The Battle of Reichenberg took place during the
Third Silesian War (part of the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...
) on 21 April 1757 near the town of
Reichenberg (Czech: ''Liberec'') in
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
.
Background
Marshal
von Bevern had entered Bohemia with a corps of 15,000
Prussia
Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
ns. At Reichenberg he encountered
Königsegg's
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
n corps. The full Austrian corps consisted of 18,000 infantry and 4,900 cavalry, but only about 14,000 of them had been concentrated at Reichenberg.
The experienced Bevern defeated his opponent. As a result, Bevern captured large quantities of Austrian supplies and could continue his march on
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
.
Order of Battle
Austrian Forces
Austrian Forces during the battle were:
* Commander-in-Chief,
''Feldzeugmeister'' (General of Artillery) Christian Eusebius, Count von Königsegg-Rothenfels
* Vanguard (at the outskirts of the woods to the East of Reichenberg)
** Splényi Hussarregiment (2 Sqns)
** Karlstädter Grenz-Hussarregiment (1 Sqn)
* Main Corps
** Right Wing, under Major-General
Count Franz Moritz von Lacy
*** on the left bank of the
Neisse
The Lusatian Neisse (; ; ; Upper Sorbian: ''Łužiska Nysa''; Lower Sorbian: ''Łužyska Nysa''), or Western Neisse, is a river in northern Central Europe. in the entrenchments in-front of Reichenberg
**** Starhemberg Infanterieregiment (1 Btn)
**** Sprecher Infanterieregiment (1 Btn)
*** behind the entrenchments between Rosenthal and Franzesdorf on the right bank of the Neisse
**** Sincère Infanterieregiment (2 Btns)
**** Gyulay Infanterieregiment (1 Btn)
**** Forgách Infanterieregiment (1 Btn)
**** Mercy-Argenteau Infanterieregiment (1 Btn)
**** Warasdiner-Creutzer Grenzerbataillon
**** 2 Field artillery batteries
** Left Wing, under Christian Eusebius, Count von Königsegg-Rothenfels on the left bank of the Neisse
*** Infantry (in the entrenchments)
**** Converged Grenadiers (8 Coys)
**** Converged Grenadiers (2 Coys)
**** Mercy-Argenteau Infanterieregiment (1 Btn)
**** Karlstädter-Szluiner Grenzerbataillon
**** 1 Field artillery battery
*** Cavalry, under Lieutenant-General the Count von Porporati deployed in two lines to the left of the entrenchments on the left bank
**** Converged Carabiniers (2 Sqns)
**** Pálffy Kürassierregiment (6 Sqns)
**** Löwenstein Kürassierregiment (3 Sqns)
**** Lichtenstein Dragonerregiment (6 Sqns)
**** Porporati Dragonerregiment (2 Sqns)
**** Batthyányi Dragonerregiment (2 Sqns)
*** Extreme left, occupying an isolated barricade in the woods
**** Haller Infanterieregiment (2 Btns), occupying another barricade just behind the previous one
**** Karlstädter-Szluiner Grenzerbataillon
**** Sincère Infanterieregiment (2 Grenadier coys)
*** Major-General Count von Würben's Brigade, arriving from Gabel (2 Btns making themselves ready in a clearing while the others were still on the march)
**** Khuel Infanterieregiment (1 Btn)
**** Leopold Pálffy Infanterieregiment (1 Btn)
*** Another 10 Btns and 14 Grenadier coys were posted at Gabel under Field Marshal Maquire to defend the Passes of
Lusatia
Lusatia (; ; ; ; ; ), otherwise known as Sorbia, is a region in Central Europe, formerly entirely in Germany and today territorially split between Germany and modern-day Poland. Lusatia stretches from the Bóbr and Kwisa rivers in the eas ...
Prussian Forces
Prussian Forces during the battle were (cavalry maintained 4 sqns and infantry had 2 battalions):
* Commander-in-Chief,
August Wilhelm, Duke of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern
** Infantry Commander, Lieutenant-General
Hans Sigismund von Lestwitz
** Cavalry Commander, Major-General
Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg
* Puttkamer Hussarregiment (vanguard)
* 1 battery of 12 × 12-pounder guns
* First Line
** Kahlden Grenadierbataillon
** Möllendorf Grenadierbataillon
** Billerbeck Greandierbataillon
** Prinz von Prußen Infanterieregiment
** Darmstadt Infanterieregiment
** Forcade Infanterieregiment
** Amstell Infanterieregiment
** Kleist Infanterieregiment
* Second Line
** Normann Dragonerregiment
** Katte Dragonerregiment
** Würtemburg Dragonerregiment
** Puttkamer Hussarregiment
** Prinz Heinrich Fusilierregiment
References
Sources
*
Battle of Reichenberg
Battles of the Seven Years' War
Battles involving Prussia
Battles involving Austria
Battle
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...
1757 in the Habsburg monarchy
18th century in Bohemia
Battles of the Silesian Wars
History of the Liberec Region
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