alternatehistory.com
Chapter 54: I'll Face My Fate Here
Part 54: I'll Face My Fate Here (1776)
After Buda and Pest, Grand Hetman Martynas Pacas set his sights on Vienna, the capital of Germania. His entrance into the conflict was bound to severely affect the tide - while both France and Germania are getting exhausted after six years of war, Lithuania was fresh, it's army was at it's full capacity and it had already mobilized for a war. Why didn't Lithuania join earlier? To a Frenchman, say, to Arthur Bachelot, this invasion felt too delayed - why couldn't the Lithuanians attack Germania from behind while they were crossing the Rhine, or when they were on the brink of defeat in 1771? The answer was simple - Pacas was gathering intelligence. He used scouts, spies and friendly men in the French ranks to analyze what exactly made Schwarzburg so invincible on the battlefield. A capable military commander himself, Pacas knew that going in blind would just lead to him being defeated just like the French. To not tire itself out, the Lithuanian army marched slowly, but the Grand Hetman made sure to avoid the mistake that the Black Baron did - right after leaving Budapest, he ordered all barrels and bottles of alcohol in the army's supply to be destroyed and spilled into the Danube, and any soldier caught with even a bottle in his hands would instantly be court-martialed.
Meanwhile, the German Revolutionary Army was rushing towards Vienna as fast as possible. Schwarzburg made a mistake - fearing that losing Vienna will deal a heavy blow to morale, he set himself a goal to not lose the city, and thus tired out his men trying to reach the capital before his Lithuanian counterpart. He often ordered forced marches day and night, especially when Vienna was getting close. And Pacas definitely knew that - this was one of the reasons why his party moved so slowly, despite the small distance between Vienna and Buda. The Lithuanian army briefly stopped at Gyor, where they were joined by a number of Visegradian loyalist regiments, including a company of the famous, but obsolete Winged Hussars. In a similar fashion, the German Revolutionary Army was joined by a number of fleeing Hungarian and Bohemian revolutionaries when it reached Vienna - and yes, it reached the city first. After a night's rest, Schwarzburg's army marched southeast, where it finally met the Lithuanians near the city of Sopron, on the border between Germania and Visegrad.
The chosen battlefield was near the shore of Lake Ferto, composed of a farmland with several smaller lakes and swamps scattered around, which made mobility difficult. The morning of the fated day - May 11th, 1776 - was spent by both armies by getting ready for battle, setting up artillery, preparing their muskets, making battle plans and things like that. On 11 o'clock, German envoys arrived to Martynas Pacas's camp, offering an armistice for the time being, and then dividing central Europe between the two powers, but the Grand Hetman declined. It's easy to see why Schwarzburg wanted a peace - his army was quite a lot smaller, weeded out by long battles against the French and tired - 120 000 men strong, in comparison to the 155 000 Lithuanians. Lithuanians had twice the number of cavalry alone, but their artillery corps was smaller. Failing to find an agreement, the armies got ready to bloody their bayonets.
The Battle of Sopron has begun.
View attachment 326117
Army positions and composition right before the beginning of the Battle of Sopron.
Lithuanians are red, Germans are blue.
Blank rectangles are infantry; figures with a single line are cavalry/German mobile infantry and figures with a large dot are artillery.
(I apologize for the terrible quality)
The battle began with a large infantry offensive from both sides. There wasn't really any room for maneuver because of the tight battlefield, so the charge was pretty much head-on. The terrain and the ground were wet, thick and hard to move through, most of it was pretty much a swamp - after all, this was a lakeside battle - which made the wagons Germans brought for mobile infantry practically useless - but, of cource, the Lithuanian cavalry corps wasn't much more effective, either. Pacas was the first to realize this problem, and his focus quickly went on the land in his right flank, past the batches of small lakes, which was more distant from the lake and thus dry enough for large-scale cavalry maneuvers, and he quickly ordered the flank to take over these positions. He even rode along the cavalry himself, ready to fight alongside his men.
