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country until on the 1st of June it was near. Schweidnitz. At that date the Austro-Saxons were advancing (very slowly owing to the poorness of the roads and the dilatoriness of the Saxon See also:

ARTILLERY (the O. Fr. artiller, to equip with engines of war, probably comes from Late Lat. articulum, dim. of ars, art, cf. " engine " from ingenium, or of artus, joint)

artillery See also:

TRAIN (M. Eng. trayn or trayne, derived through Fr. from Late Lat. trahinare, to drag, draw, Lat. trahere, cf. trail, trace, ultimately from the same source)

train) from See also:

WALDENBURG

Waldenburg this promptly retired in See also:

order to avoid being surrounded. See also:

DUMOULIN, CHARLES [MOLINAEUS] (1500-1566)

Dumoulin then posted artillery on the slope of the See also:

hill and deployed his six See also:

GRENADIER

grenadier battalions facing the village. The leading See also:

CAVALRY (Fr. cavalerie, Ger. Kavallerie or Reiterei, derived ultimately from late Lat. caballus, horse)

cavalry of the See also:

main army came up and deployed on Dumoulin's See also:

LEFT

left front in open See also:

ROLLING

rolling ground. Meantime the duke of Weissenfels had improvised a See also:

LINE

line of See also:

defence, posting his See also:

INFANTRY

infantry in the marshy ground and about Pilgramshain, and his cavalry, partly in front of Pilgramshain and partly on the intervening space, opposite that of the Prussians. But before the marshy ground was effectively occupied by the duke's infantry, his cavalry had been first shaken by the See also:

FIRE (in O. Eng. f j'r; the word is common to West German languages, cf. Dutch vuur, Ger. Feuer; the pre-Teutonic form is seen in Sanskrit pu, pavaka, and Gr. irup; the ultimate origin is usually taken to be a root meaning to purify, cf. Lat. purus)

fire of Dumoulin's guns on the Spitzberg and a heavy See also:

BATTERY (Fr. batterie, from battles, to beat)

battery that was brought up on to the Grahener Fuchsberg, and then charged by the Prussian right-wing cavalry, and in the melee the Allies were gradually driven in confusion off the battlefield. The cavalry battle was ended by 6.3o A.M., by which See also:

time Dumoulin's grenadiers, stiffened by the line See also:

REGIMENT (from Late Latin regimentum, rule, regere, to rule, govern, direct)

regiment See also:

ANHALT

Anhalt (the " Old Dessauer's " own), were vigorously attacking the See also:

GARDEN (from O. Fr. garden, mod. Fr. jardin; this, like our words " garth," a paddock attached to a building, and " yard," comes from a Teutonic word for an enclosure which appears in Gothic as gards and O. H. Ger. gart, cf. Dutch gaarde and Ger. .garten)

garden hedges and walls of Pilgramshain, and the Saxon and Austrian infantry in the See also:

marsh was being attacked by Prince See also:

DIETRICH, CHRISTIAN WILHELM ERNST (1712-1774)

Dietrich of See also:

DESSAU

Dessau with the right wing of the king's infantry. The line infantry of those days, however, did not See also:

WORK

work easily in See also:

BAD, BCD

bad ground, and the Saxons were steady and well drilled.

After an See also:

HOUR

hour's fight, well supported by the guns and continually reinforced as the See also:

REST (O. Eng. rest, reste, bed, cognate with other Teutonic forms, e.g. Ger. Rast, Riiste, rest, and probably Gothic Rasta, league, i.e. resting or stopping place)

rest of the army closed up, the prince expelled the enemy from the marsh, while Dumoulin drove the See also:

LIGHT

light troops out of Pilgramshain. By 7 A.M. the Saxons, forming the left wing of the allied army, were in full See also:

