[Music] when a government depends upon the armed part of the population the Army's views on what the government does and does not do are surely not a matter of indifference Alber vonron Prussian minister of War May 29th 1864 on the 1st of August 1864 the Danish war finally came to an end but the peace that followed was shortlived for decades if not over a century bitter rivalries had simmered between Austria and Prussia despite their joint occupation of the territories tensions remained High many believed that an era of harmonious cooperation between the German great Powers was imminent but fate had other plans bismar ever the cunning strategist was not content with mere joint occupation his ultimate objective was to Annex both duchies to Prussia and neutralize Austrian political influence in Germany he was willing to go to war to achieve this goal in 1863 bismar had even suggested to the Russians that Prussia might soon launch a surprise attack on the Austrian Empire just as Frederick the great had done in 1956 to keep all options open bismar dragged out the joint occupation while simultaneously picking fights with the austrians at every opportunity the victories of Prussia and Denmark not only had an impact on Foreign Affairs but also had a significant effect on the domestic political landscape the wave of patriotic enthusiasm that followed the triumphs led to divisions within the Prussian liberal movement which had been the most powerful opposition to Bismark government the Liberals desired a settlement with the government fearing that if the conflict continued they would lose their hold on public opinion during 1864 to 1865 bismar and his ministers resorted to manipulation tactics to control the parliament they introduced bills that either divided the liberal majority or placed them in unpopular positions one such bill was the naval Construction Bill of 1865 which proposed the construction of two armed frigates and a naval base in Keel the liberal nationalist movement strongly supported this proposal but unfortunately the parliament rejected it because new funds could not be approved without a legal budget he was able to take such risks because the Prussian government's coffers were overflowing during the 1850 50s and 1860s the Prussian economy had experienced significant growth due to the first world Boom the expansion of Railways steel smelting and machine building Industries as well as the extraction of fossil fuels led to Rapid economic and social changes in the region with a booming economy and overflowing coffers bismar and his ministers could take risky measures to manipulate the Parliament and control the political situation the financiers are pressing loans on us without parliamentary approval but we could wage the Danish War twice over without needing one Otto von bismar March 1865 the struggle over the fate of sches Holstein resulted in a diplomatic standoff between the austrians and prussians Austria was at a disadvantage since the duchies were far from Vienna and their interest in maintaining a troop presence there was not strong in 1864 the austrians presented Berlin with two options to recognize the duchies as a separate State under the Austinburg Dynasty or Annex them to Prussia and compensate Austria with land along the salesian border bismar rejected both choices stating that Silesia was not negotiable in February 1865 Prussia made a provocative statement declaring that it would view any form of independent sches Holstein as a Prussian satellite the prussians continued to expand their control over the duchies angering the austrians who took the issue to the confederal diet and reintroduced the Austinburg succession as an option by summer War seemed likely but it was averted when Francis Joseph sent an ambassador to negotiate with King William politics is the art of the possible Otto von bismar in 1865 the convention of gastin was signed to establish joint austr Prussian sovereignty in the duchies sches was to be under Prussian control while Holstein under Austrian control however bismar had only proposed this temporary solution to by time Russian provocations in Holstein persisted leading to Vienna being accused of violating the treaty by February 1866 a council in Berlin declared that war with Austria was inevitable citing Austria's treatment of Prussia as a rival an enemy and failure to honor the convention bismar argued that prussia's ambition to lead Germany had been unfairly blocked by Austria the Crown Prince was the only one advocating for a non-military solution both the Austrian and Prussian governments were eager to secure allies in Germany before the war bismar tried to gain support from the electorate of Hessa by offering them territorial compensation in the grand duche of Hessa if they would Ally with Prussia but elector Frederick William was offended by the idea and instead joined forces with the austrians during the Spring of 1866 the Austrian Emperor France Joseph sought to form a coalition against the prussians and reached out to King George V of Hanover despite some initial doubts the king eventually agreed to join forces with Austria soon after many Southern German states also allied with Austria including the kingdoms of Bavaria and verberg as well as smaller middle States like Barden and Nassau however most of the northern German states such as oldenberg mecklinburg and Brunswick joined prussia's cause setting the stage for a deadly conflict between Germany's most powerful states as tensions continued to escalate War became all but inevitable in the aftermath of the Crown Council in April 1866 bismar sought to secure an alliance with Italy against Austria negotiations between the two countries began and they agreed to support