The front lines saw thousands of young men die in hours, but despite the massive casualties, the Lithuanian imperial infantry kept advancing forward, and this is where their advantage in numbers began to set in. That is, the larger Lithuanian force began to envelop the enemy and surround them. Schwarzburg was well aware of this potential problem, he didn't fight in Saarbrucken for nothing, and soon he ordered his soldiers to take a slow, organized retreat, hopefully tiring the advancing Lithuanians out with constant artillery bombardment. But while this strategy worked against the French, whose mobility was like a turtle compared a hare, Lithuania, a mobility-centered army as it was, is an entirely different beast.
Remember the Lithuanian cavalry, which left it's flank to seemingly throttle around the farmland for a while? Well, it's back. Let by the Grand Hetman himself, pistol loaded and sabre raised, the Imperatoriškosios raitosios pajėgos ("Imperial Mounted Forces") slammed to the German army's left flank with a massive charge, surprising even Maximilian Schwarzburg himself. The Lithuanian cavalry raided German artillery positions and disorganized the entire flank before pulling back. It was a sudden, unexpected blow that could have been avoided if only the German high command had a bit more experience in handling enemy cavalry...
With the cavalry hammering the German lines, it was about time for the anvil to come forth. One of Martynas Pacas's biggest fears in the battle was that the frontline commanders wouldn't notice the opportunity to strike and thus give Schwarzburg enough time to consolidate his forces and weather the strike out, but his fears did not end up realized, as a Lithuanian infantry advance, supported by artillery bombing, swiftly followed. German commanders noted that the Lithuanians were using mobile artillery, an innovation introduced by Schwarzburg himself - they were starting to understand that Pacas was studying for this figurative test. Despite the Lithuanian numerical superiority and the cavalry support, the German lines surprisingly held despite numerous attempts to break through.
It was around this time in the battle that an event, which was inconsequential to the result of the battle as a whole, but resonated deeply across pop culture and history for years to come, happened. Only one primary source, the Chronicle of Lithuania, mentions this event. Among the Visegradian loyalist regiments that joined Pacas's company, a particular group stood out - a company of Winged Hussars, 70 in total, all from Greater Poland. Due to their heavy armor, they were hardly able to participate in the battle or charge at the German artillery along with Pacas's men, but during the renewed Lithuanian offensive and the ensuing chaos, a small German regiment of about 300 soldiers got separated from the rest of the battle, and ended up wandering near the location of the Winged Hussars, who promptly decided to prove their worth and attacked. The German bluecoats were quick to notice the charge, and prepared their muskets. After 10 minutes, 70 dead Winged Hussars were laying on the battlefield, with only a single German injured due to a fallen spear. This was the Last Charge of the Winged Hussars, and while the Chronicle of Lithuania portrayed them as brave men who died for their cause, nowadays this event is seen as a symbol of the battle between modern technology and the ancient ways, and how it almost always results in a victory for the former.
But anyway. After the success of the first cavalry charge, Martynas Pacas was ready to give it a second shot and hopefully destroy the German opposition for good - but Schwarzburg was not willing to let the same tactic win against him a second time. He moved the remaining leftovers of artillery back, then prepared to counter a charge with his own cavalry and the elite Jäger battalions, experts at fighting in rough terrain, and when the Lithuanian cavalry charged again, one of them promptly sniped the Grand Hetman with a shot at the shoulder. The dictator of Lithuania fell from his horse almost instantly, and while he was found by his men shortly thereafter and brought back to the camp, his condition was critical. News of this direct hit quickly spread across the battlefield, and as soon as Schwarzburg heard the news, as contemporaries say, "a spark of hope appeared in his eyes". While the Lithuanian high command was reorganizing himself with Martynas Pacas already one foot in the grave, the German commander ordered a mass counter-charge to break the enemy while it is still unprepared.
However, that's exactly what it was - a spot of hope, false hope. Having been forced to weather Lithuanian charges for the entire day, the Germans were far too thinned and weakened to put up a fight once more. The big thing was that they lacked the sufficient artillery support to break through the Imperial Infantry, and soon the intact Lithuanian mobile artillery battalions ripped them to shreds. In addition, even if lacking a leader, the Lithuanian cavalry corps put itself back together, now led by field officers, and successfully charged a third them, breaking through the Jägers and surrounding the core of the German army. It was a killing ground for both sides, and in the end, Schwarzburg and the majority of the German high command were captured and the remnants of the German Revolutionary Army fled west. The Battle of Sopron has been won!
