Battle of Sadowa

The battles of Sadowa also known as of Königgrätz (in particular by the Germans) on the plate between the Elba and Bistritz, of the July 3rd 1866 within the framework of the Guerre austro-Prussian. It was a victory of the kingdom of Prussia under the command of the general Helmuth von Moltke.

This battle made following the victory of the Prussians over the allies of Austria at the time of the Bataille of Langensalza (June 27th and 28th 1866)

This battle marked the end of the power struggle between Prussia and Austria within the Germanic world. Austria had to let Prussia exclude it from the new confederation Germanic, known as Confédération of Germany of North.

Antecedents

Following the Napoleonean wars, the old order was restored between the European powers by the Congrès of Vienna in 1815. It resulted institutionalization from it from Deutscher Bund (the German Confederation), actually a very theoretical alliance between the German States and Austria. The origin of the war austro-Prussian is due to the increasing tensions between the two German great powers of the time, Austria and Prussia, as for the domination on the Confederation.

The war was started following the conflict for the possession of jointly managed areas: the Schleswig and the Holstein following the German-Danish War. Following a policy of annexation forced on behalf of Denmark, which had obtained these two areas in 1806, an insurrection burst in Holstein in 1848. Prussia and Austria intervene in 1864, it is the Guerre of the Duchies. In 1865, the oppositions were again regulated via the convention of Gastein (Gasteiner Konvention). Denmark gives up these territories: Holstein returns to Austria, Schlechwig in Prussia. However, against the preceding agreement, Prussia occupied Holstein what led Austria to declare the mobilization of the confederal army. Prussia withdrew Confederation then and declared the war in Austria the June 19th 1866.

Side of Austria were the States of average Germany: the Bavaria, the Hanover, the Saxony, the Wurtemberg, country of Bade like various small German States.

With Prussia fought the small States of Thuringe, some States of the north of Germany and the Italy.

The day before the war austro-Prussian, Prussia had sent hundreds of observers to the side of the Northerners during the American American Civil War, which had been able to observe the use of the average modern soldiers as well as installation of adequate strategies. The introduction of a Oberste Heeresleitung ( high-command ), i.e. a centralized direction of the army, was one of the results of these observations.

Importance in the military history

The significance of the battle of Sadowa is important at the same time in the general political context and the development of the military strategy in Europe. With Sadowa the time begins from the operations of massive armies which, unlike the Napoleonean armies, lead engagements to the center of which the firearm becomes central. The bayonet which hitherto decided exit of a battle by combat of man with man becomes additional, this because of the progressive automation of the firearms. It is necessary here to notice the introduction of new armaments. Prussia used rifles Dreyse (in German: Preußische Nadelgewehr or ZündNadelgewehr ), an ultramodern weapon for the time which made it possible the infantry to draw lengthened seven blows because they reloaded with the cylinder head, whereas the Austrians were equipped only with mousquets obliging them to be upright to reload after a blow.

In same time, it is the tactics of command which is upset. Until there rising from the influence of Frederic II of Prussia, the tactics imposed a strict respect of the instructions of the Staff by the officers of troop, this for the implementation of the " tactic of the ligne" , i.e. progression of the troops in lines forming a square or a rectangle. This tactic dating from the 18th century made it possible to optimize the time of shooting, but had serious disadvantages, in particular a weakness on the sides. In fact, the battles of Iéna and Auestedt in 1806 had devoted the bankruptcy of it. Now a broader room for maneuver and a greater responsibility are left to the men of ground. Consequently the chiefs of companies - i.e. officers with the rank of captain or lieutenant - can, in case of doubt, to make decisions according to their own appreciation without fearing sanctions for disobedience.

Perhaps even more important: the mobilization and the transport of the troops are operated by the railroad. The commander-in-chief Helmuth von Moltke, former student of Carl von Clausewitz, used in an important way the means provided by modern transport to implement his complex plans, based on the exact respect of movements quasi-minutes. Quite as innovative was the revolution of the methods of communication: the messenger with horse of the preindustrial time was replaced more and more by the telegraph and the teleprinter. There still, the battle of Sadowa held place of first experimentation.

