - 16,000. But even lower figures make it possible to classify the Battle of Zorndorf as one of the bloodiest in the 18th–19th centuries.
"The Russian army accomplished this impossible..."
The parties interpreted the outcome of the battle in their favor. Frederick, who managed to stop the Russian troops rushing deep into Prussia, rightly believed that it was he who had the upper hand. At the same time, Fermor, reporting to Elizabeth about the results, wrote: “In a word, Most Gracious Empress, the enemy is defeated and cannot boast of anything!”
Historians, who do not need to take into account the political and palace interests of the contemporaries of Frederick and Fermor, give the battle a Solomon-like assessment: they say that in fact the victory remained with the Prussians, legally - with the Russians, who retained the battlefield. But the main victory, which even experts in military history rarely remember, still belonged to the Russians. The historian Fyodor Nesterov wrote about it very accurately in the book “A Link of Times”: “Discipline in this (Prussian - author’s note) army was cruel, but discipline itself can only provide an average effort of the army and is not capable of inspiring it to " impossible", exceeding the norm. The Russian army under Zorndorf just accomplished this “impossible”, because it fought under unthinkable conditions, not provided for by any regulations... The officers, in the confusion, release their soldiers from under their control, but give orders to the first ones they come across, and they carry them out. Soldiers obey the orders of officers they do not know because they are afraid of disciplinary action: now they are not afraid of anything. But because they feel trust in them, they need leadership, organization amid chaos in order to better fulfill their duty. But the enemy is driven back... and everyone hurries to the banner of his regiment. The evening roll call is made, a memorial service is served - and again before the eyes of Frederick there appears a slender, formidable fighting force, standing unshakably in the same place, as if there had been no skillful maneuver by him, Frederick, there had been no crushing volleys of all his artillery, there had been no swift blow of his cavalry and measured and methodical onslaught of his infantry.”
That is why the Battle of Zorndorf can rightfully be considered one of the worthy victories of Russian weapons. Over time, political winds begin to blow in a different direction, the assessments of contemporaries are replaced by balanced conclusions of historians, and only soldier’s courage and officer’s valor remain the constant guarantee of any victory.
BATTLE OF KUNERSDORF
Battle of Kunersdorf- one of the largest battles of the Seven Years' War of 1756–1763 . It happened 250 years ago - August 12, 1759. This last large-scale armed clash between Russian-Austrian and Prussian troops ended in the complete defeat of the Prussian army of Frederick II. The decisive role in the defeat of one of the strongest armies in Europe belonged to the Russian army. She once again proved the superiority of her military system over the outdated Prussian one.
After the Battle of Palzig on July 23, 1759, General Pyotr Saltykov remained the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, having proven his abilities as a commander. After the defeat of the Prussians, the Russian army approached Crossen, where it was supposed to unite with the troops of Field Marshal L. Down, but the Austrians were not there. Saltykov, according to a previously developed plan, decided to capture Frankfurt and threaten the capital of Prussia, Berlin, from here. However, Down, dissatisfied with the bold and independent actions of the Russian commander-in-chief, prevented the attack on Berlin. Only the 18,000-strong Austrian corps of General B. Laudon joined the Russian troops.
While fruitless negotiations were going on between the commanders of the Allied armies about a plan for further action, Frederick II with a large army crossed the Oder below Frankfurt and attacked Russian troops who had taken up positions near the village of Kunersdorf.
The Russian army numbered about 60 thousand people (41 thousand Russians and 18.5 thousand Austrians) with 248 guns. Prussian troops - 48 thousand people with 200 guns.
The Battle of Kunersdorf, which lasted 7 hours, ended in the complete defeat of the Prussian troops. The pursuit of the remnants of the enemy troops, entrusted to the Austrian cavalry and Totleben's light Russian cavalry, stopped not far from the battlefield. The Prussian army lost about 19 thousand people (including 7627 killed) and 172 guns. Russian losses amounted to 13 thousand people (2,614 killed and 10,683 wounded), Austrians - about 2 thousand people.
