Rēspūblicae aeternae sunt

[Imladrik]

This is my first timeline, so feedback is greatly appreciated.

Chapter 1 : The Five Years' War

Part 1 : Fall of a Giant

"Schlingel, wunden Sie ewig leben?"- Frederick II of Prussia, to the hesitating Guards, Battle of Kolín

The Five Years' war is defined by modern historian as the period of conflict between France and the United Kingdom from 1754 to 1759. This conflict, fought across the world, was concomitant to the Third Silesian war in Europe, which saw Prussian troops fighting Austria, Sweden and Russia. The conflict began is often defined as beginning on May 28, 1754 during the Battle of Jumonville-Glen, where Lieutenant-Colonel George Washington of the Virginia Colonial Militia attacked and killed a French scouting party with the help of some Mingo warriors. This small colonial conflict over the Ohio valley erupted after two more years of skirmishes and small battles into a full blown war after the formal declaration of war between France and the United Kingdom after the french victory at the battle of Minorca.

Frederick in 1739
​

The Third Silesian War began on 29th August 1756 when Prussian King Frederick II, now allied with Great Britain attacked Saxony to seize the advantage before any Austro-French invasion of Silesia. The Prussian army won a series of battle against the the Saxon forces, which lead to the surrender of Saxony. Saxon troops were forcibly incorporated into the Prussian army, a move that, along with the surprise invasion of Saxony lead to numerous protestations across Europe. Austria was joined by Russia and France in her fight against Prussia. The Prussian army rode from one victory to another during the first year of the war, until the battle of Prague and the following battle of Kolín.

Battle of Kolín (Source : Kronoskaf)
​

Frederick II led an attack into the Kingdom of Bohemia, attempting to knock Austria out of the war. Meanwhile the Russian troops invaded East Prussia and a French army led by Marshal Louis Charles d'Estrées prepared to attack Hannover and Brunswick, two state under personal union with Great Britain. While the battle of Reichenberg against Austria was easily won, Frederick II suffered heavy losses during the battle of Prague preventing him from assaulting the city. These losses proved to be too much for the small Prussian army which encountered the Austrian army under Count von Daun near Kolín to prevent them from relieving Prague.

Soldier from the Prussian 1. Leibgarde uniform
​

Frederick tried to apply is favorite tactic of enveloping the enemy right-wing with most of his army, leaving only screening forces on his center and right flank. The Prussian left wing would locally outnumber the Austrians forces, root them and decide the battle. But his plan was shattered when the Croatian light infantry provoked the Prussians generals to attack too early. After five hours of uncoordinated frontal attacks, Daun's troops counterattacked and rooted the first Guard battalion which where ordered to cover the Prussian retreat. During the confusion, Frederick II fell from his horse and died, probably trampled by his own troops.

 

[Zireael]

Hmm, what is the POD? Not so well versed in the history of the period, I'm afraid...

 

[imperialaquila]

Frederick dying during the battle of Koln, it would seem. I look forward to where this goes.

 

[Imladrik]

Part 2 :
In the wake of the disaster of Kolín and the end of the Bohemian campaign, Prinz August Wilhelm became the ruler of Prussia. He sent his brother Heinrich to command the troops facing the Russian, while he tried to reorganize his armies to defend Silesia against the Austrians. August hopped that the Hanoverian troops would manage to hold the French in west Germany and then send him some troops, but his hopes were shattered by the battle of Hastenbeck. One month after the battle of Kolín, a French army under marshal d'Estrées encountered the Hanoverian Army of Observation near the city of Hameln.


Outnumbered and without support from the Prussian (the six Prussian battalions supporting him were recalled by Prinz August), William Augustus the Duke of Cumberland, a son of King George II of Great Britain decided to use the Weser as a defensive line. But his troops were stretched to thin and couldn't stop the French from crossing the Weser close to the town of Holzminden. The French then proceeded north, toward Hanover, but encountered the Hanoverian army near Hameln. After a day of bloody battle, during which the Brigade d'Alsace (composed of the three battalions of the Régiment d'Alsace and the single battalion of the Régiment Saint-Germain) held the right flank almost single-handedly, saving the French Army. This defeat of the Hanoverian army led to the occupation of Hanover.

The uniform of the Régiment d'Alsace
​

In London, political agitation was at it's utmost. The loss of Hanover led to the downfall of the Pitt government. For several month the seals of office passed from one hand to another. Finally, George II forced the parliament to accept James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave as Prime Minister. While he was a close friend to the king, he wasn't up to the task, fearful of losing the king friendship. Knowing the king attachment to Hanover, he diverted some of the troops destined to the North American and Indian theatre to help retake Hanover. While his ministry was short due to the lack of support from the commons, the damage he did to the war by diverting troops initially committed to the colonies to Europe was important.


In Stockholm, the Hats faction took the opportunity of taking back Swedish possessions in Pomerania that were ceded to Prussia in 1720, at the end of the First Northern war. The Hats also wanted to humiliate the Swedish Queen Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, the sister of Frederick II, after the failed monarchical revolution of 1756. France promised financial backing for their war and the 20 September 1757, Sweden declared war against Prussia. While the Prussians were distracted, being attacked by the Russian from the east, the Austrian from the south and a Franco-Austrian army from the west, the ill-equipped Swedish troops were almost routed by numerically inferiors Prussian forces in every battle. The small advances made by the swedes were achieved by the sheer weight of numbers. In the end of 1757, Swedish troops were wintering in Stettin.


In the East, marshal Stepan Federovich Apraskin led a Russian force of 70.000 men into East Prussia. His army's numerical superiority allowed him to smash the small Prussian forces present in the region and besiege fortresses at the same time. Memel fell after five days of siege, and Königsberg after a month long siege, after he destroyed a Prussian army which had taken defensive position at Wehlau. In the end of 1757, he had overrun almost all of Eastern Prussia and his army wintered in the fortresses taken during autumn.

As usual, criticism is welcome