Trial By Fire: Battle of Mollwitz
Battle of Mollwitz Conflict & Date:
The Battle of Mollwitz was fought on April 10, 1741, during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748).
Armies & Commanders
Prussians
- Frederick II
- Marshal Kurt Christoph Graf von Schwerin
- 22,740 men
Austrians
- Field Marshall Wilhelm Reinhard von Neipperg
- 22,000 men
Battle of Mollwitz Background:
Having ascended to the throne in mid-1740, Frederick the Great of Prussia immediately began making plans to take his nation to war.
An opponent of the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, which called for Maria Theresa to ascend to the Hapsburg thrones upon the death of her father Charles IV while her husband, Francis Stephen, became Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick tested the new Austrian monarch by invading Silesia on December 16, 1740. Citing a violation of the 1537 Treaty of Brieg, Frederick hoped to annex the prosperous region to his realm.
At his disposal, Frederick possessed the well-drilled Prussian Army. Meticulously crafted by his father, Frederick Wilhelm II, Frederick's army was a standing, professional force capable of significantly greater rates of fire than its adversaries. As Prussia had been at peace for some time, the effectiveness and potency of the Prussian Army was largely unknown in Europe. As a standing force, his army was able to quickly muster and strike into Silesia. Overwhelming the majority of the Austrian border forces, Frederick's men secured most of region before the Austrians could assemble an army to oppose him.
As elements of his army laid siege to the fortresses at Glogau, Brieg and Neisse, Frederick moved most of his forces into winter quarters across Upper Silesia. Seeking to quickly regain her lost territory, Maria Theresa dispatched an army under Field Marshal Wilhelm Reinhard von Neipperg to confront Frederick. Assembling around 20,000 men in Moravia, he swiftly moved north and caught Frederick off his guard. Marching to relieve Neisse, Neipperg was pursued north by Frederick. Despite heavy snows, the Austrians reached the city first and moved into camp.
Battle of Mollwitz:
Having been beaten in the race to Neisse, Frederick was cut off from Prussia with Neipperg's force blocking his lines of retreat. Lacking options, Frederick made preparations for battle. Interrogating captured Austrian soldiers, Frederick was able to learn the precise location of the Austrian camp near Mollwitz. Advancing with his army on April 10, Frederick's march was covered by snow and fog allowing him to reach a position close to the Austrian camp before being detected. A military novice, he elected to form for battle rather than charge forward and catch Neipperg's troops by surprise.
In doing so, he arrayed his men in two lines, but erred when he misjudged the distance to a nearby river and failed to securely anchor his right on its banks. He also placed several units perpendicular to and between his lines on the right. This deployment was questioned by Marshal Kurt Christoph Graf von Schwerin, but his advice for correcting the situation was ignored. Across the lines, Neipperg was stunned to see the approaching Prussians. Racing to awaken his men, he also was forced to realign his army to meet the threat. As Frederick had elected to deploy into his battle lines, Neipperg had time to do the same.
Fighting began around 1:00 PM as the Prussians began advancing with Frederick leading the cavalry on the right. As the Prussian right flank was in the air, Neipperg ordered a massive cavalry attack with the goal of breaking it. Surging forward, they slammed into the Prussian horse, driving it from the field. With the Austrian cavalry turning to assault the flank of the Prussian infantry, Schwerin advised Frederick to leave to the field as the day was most likely lost. Heeding the advice of his senior commander, Frederick departed and narrowly escaped to safety.
The situation on the right continued to worsen as the perpendicular units created confusion by firing wildly into their comrades or simply fleeing the field. Working to restore order, Schwerin was assisted by the Prussians' excellent training. This led several units to pivot in an orderly fashion to meet the threat. Unleashing devastating volleys, they killed the Austrian cavalry commander and successfully turned back the attack. In an attempt to maintain pressure, Neipperg ordered a similar cavalry attack on the Prussian left, but this was defeated by intense fire.
Having stabilized the situation, Schwerin ordered a general advance and the entire Prussian line began moving on the Austrian position. Maintaining heavy fire on the enemy, the Prussians succeeded in forcing back Neipperg's men and compelling them to quit the field. Having failed to exploit his initial success, Neipperg retreated back toward Neisse.
Aftermath of Mollwitz:
In the fighting at Mollwitz, the Prussians suffered around 3,900 casualties while inflicting around 2,500 and capturing 1,500. A triumph for Schwerin, the battle led Frederick to swear that he would never again leave his troops in battle. A learning experience for the new king, Mollwitz led him to decide that the Prussian Army would be committed to aggressive action in the future. Capturing Brieg, Frederick spent the summer maneuvering against Neipperg. Impressed with the Prussian performance, France dispatched Marshal Belle-Isle to negotiate an alliance with the goal of advancing the Elector of Bavaria for the title of Holy Roman Emperor. This resulted in Frederick's campaign in Silesia broadening into the War of the Austrian Succession.
Selected Sources
Source...