But, unfortunately to Martynas Pacas, he did not live to see the consequences of the victory that he orchestrated. The wound in the shoulder was infected, and the doctor's attempts to take out the bullet instead of cleaning the wound only made it worse, because his instruments punctured the lung. Sources mention that before his death, the Grand Hetman turned insane from the pain and horror, holding onto a cross and constantly muttering something unintelligible until he finally died...
With both Lithuania and Germania decapitated, the German Revolutionary Wars were about to come to an end. But what consequences will this battle have?..
Part 54: I'll Face My Fate Here (1776)
Meanwhile, the German Revolutionary Army was rushing towards Vienna as fast as possible. Schwarzburg made a mistake - fearing that losing Vienna will deal a heavy blow to morale, he set himself a goal to not lose the city, and thus tired out his men trying to reach the capital before his Lithuanian counterpart. He often ordered forced marches day and night, especially when Vienna was getting close. And Pacas definitely knew that - this was one of the reasons why his party moved so slowly, despite the small distance between Vienna and Buda. The Lithuanian army briefly stopped at Gyor, where they were joined by a number of Visegradian loyalist regiments, including a company of the famous, but obsolete Winged Hussars. In a similar fashion, the German Revolutionary Army was joined by a number of fleeing Hungarian and Bohemian revolutionaries when it reached Vienna - and yes, it reached the city first. After a night's rest, Schwarzburg's army marched southeast, where it finally met the Lithuanians near the city of Sopron, on the border between Germania and Visegrad.
The chosen battlefield was near the shore of Lake Ferto, composed of a farmland with several smaller lakes and swamps scattered around, which made mobility difficult. The morning of the fated day - May 11th, 1776 - was spent by both armies by getting ready for battle, setting up artillery, preparing their muskets, making battle plans and things like that. On 11 o'clock, German envoys arrived to Martynas Pacas's camp, offering an armistice for the time being, and then dividing central Europe between the two powers, but the Grand Hetman declined. It's easy to see why Schwarzburg wanted a peace - his army was quite a lot smaller, weeded out by long battles against the French and tired - 120 000 men strong, in comparison to the 155 000 Lithuanians. Lithuanians had twice the number of cavalry alone, but their artillery corps was smaller. Failing to find an agreement, the armies got ready to bloody their bayonets.
The Battle of Sopron has begun.
View attachment 326117
Army positions and composition right before the beginning of the Battle of Sopron.
Lithuanians are red, Germans are blue.
Blank rectangles are infantry; figures with a single line are cavalry/German mobile infantry and figures with a large dot are artillery.
(I apologize for the terrible quality)
The battle began with a large infantry offensive from both sides. There wasn't really any room for maneuver because of the tight battlefield, so the charge was pretty much head-on. The terrain and the ground were wet, thick and hard to move through, most of it was pretty much a swamp - after all, this was a lakeside battle - which made the wagons Germans brought for mobile infantry practically useless - but, of cource, the Lithuanian cavalry corps wasn't much more effective, either. Pacas was the first to realize this problem, and his focus quickly went on the land in his right flank, past the batches of small lakes, which was more distant from the lake and thus dry enough for large-scale cavalry maneuvers, and he quickly ordered the flank to take over these positions. He even rode along the cavalry himself, ready to fight alongside his men.
The front lines saw thousands of young men die in hours, but despite the massive casualties, the Lithuanian imperial infantry kept advancing forward, and this is where their advantage in numbers began to set in. That is, the larger Lithuanian force began to envelop the enemy and surround them. Schwarzburg was well aware of this potential problem, he didn't fight in Saarbrucken for nothing, and soon he ordered his soldiers to take a slow, organized retreat, hopefully tiring the advancing Lithuanians out with constant artillery bombardment. But while this strategy worked against the French, whose mobility was like a turtle compared a hare, Lithuania, a mobility-centered army as it was, is an entirely different beast.