The battle plan of the Count von Molkte was, as it described it nonchalamment itself, " more simples". It was based on the simple principle, though difficult to implement in practice: " Separated while going, linked in combattant" (" Getrennt marschierend, vereint schlagen"). Thus, three armies were started by the Prussian high-command at the end of June 1866: the first under the command of the Prince Frederic Charles of Prussia, the second under that of his/her cousin, the Prince-Heir Frederic-Guillaume (the future Frederic III) and the third, the army of Elba, under the command of the General Herwarth von Bittenfeld. Those had, by a broad movement of surrounding, to destroy the Austrian army of the marshal Ludwig von Benedek. If this plan functioned, it is undoubtedly also thanks to the absence of cohesion within the coalition directed by Austria. Benedek also laid out him of three armies, but of which two only obeyed to him very theoretically and ensured the defense of Frankfurt and Munich. The Austrian marshal was thus isolated on the right wing from the face since it was into Bohemian.

After some engagements in the mountainous regions around Prague (the streets of Berlin preserve the memory of these fixings: Trautenau, Nachid and Skalitz) between on June 26th and on July 3rd, combat generally gained by the Prussian armies, the two armies meet on July 3rd at the small day close to Sadowa.

Unfolding

At the beginning, the Austrian army had only the 1 Prussian Army and the Army of Elba vis-a-vis it: the units of the Prince-Heir were still in way. Indeed, following a cut of the telegraph lines, the news of the decided offensive the previous evening by Frederic Charles was learned with the army taken along by the Prince-Heir only towards 4:00 to the morning (two riders had overlapped all the night). Consequently, the pressure was done with the wire hours increasingly strong on the Prussian troops of under-number.

The 7th division of Prussian Infantry of the major general Eduard von Fransecky, and in particular the 2nd Regiment of Magdebougeois Infantry, attacked in the wood of Swiep. It were found vis-a-vis two Austrian army corps. An appalling carnage followed. The King of Prussia ordered to the 1 Army (in the center) to walk and support Fransecky. The village of Sadowa was taken but the engagements always made rage in wood. The Austrian artillery stopped the Prussians towards 11:00 of the morning, the 1 Prussian Army which had been placed at the beginning at the west of the Bystřice river which can only with difficulty make cross its artillery. Without referring about it to the Austrian Staff, the count Festetics and his troops then tried to take again wood.

Already, the Austrian generals cherished the illusion of an easy victory, which led them besides not “to finish work” by ordering a load of cavalry at the time when the battle could be decided in their favor. Prussian side, the first signs of bad mood appeared against the not very orthodoxe plan of the eccentric von Moltke (Guillaume himself and its Minister-President, the count Bismarck, feared a defeat).

At midday, the Benedek marshal ordered the use of the troops of reserves, which did not arrive however, to reconquer the hill.

To approximately 14:30, emerges at the horizon, in top of a hill, the 1st Regiment of Guards. It was the avant-garde of the Bodies of Guards belonging to the 2nd Army. The army of the prince-heir was there, with nearly 100.000 men. It attacked the Austrian right side and took at once the Austrian army out of clippers in the wood of Swiep (divisions of the Army of Elba n°14, 15 and 16 attacker on the left side).

The " 1st Regiment of Chrétienté" (1st regiment of Guard was thus called by the contemporaries) took Chlum, in the east of Sadowa and behind the Austrian center while in same time, the Army of Elba took Probluz and inserted the Austrian left side.

In little time, the Austrians lost nearly 10.000 men. Vis-a-vis the threat of a surrounding of the whole of the Austrian army, Benedek gave up the part and ordered the withdrawal of the troops which were continued by the Prussian cavalry.

Continuations

The significance of the battle did not remain unknown contemporaries. In Paris of the Second Empire, one feared that is not created, on the border is, a neighbor powerful and plain under the domination of Prussia. Very quickly the slogan of call to the battle appeared to prevent Prussia from linking more before Germany: “Revenge for Sadowa! ”. The goal was to choke the movement of German unification, which leads to the Franco-German war of 1870-1871. One can affirm that the French refusal to support Austria proved to be a quite bad calculation: Prussia is reinforced, ensured not to be attacked by Russia, and can turn quietly… to France.

