War in Germany 2018 Lecture 4: Frederick II “ the Great ” , 1712-1786

1. War in Germany 2018 Lecture 4: Frederick II “the Great”, 1712-1786

2. 16 December 1740: Prussian attack on Austrian the attack on Austria Silesia opens a period of warfare that extends until end of 7 years war in 1763

3. The remarkable figure of Frederick “the Great”: man of the Enlightenment

4. Traumatized son of the “Soldier king” Frederick Wilhelm I

5. Frederick the Enlightenment radical on Christianity: In his official political testament of 1768 the king of Prussia described Christianity as “an old metaphysical fiction, stuffed with miracles, contradictions and absurdities, which was spawned in the fevered imaginations of the Orientals and then spread to our Europe, where some fanatics espoused it, some intriguers pretended to be convinced by it and some imbeciles actually believed it.”

6. Hermann Katte, Frederick’s bosom companion, beheaded November 1730 on the orders of Frederick’s father, who then goes on to rule for another 10 years!

7. Frederick’s memorial to his sister and to male friendship

8. All this … and he survived 19 major battles: Frederick was modern Germany’s first true military hero. The starting point of a real myth of Prussia  the “Borussia”n school of history. Aim of this lecture is to provide a counterpoint to the Frederick-centric view…

9. What made Frederick possible was a bewildering shift in Europe’s power politics. The old geopolitical order is fading. War of Spanish Succession  Louis XIV has ended Habsburg encirclement: Spain ruled by a Bourbon “Spanish Netherlands” i.e. Belgium goes to Austrian Habsburgs

10. The Habsburg’s have a succession problem: Maria Theresa’s (3 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) = oldest surviving daughter of Emperor Charles VI Pragmatic Sanction is supposed to ensure legal basis for female inheritance. But disputed  Austria’s grip wobbles. France accepted in exchange for the duchy of Lorraine, under the Treaty of Vienna (1738). Spain's acceptance was also gained under the Treaty of Vienna (1738). Great Britain and the Dutch Republic accepted in exchange for the cessation of operations of the Ostend Company. King Frederick I of Prussia approved for his loyalty to the Emperor.

11. Poland in permanent crisis. Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at its height in 1619 dominated central Europe

12. Russia’s rise is THE most spectacular exercise in state-building of 18th century. Peter the Great 1672-1725 Modernizes Russia Crushes Swedes Builds Russian fleet Establishes Russian dominance in the Baltic

13. For Prussia the clock is ticking. And its immediate rivals are not the major powers but Saxony that has forged a dynastic link with Poland. Geostrategic logic  Eat Silesia or be eaten

14. Frederick got away with his attack on Austria and occupation of Silesia in 1740 not only because he won two key battles against the feeble Austrian army (Mollwitz 1740 and Hohenfriedberg 1745), but because his aggression immediately unleashed an entire mob of claimants. With French backing Archduke of Bavaria has himself elected Holy Roman Emperor instead of Marie Theresa. By 1741 a joint French and Bavarian force had taken Linz and Prague. 1745 at Treaty of Dresden Prussian control of Silesia is confirmed in exchange Marie Theresa’s husband is made Emperor Francis I with Prussian backing.

15. 1740s are the last time that France followed the old model of kneejerk anti-Habsburg policy. With the Habsburg threat contained, France was increasingly preoccupied with other questions: colonial war v. Britain The wars of the 1740s viewed from global perspective: Britain-Austria-Russia V. France-Spain-Bavaria-Prussia

16. But Britain was not just a far-flung Empire. It was a European power: From 1688 ruled by Dutch dynasty From 1714 by German dynasty of Hannover

17. By 1750s European geopolitics begins to shift as France realizes that Hannover was a bargaining chip against British aggression in the colonies. But to attack and occupy Hannover a member of the HRE, France needed permission of Habsburgs/HRE Prussia could either be shield of Hannover (and thus ally of British) or a source of menace (and thus ally of France). Austria would need to decide whether to continue struggle with France or prioritize struggle with Prussia.