In the battle of Kunersdorf, Frederick II lost almost his entire army. Prussia was on the brink of disaster. “I’m unhappy that I’m still alive,” he wrote, “out of an army of 48 thousand people I don’t have even 3 thousand left. I no longer have any funds and, to tell the truth, I consider everything lost.” In this battle, the Russian army demonstrated the complete superiority of its tactics over Prussian formulaic tactics. On the Kunersdorf field, the oblique linear tactics of the troops of Frederick II, with the help of which they won victories over the Austrians and the French, turned out to be untenable in a clash with Russian troops. The Russian army did not adhere to a dogmatically linear battle order; troops were transferred during the battle from one sector to another and maneuvered in separate units. Strong reserves were allocated. On the battlefield, all types of troops and parts of the battle formation interacted with each other, ensuring the success of the battle.
After Kunersdorf, Russian and Austrian troops did not immediately march on Berlin and thereby gave Frederick II the opportunity to gather his strength and continue the war. The campaign against Berlin was thwarted by the Austrian command. Saltykov (promoted to field marshal after Kunersdorf) urgently demanded an attack on Berlin, linking this with the victorious end of the war by the Allies. However, the Austrians did not agree with Saltykov’s plan and prevented its implementation. The brilliantly conducted campaign of 1759 by Russian troops did not lead to the end of the war due to the inactivity of the Austrian command.
The Battle of Kunersdorf is one of the largest battles of the Seven Years' War of 1756-1763. It happened on August 12, 1759.
This last large-scale armed clash between Russian-Austrian and Prussian troops ended in the complete defeat of the Prussian army of Frederick II. The decisive role in the defeat of one of the strongest armies in Europe belonged to the Russian army. She once again proved the superiority of her military system over the outdated Prussian one.
The previous battles of the war - at Gross-Jägersdorf, Zorndorf and Palzig, although they led to heavy military losses for Prussia, did not completely break it.
The most serious enemy of Prussia was still Russia, which bore the main burdens of the protracted war. After the Battle of Palzig on July 23, 1759, General Pyotr Saltykov remained the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, having proven his abilities as a commander. After the defeat of the Prussians, the Russian army approached Crossen, where it was supposed to unite with the troops of Field Marshal L. Down, but the Austrians were not there. Saltykov, according to a previously developed plan, decided to capture Frankfurt and threaten the capital of Prussia, Berlin, from here. However, Down, dissatisfied with the bold and independent actions of the Russian commander-in-chief, prevented the attack on Berlin. Only the 18,000-strong Austrian corps of General B. Laudon joined the Russian troops.
While fruitless negotiations were going on between the commanders of the Allied armies about a plan for further action, Frederick II with a large army crossed the Oder below Frankfurt and attacked Russian troops who had taken up positions near the village of Kunersdorf. The Russian army numbered about 60 thousand people (41 thousand Russians and 18.5 thousand Austrians) with 248 guns. Prussian troops - 48 thousand people with 200 guns. Before the start of the battle, part of the cavalry was located at the base of the heights near Kungrund and in the Laudonsgrund ravine. The position of the Russian troops was strengthened: trenches were dug along the entire front and batteries were erected. Saltykov's plan was to force the Prussians to attack the well-fortified left flank of the Allied forces, located on rough terrain, which was closest to the enemy. Wear down his forces here and then, firmly holding the center and right flank, launch a general offensive.
On August 12, at 3 a.m., the troops of Frederick II began an attack on Russian positions, trying to bypass the left flank in order to threaten the rear and force the Russians to retreat. Having made sure that the Russians were ready to take the battle, they then decided to break the Russian left flank at the Mühlberg heights in an oblique battle formation.