The battle had also deep consequences for the Austrian Empire. In spite of the victorious battles with Custoza on June 24th and of Smoothed (naval battle on July 20th) against the Italians, combined Prussians, the emperor François Joseph was constrained, following the catastrophic defeat of Sadowa, with the capitulation and the handing-over of Venice in Italy. Moreover, Austria withdrew Germanic, dissolved Confederation in fact, and Prussia annexed the the Schleswig-Holstein, the Hanover, Kurhessen, the Duché of Nassau and Francfort-sur-le-Main while melting the Confédération of Germany of North. July 26th, 1866 was concluded the provisional peace of Nikolsburg, followed by the treaty (final) of Prague on August 23rd.

The Austrian Marshal Ludwig von Benedek, which was certainly an endowed strategist, was very quickly regarded as the person in charge of what it is advisable to call a rout. Following the defeat, it was suspended of its station and passed in the Council of War. The procedure was suspended under the pressure of the Emperor and it was ordered in Benedek to keep silent itself until the end of its days in connection with this battle. What it did. The historians are nowadays rather of the opinion that although Benedek made some errors (on the choice of the ground in particular), the defeat is rather to put at the account Hungarian officers who, against the orders of Benedek, counter-attacked in the wood of Swiep. This resulted in tearing the Austrian face and allowed the surrounding of the Austrians by the Prussian late regiment “”. As for the superiority of Dreyse rifles, Benedek seems of to have been quite informed, which led it to try to oblige the Prussians to fight in thick wood (like that of Swiep). The lines being brought closer thus more, the higher armament of the Prussians was to them only of little utility. This tactic functioned rather well, until the fatal counter-attack of the Prussians.

In Austrian interior policy, the Emperor was under pressure. Monarchy was weakened on the external level and in 1867, Austria was driven back with some concessions. December 21st, the division of the old Austrian Empire between Austria and Hungary was granted (actually Cisleithanie and Transleithanie), while the Constitution of December was signed with the Council of the Empire ( Reichsrat ).

Lastly, on the military level, the Prussian statégie is essential: attacks massive in the center, then skirting of the wings with as objective crushing the enemy army (what is only partially reached in Sadowa). This same tactic will be essential besides on Sedan.

Curiosities

In the novel of Theodor Fontane " Effi Briest " (1895), heroin puts at the world his/her child, his daughter Annie, the day of the battle of Königgrätz. Quotation of the chapter 14: " … and in the morning of July 3rd beside the bed of Effi a cradle was held. Doctor Hannemann tapped the hand of the young mother and known as: " Today is the day of Königgrätz; it's a pity that it is a girl. But a boy can come later, and the Prussians have many days of victories (in front of them) ".

It is of this battle which comes the proverb “the Prussians do not draw so quickly! ”. Is it about an ironic recall to the superiority of Prussian rifles, enabling them to draw more quickly? Sebastian Haffner affirms the opposite in its book Preußen ohne Legende : “The proverb… does not refer to the shootings of the Prussians with their modern rifles - and they drew particularly quickly! - but it rises owing to the fact that they were much slower when it was a question of shooting the deserters… In Prussia, one received certainly in this case there a beating which left you with half-death, but one was then given on feet to be able to be useful again. The deserters had too much value to be shot; here also, Prussian economy”.

The battle of Sadowa started as strong speculative movements on the European stock exchange places, movements as Zola describes in one of the books of the series of the Rougon-Macquart, the Money. The hero, Saccard makes fortune on a speculation on this occasion, or rather benefits from what the current right describes as offense of initiate. Informed result of the battle before everyone by an indiscretion in a minister, he plays rise whereas the purse seems to always have to tumble down. And the first prize gains.

The emperor François Joseph is supposed to have said, after one taught him the news from the defeat and a way well not very princely, in connection with his general: " Benedek, the imbecile! " (Benedek, der Trottel!). This one was congédié shortly after without honors.

Hindenburg, the future marshal and commander-in-chief of the German forces lasting the First World War and the future president of the Weimar Republic, was useful already as an officer in the Prussian troops at the time of the battle of Sadowa! It is true that it was already reprocesses some when one recalled it in 1914…

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