each other in the event of a war breaking out with Austria within the next 3 months however bismar attempts to incite a Hungarian Revolution were unsuccessful at the Crown Council on February 28th bismar announced his intention to seek more definite guarantees from France and negotiations between the two countries were initiated while the specifics of the promises bismar made to Napoleon III are unclear It is believed that French neutrality was secured in exchange for territorial compensations in Belgium Luxembourg and the region between the Ry and Moselle which included the Prussian saand and the Bavarian palatinate Austria had also secured French neutrality through similar means including the creation of a French satellite state in the reinland these agreements gave Napoleon theii confidence that France would benefit from the prusso Austrian conflict regardless of the Victor Russia's role in the conflict was crucial in the past Russia had opposed prussia's unionist Ambitions and had aided Austria during the Hungarian Revolution however by 1866 Russia was preoccupied with internal political reforms and relations with Austria were still cool after Austria's betrayal during the Crimean War bismar had cultivated relations with Russia since becoming Minister President and there seemed little reason to fear intervention from this quarter the conflict began on April 21st when Austria partially mobilized its troops in response to unexpected troop movements in Italy this led to a chain of mobilizations and countermeasures on both sides in May the German diet demanded an explanation from Prussia for its mobilization on June 11th the Austrian Ambassador proposed a resolution calling for the mobilization of the Confederation against Prussia which was passed by a majority vote on June 14th in response the Prussian Ambassador walked out declaring the Confederation dissolved the outcome of the war was not a foregone conclusion in fact many well-informed contemporaries including Emperor Napoleon III who had fought against the austrians in 1859 predicted an Austrian victory in the meantime Prussian troops moved from schv which was under Prussian rule South into Holstein which was under Austrian control the holin Estates were prevented from meeting as armed guards stood watch watch with bayonets at the Assembly Hall door Denmark posed no threat Austrian Commander gabblin withdrew his 10th core across the southern German states to join Benedict's Army at noon on June 15th Prussia issued 12-hour ultimatums to Saxony Hanover and hes Castle demanding that they stand down their forces and join the new Prussian state or face War at midnight Prussia invaded all three states the following day Austria declared its willingness to help any state invaded by Prussia which was seen as a declaration of war by Prussia 2 Days Later Italy also declared war the army of the kingdom of Hanover comprising two divisions or 19,000 men under Major General Fon arens schil found itself mobilized only because June 15th coincided with Sumer Maneuvers they barely escaped a Prussian Invasion from Minden by moving south to GTI abandoning their supplies and equipment Russian commander falstein who despised molka ignored malka's orders on June 18th he arrived in Hanover a few hours after its Army had left and declared a day of rest despite mka's urgent requests to press on immediately Southeast against the hanian Army as the hanian Army rested in Gottingen molka grew concerned that they might be joined by Bavarian forces moving moving Northeast he ordered falstein to attack the hanoverians four times and when these orders were ignored he suspended Falen Stein's command and issued orders directly to divisional commanders General Edward fleece was directed to mobilize Fortress troops from Frankfurt and move to gotha General Friedrich voner was instructed to move from gingan to aenar and general count Von groin was to go north towards Cassel the hanoverians hoping for help from the bavarians and the eighth Corp to the southeast were left to face their fate alone molka issued a seventh order to falstein to put an end to the hanian Army on the night of the 26th of June meanwhile fleece was instructed to wait for the arrival of Bayer and groin and hold gotha and the Vera Valley against the hanoverians however fleece decided to attack the hanoverians at Lan Sala with his 9,000 troops and 22 guns despite malka's advice to sit tight and prepare for a potential hanian breakout the hanian Army led by Major General Alexander Fon aril held a strong defensive position on the North Bank of the river unstrut they had established outposts on the South Bank including in Langan salza their main force was spread out between the Villages of tomsbrook merlan and Nagel all located on the North Bank of the river and with a river bridge each the central Bridge was positioned at merlan arant chilt strategically placed Boo's Brigade on the right at Tams Brook V's Brigade in the center at mlan and bma's Brigade on the left towards nagat with KC's Brigade held in reserve the Army not including the largely unarmed reservists who had joined after the 15th of June consisted of approximately 177,000 men on the other side of the river the Prussian Force comprised seven elderly battalions of the land including the contingent of the Allied duche of sax cobber and gotha with a strength of approximately 9,000 men the Prussian forces were clearly outnumbered by the hanoverians on the morning of the 27th of June the Prussian formation led by Major General Edward Moritz Von fle began their Advance towards Langan Sala fleece anticipated facing a rear guard of a retreating Army but the hanian Battalion covering the town had already withdrawn behind the