RETREAT (O. Fr. retrete, mod. retraite, from Lat. retrahere, to draw back)

retreat. While his allies were being defeated, Prince Charles of Lorraine had done nothing, believing that the cannonade was merely an outpost affair for the See also:

possession of the Spitzberg. His generals indeed had drawn out their respective commands in order of battle, the infantry See also:

south of Gunthersdorf, the cavalry near Thomaswaldau, but they had no authority to advance without orders, and stood inactive, while, r m. away, the Prussian columns were defiling over the Striegau See also:

WATER

Water. This phase of the king's advance was the most delicate of all, and the moment that he heard from Prince Dietrich that the marsh was captured he stopped the northward flow of his battalions and swung them westward, the left wing cavalry having to See also:

COVER (from the Fr. convert, from couvrir, to cover, Lat. cooperire)

cover their deployment. But when one-third of this cavalry only had crossed at Teichau the See also:

BRIDGE

bridge See also:

broke. For a time the advanced squadrons were in great danger. But they charged boldly, and a disjointed cavalry battle began, during which (Ziethen's hussars having dis- covered a See also:

ford) the rest of the left-wing cavalry was able to See also:

CROSS

cross. At last 25 intact squadrons under Lieut.-See also:

General von See also:

NASSAU

Nassau charged and drove the Austrians in disorder towards Hohenfriedberg. This See also:

ACTION

action was the more creditable to the victors in that 45 squadrons in 3 See also:

SEPARATE

separate fractions defeated a See also:

mass of 6o squadrons that stood already deployed to meet them. Meanwhile the Prussian infantry columns of the centre and left had crossed Striegau Water and deployed to their left, and by 8.3o they were advancing on Gunthersdorf and the Austrian infantry south of that See also:

PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place. Frederick's purpose was to See also:

roll up the enemy from their inner flank, and while Prince Dietrich, with most of the troops that had forced the Saxons out of the marsh, pursued Weissenfels, two regiments of his and one of Dumoulin's were brought over to the left wing and sent against the north See also:

side of Gunthersdorf.

In the course of the general forward See also:

MOVEMENT

movement, which was made in what was for those days a very irregular line, a wide See also:

gap opened up between the centre and left, behind which ro squadrons of the See also:

BAYREUTH, or BAIREUTH

Bayreuth See also:

DRAGOON (Fr. dragon, Ger. Dragoner)

dragoon regiment, with Lieut.-General von Gessler, took up their position. Thus the line advanced. The grenadiers on the extreme left cleared Thomaswaldau, and their fire galled the Austrian squadrons engaged in the cavalry battle to the south. Then Gunthersdorf, attacked on three sides, was also evacuated by the enemy. But although Frederick rode back from the front saying " the battle is won," the Prussian infantry, in spite and See also:

LANDSHUT

Landshut through the mountains, heading for Striegau. After a few See also:

minor skirmishes at the end of May, Frederick had made up his mind to offer no opposition to the passage of the Allies, but to fall upon them as they emerged, and the Prussian army was therefore kept concentrated out of sight, while only selected See also:

OFFICERS

officers and patrols watched the debouches of the mountains. On the other See also:

hand the Allies had no intention of delivering battle, but meant only, on emerging from the mountains, to take up a suitable camping position, and thence to interpose between Breslau and the king, believing that " the king was at his wits' end, and, once the army really began its retreat on Breslau, there would be frightful consternation in its ranks." But in fact, as even the coolest observers noticed, the Prussian army was in excellent See also:

SPIRITS

spirits and eager for the " decisive affair " promised by the king. On the 3rd of June, watched by the invisible patrols, the Austrians and Saxons emerged from the hills at Hohenfriedberg with bands playing and See also:

COLOURS, MILITARY

colours flying. Their advanced guard of infantry and cavalry spread out into the See also:

PLAIN (O. Fr. plain, from Lat. plenum)

plain, making for a line of hills spreading north-See also:

west from Striegau, where the army was to HOHENFRIEDBERG J uae 4,1745 Piwslans 1st Stags '~~• m!o Prussians 2nd See also:

STAGE (Fr. 6/age; from Lat. stare, to stand)

stage Allies_ f'1C2E1 A.I.Austrian Inf.A.C.Austrian Cau. S.I. Saxon Inf. s.c. Saxon Cau.

encamp. But the main See also:

BODY

body moved slowly, and at last Prince Charles and Weissenfels decided to put off the occupation of the line of hills till the morrow. The army bivouacked therefore in two separate wings, the Saxons (with a few Austrian regiments) between Gunthersdorf and Pilgramshain, the Austrians near Hausdorf. They were about 70,000 strong, Frederick 65,000. The king had made his arrangements in See also:

GOOD, JOHN MASON (1764-1827)

good time, aided by the enemy's slowness, and in the evening he issued See also:

SIMPLE

simple orders to move. About g P.M. the Prussians marched off from Alt-Jauernigk towards Striegau, the guns on the road, the infantry and cavalry, in See also:

long open columns of companies and squadrons, over the See also:

FIELDS, JAMES THOMAS (1817-1881)

fields on either side—a See also:

NIGHT

night See also:

march well remembered by contrast with others as having been executed in perfect order. Meanwhile General Dumoulin, who commanded an advanced detachment between Striegau and Stanowitz, broke See also:

CAMP (from Lat. campus, field)

camp silently and moved into position below the hill north-west of Striegau, which was found to be occupied by Saxon light infantry outposts. The king's orders were for Dumoulin and the right wing of the main army to deploy and advance towards Haslicht against the Saxons, and for the left wing infantry to prolong the line from the marsh to Gunthersdorf, covered by the left-wing cavalry on the plain near Thomaswaldau. On the side of the Austrians, the outlying. hussars are said to have noticed and reported the king's movement, for the night was clear and starlit, but their See also:

REPORT (O.Fr. report or raport, modern rapport, from O.Fr. reporter, mod. rap porter, Lat. reportare, to bring back, in poetical use only, of bringing back an account, news, &c.)

report, if made, was ignored. At 4 A.M. Dumoulin advanced on Pilgramshain, neglecting the fire of the Saxon outpost on the Spitzberg, whereupon of its See also:

SUPERIOR

superior fire discipline, failed for some time to See also:

MASTER (Lat. magister, related to tnagis, more, as the corresponding minister is to minus, less; the English form is due partly to the O. Eng. maegister, and partly to O. Fr. maistre, mod. maitre; cf. Du. meester, Ger. Meister, Ital. maestro)

master the defence, and suffered heavily from the eight See also:

close-range volleys they received, one or two regiments losing 40 and 50 % of their strength. The Austrians, however, suffered still more; feeling themselves isolated in the midst of the victorious enemy, they began to waver, and at the psychological moment Gessler and the Bayreuth dragoons charged into their ranks and " broke the See also:

EQUILIBRIUM (from the Lat. aequus, equal, and libra, a balance)

equilibrium." These 1500 sabres scattered twenty battalions of the enemy and brought in 2500 prisoners and 66 Austrian colours, and in this astounding See also:

charge they themselves lost no more than 94 men.

By nine o'See also:

CLOCK

clock the battle was over, and the wrecks of the Austro-Saxon army were retreating to the mountains. The Prussians, who had been marching all night, were too far spent to pursue. The loss of the allies was in all 15,224, 7985 killed and wounded, and 7239 prisoners, as well as 72 guns and 83 See also:

STANDARDS

standards and colours. The Prussians lost 4666 killed and wounded, 71 missing.

End of Article: HOHENFRIEDBERG, or HOHENFRIEDEBERG

Additional information and Comments

One of the most well-known prussian army marches was named after this victory - the "Hohenfriedberger Marsch" which is played by military bands in Germany to this day. If the march has already been played at Hohenfriedberg or if it was even composed by king Frederic II. himself, has never been proven.

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