18. The diplomatic revolution of the 1750s: France and Austria unite against Britain (France) and Prussia (Austria) Kaunitz, Austrian Minister on Vienna’s objective in the Seven Years War: “la reduction de la maison de Brandebourg a sone etat primitive de petite puissance tres secondaire.” – the reduction of the house of Brandenburg to its primitive state of a very secondary small power. Final disaster for Prussia was to provoke the Russians into flipping into camp of Prussia’s enemies. Why? Britain and Prussia block Russia’s exit to North Sea. An ally of Britain is an enemy of Russia.

19. Facing a massive alliance against him with only the British in support  Frederick goes over to the offensive. Aug 9 1756 he attacks Saxony the old rival for Silesia. It was a case of “preventative war” to establish a defensible forward line outside Prussian territory.

20. For second time Prussia is the aggressor. • But Seven Years War is a war of three theatres of which two are German, but only one of which is Prussian. • Global war between Britain and France • The war in Western Germany between France, Britain, Hannover and its German allies. • Frederick the Great’s war in the East against Austria and Russia

21. As a corrective to Borussian focus it is worth pointing out that this war does not revolve around Frederick the Great: William Pitt the Elder George Washington Benjamin Franklin Frederick of Prussia Louis XV Choiseul Russia’s Empress Elizabeth Marie Theresa Kaunitz Madame de Pompadour 17621-1764 Three women are key! They are all anti-Prussian.

22. After 1700 Europe’s military landscape devolved from one of total French dominance to multi-centeric competition:

23. After embarrassment of Silesian wars in 1740s, Austria spectacularly rebuilt its military strength. Austria focused particularly on its artillery leaving both France and Prussia far behind at beginning of 7 years war. Austria’s artillery reforms are a typically cosmopolitan effort: Austrian artillery mastermind is Fürst Joseph Wenzel von Liechtenstein He recruits the Saxon Rouvroy (the Fire Devil) the Dane Alvson the Prussian Schröder And Gribeauval, from French service. They are joined by Austrian Feuerstein brothers and generals Feldern and Fischer Swiss carpenter Jacquet, who, revolutionizes the artillery foundry in Ebergassing Introduces the canon boring techniques claimed by Geneva blacksmith Maritz.

24. Even more important arms race for global history is happening offshore: Naval arms race was not one that any German power even attempted to engage in.

25. Even in Germany, the Seven Years War was not a “prussian war” alone: In West the war to keep the French out of Hannover and Prussia’s Western possessions is fought by an Anglo-German army of Hannoverarians, Hessians, Brits and Prussians commanded by Ferdinand, Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg (12 January 1721, Wolfenbüttel – 3 July 1792, Vechelde) Frederick and the main Prussian army fought only one major battle against the French – Rossbach in 1757

26. Judgement at Regensburg January 1757: In the war in the East for Silesia, Bohemia and Saxony Frederick was waging war against other members of the HRE. His main antagonists are German: Saxony, Bavaria, Austria Following a judgement by the Reichstag at Regensburg what Frederick the Great formally faces is a Reichs-Exekutions-Armee (Punitive Reichs Army) tasked by the HRE to bring him to account as a war criminal i.e. for Landfriedensbruch (breaking peace of the realm)

27. …. Nevertheless. Despite all these qualifications, Prussian drama draws us in because we know what happens next. It did form the fulcrum of the European war. Frederick’s aggression made the war into an existential struggle. Marie Theresa specifically identified what for her was at stake. She had come to regard Prussia as a threat to good government. Its militarism forced all other states to respond, which would result in a state of intolerable high taxation and oppression.

28. The story is exciting, Prussia comes terrifyingly close to extinction. But it emerged intact and having demonstrated that it was a great power in the sense that it was able to withstand pressure from every other power in Europe and live to tell the tale. In so doing it transformed the European map. Whilst France’s main antagonist was now Britain, Austria’s main antagonist was now Prussia = a new dualism that runs through the Holy Roman Empire. Prussian flaunted the authority of the HRE and relegated Saxony and Bavaria permanently -> Austria v. Prussia dualism is now decisive. The line that leads from Frederick to Bismarck is NOT straight. But there is a structural continuity between 7 years war and wars of unification 100 years later.