At about 9 o'clock in the morning an artillery exchange began, and by noon Prussian troops attacked the entire left flank of the Russian troops. The enemy, having created a numerical superiority in the direction of the main attack, attacked the regiments on the Mühlberg heights from the front and flank and, after a short battle, captured the height, capturing 180 guns and many prisoners. The counterattack launched by part of the Russian regiments from the center of the position was not successful, but the Prussian offensive was stopped. Having occupied the height, they installed a battery on it, which opened longitudinal fire on Russian positions. At the same time, Russian artillery inflicted heavy losses on the enemy, who began to form several lines on Mühlberg to attack the center of the Russian troops. The delay in the offensive gave Saltykov the opportunity to strengthen the troops of the center. The Prussians attacked the center of the positions of the Russian troops - the height of B. Spitz through the Kungrund ravine, as well as to the right and left of it. A stubborn battle began, in which the Russians showed great resilience and repeatedly launched counterattacks, inflicting bayonet blows on the enemy. The cuirassier cavalry of the Prince of Württenberg, operating to the left of the ravine, rushed to the heights, but was overthrown by the Russian cavalry regiments of Rumyantsev and suffered heavy losses.
Prussian troops advancing through the Kungrund ravine, at the cost of significant losses, reached the heights of B. Spitz, where a fierce battle took place with the main forces. Saltykov constantly allocated troops from the right flank and from the reserve.
Soon, Frederick II brought the main forces of his cavalry into battle - Seydlitz's cavalry, which was stationed on the left flank, behind the village of Kunersdorf. The Russian regiments met it with artillery and rifle fire, and as a result of a short battle, the Prussian cavalry retreated with heavy losses. After the enemy attack was repulsed, the Russian regiments, under the personal leadership of Rumyantsev, with a bayonet strike, overthrew the Prussian infantry from a height into the Kungrund ravine and, building on their success, liberated Mühlberg from the enemy. The Prussian infantry fled in panic. Frederick II, wanting to save the situation, once again threw Seydlitz’s cavalry into the Russian positions, but without success. The decisive counterattack of the Russian troops was not stopped. The Battle of Kunersdorf, which lasted 7 hours, ended in the complete defeat of the Prussian troops.
The pursuit of the remnants of the enemy troops, entrusted to the Austrian cavalry and Totleben's light Russian cavalry, stopped not far from the battlefield. The Prussian army lost about 19 thousand people (including 7627 killed) and 172 guns. Russian losses amounted to 13 thousand people (2,614 killed and 10,683 wounded), Austrians - about 2 thousand people.
In the battle of Kunersdorf, Frederick II lost almost his entire army. Prussia was on the brink of disaster. “I’m unhappy that I’m still alive,” he wrote, “out of an army of 48 thousand people I don’t have even 3 thousand left. I no longer have any funds and, to tell the truth, I consider everything lost.” In this battle, the Russian army demonstrated the complete superiority of its tactics over Prussian formulaic tactics. On the Kunersdorf field, the oblique linear tactics of the troops of Frederick II, with the help of which they won victories over the Austrians and the French, turned out to be untenable in a clash with Russian troops. The Russian army did not adhere to a dogmatically linear battle order; troops were transferred during the battle from one sector to another and maneuvered in separate units. Strong reserves were allocated. On the battlefield, all types of troops and parts of the battle formation interacted with each other, ensuring the success of the battle. Russian artillery showed itself skillfully in the battle.
Russian unicorn guns, which had the highest technical qualities, inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. Their shooting over the heads of their troops played a decisive role in repelling the attack of Seydlitz's cavalry. Commander Saltykov skillfully chose a position on rough terrain, fortified it and used it correctly. During the battle, he promptly strengthened the center of his position, which became the main site of the battle, continuously sending troops from the right flank and reserve.
General Rumyantsev, who led the troops in the most critical sector of the battle, acted decisively and skillfully. After Kunersdorf, Russian and Austrian troops did not immediately march on Berlin and thereby gave Frederick II the opportunity to gather his strength and continue the war. The campaign against Berlin was thwarted by the Austrian command. Saltykov (promoted to field marshal after Kunersdorf) urgently demanded an attack on Berlin, linking this with the victorious end of the war by the Allies. However, the Austrians did not agree with Saltykov’s plan and prevented its implementation. The brilliantly conducted campaign of 1759 by Russian troops did not lead to the end of the war due to the inactivity of the Austrian command.
