Battle of Mollwitz
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The Battle of Mollwitz was a Prussian victory over Austria on April 10, 1741. It was the first battle of the new Prussian king Friedrich II.
The Prussian forces advanced on the Austrian line in two sections. The cavalry of the Prussians were attacked first and due to being outnumbered and outclassed, were defeated. This left the Prussian flank open to attack.
Schwerin, the Prussian military commander, now advised Frederick II to leave the battlefield, and the King heeded this warning. Despite this, the infantry stayed at the sight of the battle and ended up defeating the Austrians.
The victory was actually the responsibility of Field Marshal Schwerin. The Prussian king had fled from the battlefield when the Austrians seemed to be winning.
This battle resulted in the claiming of Silesia, from Maria Theresa, for Prussia.
External links
- Battle of Mollwitz (http://expert.ics.purdue.edu/~mbishop/frames/wars/mollwitz.html)de:Schlacht bei Mollwitz