29. How was Prussia able to survive this struggle? The military-economic system established by Frederick Wilhelm in the decades before Frederick II came to power, held up. The canton draft system produced recruits by the hundreds of thousands to replace heavy losses. Frederick and his father founded the armaments works at Spandau – the Königlich-Preussische Gewehrfabrique - that one hundred years later would grow to be synonymous with small arms.

30. Total cost of Seven Years War to Prussia was c. 139 m Thaler of which:

31. Above all Frederick and his generals continually fine-tuned the Prussian army. Prussian infantry is most disciplined and best trained in Europe.

32. Der Alte Dessauer Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (3 July 1676 – 7 April 1747) Kurt Christoph Graf von Schwerin (26 October 1684 – 6 May 1757)

33. Commanders like Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Seydlitz (February 1721 – 8 November 1773) turned the Prussian cavalry from a group that was defeated humiliatingly at Mollwitz in 1741 into a battle-winning shock weapon. The Prussian cavalry were notable for their ability to deliver a shock charge, regroup and then intervene a second time on the battlefield at a different location.

34. Frederick was contemptuous of artillery and technical branches. He did not succeed at sieges. But competition above all with Austria forced change: Artillery: Despite Frederick’s contempt the force of Prussian gunners increased eleven-fold from 789 gunners in 1740, to 8600 by 1780s. Frederick becomes famous for moving his heavy artillery forward with the infantry to provide devastating supporting fire. He was the first field commander to use howitzers to full effect on the battlefield i.e. guns that fired exploding shells rather than cannon balls. Prussians even engaged in counterbattery fire – artillery on artillery. Frederick was also the first to deploy genuinely fast moving battlefield guns. = artillerie volante

35. Nothing could compensate for Prussia’s huge inferiority in terms of numbers:

36. Prussia faces threats from three sides:

37. Prussians are forced from the start of the war to march and counter march

38. Two battles fought early on in the war changed its course: Rossbach November 5 1757 v. the French Leuthen December 5 1757 v. the Austrians They were seen as changing nature of war because they shifted focus from siege warfare and maneuver to violent encounter. They were maneuver battles. They were seen as quintessential examples of Frederick’s “grand tactics”.

39. Maneuver and counter-maneuver, at Rossbach 5 November 1757: French army attempts to outflank Frederick’s army, but are out maneuvered and find themselves in gigantic army sized ambush.

40. The prussian trap at Rossbach Franco-Austrian force of 42,000 is overwhelmed by Prussian force of 22,000. Prussian casualties are 700 of which 169 killed. French casualties are 10-13,000 of which 3500 dead and wounded and c. 10,000 captured.

41. Friederician operational warfare to perfection, Leuthen 5 December 1757: 3 Phases of Battle 1. The feint 3. Redeployment of cavalry 2. Maneuver by entire army

42. Phase 4 Oblique flanking infantry attack Phase 5 Cavalry counter attack

43. The Perfect Frederician Battle: Leuthen 5 December 1757: Prussian troops 33,000 v. 66,000 imperial troops. Prussian Casualties and losses Total: 6,344 1,141 dead 5,118 wounded 85 captured Austrian/Imperial casualties 22,000 3,000 dead 7,000 wounded 12,000 captured 51 flags 116 cannons

44. Rosbach and Leuthen turned Frederick into a global hero.

45. After Rossbach the French would recover but they would be held at bay in western Germany by Braunschweig and his anglo-German army. They would be repeatedly defeated in Germany: Rossbach, Minden They also lost their Canadian and Indian colonies Surrender of fortress Louisbourg = key to French Canada 1758 For France it would be a devastating experience = prelude to the revolution.

46. For Frederick there is no easy end: His slogan already in 1757 is Sieg oder Untergang! Victory or Downfall . With French contained the main aim is to keep Austrians and Russian apart. This is hugely helped by slow-moving and indecisive Austrian commander and uncertainty with which the Russians engaged in the war.

47. The Austrians were the old familiar enemy, the Russians were new and terrifying. August 1758 Zorndorf = bloody victory over Russians

48. Kunersdorf 12 August 1759 against joint Russian-Austrian force = Frederick most severe defeat. 19-20,000 casualties out of 50,000 troops.

49. The War in the East was different: No quarter was given by either side.

50. By 1760 Prussia is driven back to its inner lines: a zone 150 miles across.