Frederick II with an army of 48 thousand people, going towards the enemy from the south, crossed from the left bank of the river. Oder to the right and took a position east of the village of Kunersdorf, near which was the main group of Russian-Austrian troops led by Commander-in-Chief Saltykov. Preparing to meet the enemy, the allied troops positioned themselves on three dominant heights, separated from each other by ravines and swampy lowlands...
The plan of Saltykov, who chose this position, was to force the Prussians to attack the well-fortified left flank of the allied forces located on rough terrain, which was closest to the enemy, exhaust his forces here and then, firmly holding the center and right flank, move to general offensive...
A fierce battle ensued. Frederick II threw more and more forces into the attack, but the Russians repulsed them.<…>Finally, trying to turn the situation around, Frederick II threw his cavalry, then considered the best in Europe, into battle. However, the terrain limited its maneuverability, and in the end the Prussian cavalry, suffering huge losses, fled.
Straining their last strength, the Prussian infantry with a desperate throw captured the main height of the right flank of Saltykov, where a strong Russian battery was located, but was soon dropped by a counterattack.<…>
Frederick II's military reserves were exhausted, and there was no more strength left for attacks. Seeing and understanding this, Saltykov issued an order for a general offensive, which put the exhausted enemy to flight. The battle, which lasted about seven hours, ended with a crushing defeat of the Prussian army, the remnants of which fled across the Oder.
Myachin A. N. “One Hundred Great Battles” https://info.wikireading.ru/14120
"Prittwitz, I'm dead"
The king [Frederick II] himself was almost captured, as he was among the last ones retreating from the battlefield, and he had to walk along the gorge. Only the extraordinary courage and rare presence of mind of Captain Prittwitz saved him from such great trouble. Frederick considered captivity inevitable and often repeated: “Prittwitz, I am lost.” This courageous officer, who had with him only a hundred hussars to protect him from several thousand enemies pursuing them, answered: “No, Your Majesty, this will not happen while we are still alive”...
Never had the fortitude of this monarch been so severely attacked as on this day. In a few hours, from the heights of undoubted victory, he fell into the abyss of complete defeat. He tried everything to keep the infantry from fleeing; but neither the orders nor the requests of the king, and this king at that, which usually have such power, could do nothing here. It is said that in this desperate situation he loudly called for death.
A vivid imagination presented to him in the first minutes the terrible consequences of defeat, and from the same battlefield from which a few hours ago he had sent messengers with the news of the victory, orders were now sent to Berlin to take measures for defense and escape. It seemed to him that the enemy was already in his residence, devastating it, and he was unable to resist him. His troops were so scattered that the next day after the battle it was barely possible to gather 5,000 people into the ranks; all the conquered guns were again lost, along with most of the Prussian ones.
Johann Wilhelm von Archenholtz. "The History of the Seven Years' War" https://history.wikireading.ru/194175
Saltykov's report
...And so, after 7 hours of incessant battle, the victorious weapon of Her Imperial Majesty achieved a complete victory.
No one to report victory to
...The main forces of the Prussians were completely defeated. More than 7 thousand soldiers of Frederick the Great died, 4.5 thousand were captured and another 2 thousand, taking advantage of the general confusion and turmoil, deserted. In addition, the number of wounded reached 11 thousand. The remnants of the great army, which at dawn of the same day seemed invincible, now presented a pitiful sight.<…>The final blow, which would have crushed the remnants of the Prussian army, however, was never delivered.<…>The reason, among other things, was the exhaustion of the victorious army. Russian losses in killed were relatively small - 2,700 soldiers, but the number of wounded exceeded 11 thousand and another 750 missing. In total, the Russians lost 24% of their personnel in wounded, killed and missing.<…>We must not forget that within two weeks the Russian army took part in two battles - victorious, but which pretty much battered its forces. In his letter to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, General Saltykov bitterly ironized that if he won at least one more such victory, then he would have no one with whom to even send a message to the capital.