Remember the Lithuanian cavalry, which left it's flank to seemingly throttle around the farmland for a while? Well, it's back. Let by the Grand Hetman himself, pistol loaded and sabre raised, the Imperatoriškosios raitosios pajėgos ("Imperial Mounted Forces") slammed to the German army's left flank with a massive charge, surprising even Maximilian Schwarzburg himself. The Lithuanian cavalry raided German artillery positions and disorganized the entire flank before pulling back. It was a sudden, unexpected blow that could have been avoided if only the German high command had a bit more experience in handling enemy cavalry...
With the cavalry hammering the German lines, it was about time for the anvil to come forth. One of Martynas Pacas's biggest fears in the battle was that the frontline commanders wouldn't notice the opportunity to strike and thus give Schwarzburg enough time to consolidate his forces and weather the strike out, but his fears did not end up realized, as a Lithuanian infantry advance, supported by artillery bombing, swiftly followed. German commanders noted that the Lithuanians were using mobile artillery, an innovation introduced by Schwarzburg himself - they were starting to understand that Pacas was studying for this figurative test. Despite the Lithuanian numerical superiority and the cavalry support, the German lines surprisingly held despite numerous attempts to break through.
It was around this time in the battle that an event, which was inconsequential to the result of the battle as a whole, but resonated deeply across pop culture and history for years to come, happened. Only one primary source, the Chronicle of Lithuania, mentions this event. Among the Visegradian loyalist regiments that joined Pacas's company, a particular group stood out - a company of Winged Hussars, 70 in total, all from Greater Poland. Due to their heavy armor, they were hardly able to participate in the battle or charge at the German artillery along with Pacas's men, but during the renewed Lithuanian offensive and the ensuing chaos, a small German regiment of about 300 soldiers got separated from the rest of the battle, and ended up wandering near the location of the Winged Hussars, who promptly decided to prove their worth and attacked. The German bluecoats were quick to notice the charge, and prepared their muskets. After 10 minutes, 70 dead Winged Hussars were laying on the battlefield, with only a single German injured due to a fallen spear. This was the Last Charge of the Winged Hussars, and while the Chronicle of Lithuania portrayed them as brave men who died for their cause, nowadays this event is seen as a symbol of the battle between modern technology and the ancient ways, and how it almost always results in a victory for the former.
But anyway. After the success of the first cavalry charge, Martynas Pacas was ready to give it a second shot and hopefully destroy the German opposition for good - but Schwarzburg was not willing to let the same tactic win against him a second time. He moved the remaining leftovers of artillery back, then prepared to counter a charge with his own cavalry and the elite Jäger battalions, experts at fighting in rough terrain, and when the Lithuanian cavalry charged again, one of them promptly sniped the Grand Hetman with a shot at the shoulder. The dictator of Lithuania fell from his horse almost instantly, and while he was found by his men shortly thereafter and brought back to the camp, his condition was critical. News of this direct hit quickly spread across the battlefield, and as soon as Schwarzburg heard the news, as contemporaries say, "a spark of hope appeared in his eyes". While the Lithuanian high command was reorganizing himself with Martynas Pacas already one foot in the grave, the German commander ordered a mass counter-charge to break the enemy while it is still unprepared.
However, that's exactly what it was - a spot of hope, false hope. Having been forced to weather Lithuanian charges for the entire day, the Germans were far too thinned and weakened to put up a fight once more. The big thing was that they lacked the sufficient artillery support to break through the Imperial Infantry, and soon the intact Lithuanian mobile artillery battalions ripped them to shreds. In addition, even if lacking a leader, the Lithuanian cavalry corps put itself back together, now led by field officers, and successfully charged a third them, breaking through the Jägers and surrounding the core of the German army. It was a killing ground for both sides, and in the end, Schwarzburg and the majority of the German high command were captured and the remnants of the German Revolutionary Army fled west. The Battle of Sopron has been won!
But, unfortunately to Martynas Pacas, he did not live to see the consequences of the victory that he orchestrated. The wound in the shoulder was infected, and the doctor's attempts to take out the bullet instead of cleaning the wound only made it worse, because his instruments punctured the lung. Sources mention that before his death, the Grand Hetman turned insane from the pain and horror, holding onto a cross and constantly muttering something unintelligible until he finally died...
With both Lithuania and Germania decapitated, the German Revolutionary Wars were about to come to an end. But what consequences will this battle have?..
- Augenis
- Word Count: 1.8k