The battle of Kolin (Bohemia) during the Seven-Year war between Austria and Prussia, 1757
Frederick II of Prussia won a bloody battle against Austria and was now besieging Prague. Austrian Marshal Daun arrived too late to participate in the battle of Prague, but picked up 16,000 men who escaped from the battle. With this army he slowly moved to relieve Prague, forcing the Prussian forces to split. Frederick took 32,000 of his men to intercept Daun. Daun knew that the Prussian forces were too weak to both besiege Prague and keep him away from Prague for a longer time (or to fight the Austrian army reinforced by the Prague garrison), so his Austrian forces took defensive positions on hills near Kolín. Frederick was forced to attack the Austrians. Reports of the Austrian strengths are mixed: some report 44,000 men, some reports mention 65,000 men. The battlefield of Kolín consisted of gently rolling hill slopes. Frederick's plan was to envelop the Austrian right wing with most of his army. Along the Austrian lines (Prussian right wing and center) he kept only enough troops to hide the concentration on the Prussian left wing. The Prussian main force would turn right toward the Austrians to attack their right flank. The Prussian left wing would locally outnumber the Austrians. After the Austrian right wing was defeated the battle would be decided.
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Photo credit: © Petr Bonek / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1757, 18th, austria, battle, battlefield, battleground, bohemia, casualties, casualty, century, dead, death, event, germany, historical, history, infantry, killed, kolin, military, painting, picture, prussia, retreat, soldier, soldiers, war, years