Grzegorz Podruchny. "Kunersdorf 1759. Loud defeat and forgotten victory"
Background
The Battle of Kunersdorf almost decided the fate of the Seven Years' War, which broke out due to the colonial contradictions between France and Great Britain. Frederick, siding with the British, turned out to be Britain's only ally in Europe. England could not help Prussia, since it did not have powerful ground forces at that moment.
During the Seven Years' War, which took place in 1756-1763, Prussia found itself under attack from three powerful states at once - the Holy Roman, Russian Empires and France. King Frederick II of Prussia inflicted a series of defeats on the French on the western front and temporarily knocked them out of the war, but the threat from the Austrians and Russians still remained.
A reform took place in the Russian army; Saltykov was appointed to the post of commander-in-chief of the army. The newly appointed general immediately decided to show his abilities and went with an army of forty thousand to the war in Prussia. The Austrian corps, which numbered about 20 thousand soldiers, came out to support Saltykov’s army.
Composition of forces
The victorious King Frederick II came out with 48 thousand corps and two hundred artillery pieces to organize resistance to the combined armies of the Russian and Holy Roman Empires. The Allied forces totaled about 64 thousand soldiers and approximately 250 artillery pieces. Frederick understood that he would have to fight in conditions of numerical superiority of the enemy, so he took a defensive position favorable to his troops.
Preparations and battle plans
The Russian army also took up an advantageous defensive position on two hills. Saltykov, who led the allied forces during the battle, hoped to force Frederick II to lead the army on the attack, exhaust his army so that it could no longer make quick maneuvers, “nail” his army in the center and on the right flank, and then go on the offensive.Frederick did not allow the Russian army to prepare fortifications and attacked unexpectedly for the allied forces, undermining Saltykov's original plans. Frederick II, who would later be called "The Great", was one of the last commander-in-chief monarchs to lead an army into battle despite great risk. The Prussian king was quite competent in military affairs, but took a lot of risks.
Frederick did not allow the pace to be imposed on the Russian army, he forced them to play their own game. Frederick's artillery, which was in a much more advantageous position, began to attack the left flank of the Russian army. In turn, Saltykov’s artillery could not conduct effective fire on the Prussian positions; it was able to respond only an hour after the Prussian battery opened fire.
During the artillery bombardment, Frederick II saw that the left flank of the Russian army was greatly weakened. At 11 o'clock in the afternoon he orders an attack with superior forces. The attack of the Prussian army progressed extremely successfully. The Russian army retreated strongly, and Frederick captured enemy artillery. Meanwhile, Saltykov began to pull all reserves to the center of the army. And yet, it was not easy to take the guns - the Prussians lost almost the entire composition of the royal grenadiers.
Until 6 pm there was a battle on the left flank, during which, in addition to the artillery battery, Frederick captured about five thousand ordinary soldiers. It seemed that victory was already behind the Prussians; the king, in joy, sent news to the capital of his decisive victory.
The Russians continued to fight and launched an attack to recapture the battery. Friedrich successfully repels it and decides to storm the heights of Spitsberg, where Saltykov has already brought up fresh reserves. Meanwhile, the Prussian troops had been fighting all day under the scorching sun, they were exhausted.
The successful defensive actions of the Russian army were facilitated by the swampy terrain, which did not allow taking defensive positions. The reserves of the Russian army continued to advance, while the Prussian infantry became increasingly tired under the scorching sun.
In order to deliver a decisive blow to the Russian positions, Frederick uses the cavalry. The terrain did not allow the Prussian cavalry to make a successful attack; it was destroyed by enemy shots with grape guns. The best cavalry at that time was forced to retreat.
