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Chapter 60: 1761 part 9
The Renewed Contest for Silesia
Fredrick had been successful in pushing back the Austrians and what was left of the Saxon army last year, to the point that he had regain control of middle Silesia. The Austrians still held upper Silesia, and had never fully taken lower Silesia. He main obstacles though were a severe shortage of manpower, lengthening supply lines a limited line of credit from Great Britain that might only last until summer.
He had a truce presently with Sweden and Mecklenburg, momentarily securing his northern front, but there was no guarantee it would last.
The Russians were still occupying East Prussia, and so far his most recent attempts at diplomatic inquiry toward Peter III had not been responded to. If only Empress Catherine would hurry up and die he might be able to make peace with Peter III.
If that happens, and Russia withdraws, Austria might want to finally back out of the war after losing an ally, if the British can keep the French occupied in Hanover.
Presently though after so much fight for the last five years, Silisia was in bad shape and was stripped of much food, manpower and resources. Fredrick was having a hard time finding what he needed, and thus had supplies lines back to Brandenburg. The Austrians too though would face similar problems in and subsequent attempt to retake Silesia. In order to bolster his own supplies and hurt Austria, he need to raid and take as much as he could from Northern Bohemia and parts of Moravia, before the Austrian Army was fully rebuilt and marched north. Fredrick had planned for such excursions over the winter.
Battle of Jitschin
During the spring Fredrick had sent incursions into northern Bohemia raiding numerous towns for supplies even hard currency to help subsidize his war efforts. Reichenberg, Gablonz, Leitmeritz, Jungbunzlau had all been raided and the Austrians finally put up a resistance in the town of Jitschin.
On March 28th Fredrick’s 8000 strong raiding forces led by Paul von Werner fought against a forward Austrian contingent of 10000 led by Andreas Hadik
With advantageous terrain and greater mobility Werner hit Hadik’s’ forces quickly in a relatively short battle. This quick clashes the somewhat unprepared Austrian lines let to a Prussian victory as Hadik retreated from the field. However given that Werner was only there to harass and raid he did not pursue Hadik as he fled back toward the safety of the larger Franco-Austrian army to the south. His victory though allowed him to raid the town of Jitschin and move east and raid Koniggratz and Neustadt as well before retreating back to rejoin Fredrick in Silesia.
Siege of Glatz
While Werner was raiding northern Bohemia, Fredrick had wanted to retake the county of Glatz from the Austrian who had taken it early in the war. It would help him block Austrian movements in order to retake Upper Silesia. Fredrick began besieging the fortress of Glatz on March 26th.
The Franco-Austrian army however was well on march north, and Daun did not plan on letting Fredrick get his way.
Battle of Habelschwerdt
Daun led his forces north toward Glatz forcing Fredrick to take much of his army out to attempt to stop the Franco-Austrian army from lifting the siege.
On April 4th, the 45,000 strong Franco-Austrian Army led by Leopold von Daun met against Fredrick’s force of 38,000. An evenly matched battle left neither side with any clear advantage, and Fredrick wanting to preserve as much of his men as he could, stayed much more cautious than normal. This allow Daun to press a harder attack on his left flank, and Fredrick reinforced it from the center to prevent collapse on his left. While he was successful in repelling the Austrian attack, doing so revealed that he would not be able to hold his ground, and he began an orderly withdrawal from the field. Though Baron Laudon attempted to pursue the retreating Fredrick, he was repulsed by Lehwaldt.
After Fredrick’s loss he was forced to lift the siege of Glatz, and retreat back toward Shweidnitz.
Battle of Reichenbach
Daun sought to continue to the pursuit of Fredrick in the hopes of finally putting an end to the war with one decisive battle. He pursued Fredrick to Reichenbach when Fredrick finally turned on April 10th and stood his ground field his 35000 strong forces against the Franco-Austrians 41,000.
Daun though in his haste had overreach a bit too far and did not have his full forces to bear, when he realized Fredrick had stopped because Von Warner had joined in with his victorious 7500 forces from Jitschin at his flank. Learning from his prior mistake Fredrick was less cautious this time in order to bring the Franco-Austrian forces to heel; he equally desired a decisive victory that would put Austria out of the war.
Daun was hit hard by the two forces, in his over eagerness to put an end to the Prussian army had had overextended his forces and was forced to retreat back toward Glatz, and re-gather his army.
The Prussia’s had not pursued too far as Fredrick had been injured in the battle, and they had received word of more revolts against Prussian occupation in eastern Saxony.
Battle of Bautzen
On April 6th, after numerous unrest due to the war and lack of food in Prussian controlled eastern Saxony, ad-hoc Saxon forces team up with local militias and revolting citizen to besiege the weakened Prussian garrison in Bautzen. The militia forces ambush and attack forces attempting to deliver supplies to Prussian garrison.
When Fredrick got word of this, he dispatched Heinrich von Manteuffel with a force of 4000 force to quell the unrest and reinforce control over eastern Saxony. Even though Fredrick had previously concluded he would likely have to give up his occupation of Saxony in any peace, he still needed to occupy a significant portion of it in order to offer it for trade. The arrived on April 20th and fought against the Saxon militia forces, which soon retreated.
Battle Results:
Saxon Rebels: ~total casualties unknown, but in excess of 500.
Prussian Forces: ~120 casualties
Clear Prussian Victory
Daun too had gotten word of events in Saxony and desired to make sure it would remain a distraction for Fredrick. Ludwig Ernst von Benekendorff was sent with the last of the 3000 strong Saxon army back to Saxony to recruit more and continue attacks against Prussian held areas. Though they would arrive too late to assist or participate in the Battle of Bautzen.
Siege of Brieg and Munsterberg
Though Fredrick failed in taking Glatz as he hoped he still needed to retake upper Silesia, and move his army toward the Principalities of Munsterberg and Brieg as the area was less barren that the war wrecked Principalities and Duchies of middle Silesia. Without confirmed word of resumption of subsidies from the British, Fredrick was not sure he could afford another year of war, and wanted to restore as much of Upper Silesia to Prussian control as he could before considering peace.
He also hoped to draw the Franco-Austrian army out, since he knew it was not destroyed, into a better defensive battle of his choosing.
On April 15th the siege of Munsterberg began, and Breig was besieged the following day. Fredrick placed his army between where the Franco-Austrian army would have to go to relieve the assaults.
Battle of Frankenstein
Over a month would go by before Daun led the reformed Franco Austrian army against Fredrick’s forces near the town of Frankenstein. Daun forces were 43,000 strong against Fredrick’s 32,000 strong sole remaining offensive army.
Both sides were exhausted and low of morale and war-weary, and were forced to fight again after already facing three to four battle previously in the year. Despite picking the terrain no clear advantage presented itself to Fredrick other than wearing his enemy down, and perhaps too high a cost to his own men. On May 20th the two sides clashed.
Both sides broke under the strain as weary troops fled or deserted form the battle amid the carnage. Fredrick was forced to lift the siege of Munsterburg as he retreated north. He though the war over now, at this loss until he realized the Austrian did not pursue and had fled as well. When he reached Brieg a day later intending to lift the siege there as well and retreat west again, he was met with news that the city had fallen, though he had barely enough men to garrison it helped morale and was worth considering a victory.
Both sides would spend the rest of the spring and summer rebuilding their forces after the heavy toll the spring fighting had taken.