Despite huge losses and requests from the generals to stop the attack, Frederick commands to continue attempts to break through the Russian front. A bloody battle ensued, during which both sides suffered heavy losses. Saltykov managed to throw reserves into battle in time and cover gaps in the defense, but the Prussians did not have such an opportunity. Even this does not force the Prussian king to order his army to retreat. He continues to believe that the battle can still be won if the attack on the front of the Russian army is not weakened.
In anger, Frederick throws his last reserves into battle, but is again defeated. The Cossacks successfully stop the attack and capture the commander. The Prussian king himself was on the verge of death. The bullet was aimed at the monarch right in the heart, but he was saved by a golden cigarette case, which took the bullet upon himself. Two horses were also killed near Frederick.
Prussian forces were greatly exhausted during the battle. There were no fresh reserves that could change the situation. The Russian army had forces that had been waiting for orders all day. Seeing that the enemy has already weakened, Saltykov orders all forces to launch a large-scale offensive. The troops of Frederick II cannot withstand the onslaught, as they were exhausted by the battle and were unable to hold their weapons.
The Prussian army begins a stampede. The Russian army pinches the enemy on the bridge, where Prussian infantry is amassing. During the battle and retreat, King Frederick II lost about 45 thousand soldiers - this is almost his entire army. As the commander himself wrote, he returned to Berlin with only three thousand soldiers.
After a brilliant victory, Saltykov receives the trophy hat of the King of Prussia himself, and he returns to the capital in order to prepare it for defense.
Reasons for the defeat of Prussia
Most historians and analysts do not say that the reason for the defeat of Frederick II is hidden behind the enemy's numerical advantage on the battlefield. The Prussian army was much better prepared and had already undergone more than one baptism of fire. The professionalism of King Frederick's army completely deprived the enemy of an advantage in numbers.The reason for the defeat of the Prussians lies in the mistakes of the commander-in-chief himself, who did not take into account the terrain conditions and incorrectly interpreted the situation on the battlefield, giving his men deliberately destructive orders.
During the one-day battle of Kunersdorf, the Prussian king Frederick II lost all of his army, with the exception of a small corps of three thousand people. Prussia, after such a crushing defeat, found itself on its knees. The Allied losses were also quite large; they lost about half of the entire army - 30 thousand soldiers.
Kunersdorf opened the road to Berlin for Saltykov and Friedrich immediately went to defend the capital. His few troops were not enough to organize a good defense of the city. The Prussian king understood that if the Allies attacked Berlin now, nothing would save Prussia, the troops would not be able to hold the city.
Much to Frederick's surprise, Russian and Austrian troops did not go after his few surviving men. Frederick saw the mistake of the Allies, but still did not believe that Berlin could resist and ordered all the archives to be burned.
Four days have passed since the defeat at Kunersdorf, but the Allied troops have not approached Berlin. It was then that Frederick was informed that serious disagreements had arisen in the ranks of the Allied forces. The orders that came from Vienna and St. Petersburg contradicted each other. The Allies abandoned the attack on Berlin and deployed their troops.
Although Saltykov showed himself with dignity on the battlefield, he acted extremely indecisively in the following days. The Prussian capital was just a stone's throw away, but he said that many Russians had already died in the war against Prussia. For Saltykov, such a position would be disastrous. Even a brilliant victory did not save him from being removed from office the following year.
After Saltykov, General Buturlin was appointed to the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Russian army, who in the future would also not show his best side during the war with Prussia and would again give Frederick victory.
For Prussia, such erroneous actions of the allies were a real miracle. Subsequently, the unreasonable actions of the Austrians and Russians were called “the first miracle of the House of Brandenburg” in historiography. Lacking reserves and the strength to repel the enemy decisively, Prussia survived and began a new mobilization.
The Allies' blunder extended the Seven Years' War for another three years, which would later end with the complete victory of Frederick II. The "Miracle of the House of Brandenburg" allowed the "warrior king" to retain his crown and continue the war. Just a few months later, Frederick mobilizes more than thirty thousand people and repels the Austro-Russian troops. In 1763, Prussia emerged victorious in the Seven Years' War and became one of the most powerful states in Europe.