river unstrut undeterred fleece ordered his troops to occupy Langan salza and the nearby uden hugle Hill which provided a strategic location for their artillery to overlook the hanovarian guns on Lower Hills North of the river the prussians Unleashed a punishing artillery bombardment on the hanoians then the Prussian infantry Advanced towards the Riverbanks intending to cross it the hanoverians quickly regrouped and moved moved kbc's Brigade to the front to counter the Prussian attack in a critical moment fleece succumbed to heat stroke and was incapacitated for the next hour leaving his troops without Direction although the Prussian troops deployed on the Southern Bank of the river they were unable to make significant Headway against the hanian strong defensive position at the onset of the battle the hanoverians had assumed that they were facing a considerably larger Prussian Force the Prussian Army launched a diversionary attack towards Tams Brook which the hanoverians quickly saw through the real assault however came towards merlan which caught the hanoverians off guard initially the Prussian attack appeared promising but soon they found themselves charging against heavily fortified positions realizing their advantage a and schil ordered a general attack cross the river the hanoverians started their offensive on the right flank with buo and kesc successfully crossing the river and pushing back the Prussian left it became evident that the Prussian commanders had made a mistake by charging forward and the hanoverians saw an opportunity to defeat the outnumbered enemy the hanian left led by General bmer attempted to cross the unstrut river and outflank the Prussian positions however the terrain was not in their favor and they suffered heavy fire from the Russian needle guns their first attempt to cross the river was repulsed and bothma refused to try again meanwhile in the center V's Brigade launched a successful attack with support from two battalions sent by kbec they managed to cross the river and capture kalenberg mill near the southern end of the bridge this marked a turn turning point in the battle as a result the Prussian troops gradually withdrew from their partially fixed positions and retreated into town the hanoverians launched more attacks and heavy fighting ensued eventually Langan Sala was recaptured and the prussians were pushed out of the village as general fleece regained Consciousness he realized that a retreat was the only option left for the prussians the troops were ordered to fall back back to waler just north of their starting point at gother however some units received the order late and were left isolated from the main force during their retreat they were attacked multiple times by Hanoverian Cavalry resulting in some infantry being captured While others managed to repel the attackers the battle concluded in the late afternoon the Prussian casualties were staggering with 170 dead 643 wounded and the 33 missing according to the hanoverians 97 prisoners were taken resulting in a total of 1,800 casualties in contrast the hanoverians suffered 1,429 killed and wounded the battle was a source of great embarrassment for the Prussian Army 45% of fleece Army fled the battlefield while hundreds pretended to be wounded or hid themselves on the field the rest were pursued all the way back to gotha making the entire battle a disaster that achieved nothing casualty Figures were deemed top secret and not made public for five decades sources conflict some state after the disastrous outcome at Langan Sala fleece was swiftly removed from command however he commanded a battle against the bavarians later in the war so he was either reinstated or never removed F goin's division also managed to reach ainak the hanoverians found themselves surrounded by a force of 40,000 prussians by June 29th the outnumbered hanoverians were compelled to surrender under the generous terms of universal parole and rail Transportation home for most troops King George himself fled to Austria which ultimately led to the end of the Hanoverian monarchy the Hanoverian Army was disbanded after Lan salzer and the subsequent surrender despite the brevity of the battle the larger war between Prussia and Austria raged on and that same day the two sides clashed fiercely on the [Music] Bohemian in the summer of 1866 amidst the Tranquil beauty of bohemia the Prussian second Army descended upon the land piercing through the formidable reesen mountains however this treacherous terrain forced the Prussian forces to fragment each contingent struggling to find its way through the treacherous passes amidst this tumultuous Invasion General Carl Friedrich Von Steinmetz found himself in a precarious situation leading his fifth core a force of 10,000 soldiers they emerged from a deep Gully near the town of naod the Austrian Army swelling with numbers that doubled their own stood before them Steins ordered his Vanguard to seize a row of elevations nearby The Village he knew purely judging the numbers he did not stand a chance his only other option for survival was to seize the Strategic High [Music] Ground in June une 1866 the long-standing conflict between the Kingdom of Prussia and the Austrian Empire reached a critical point the Prussian Chancellor bismar and King vilhelm I deliberately initiated a war against their southern neighbor however Austria held the advantage in terms of German support boasting more allies Manpower and resources The War Began unfavorably for the prussians on June 27th a hanian army led by General Fon aren Shelt achieved victory over a Prussian contingent at Langan Sala despite this setback the Hanoverian King had no choice but to surrender 2 days later as his main Army found itself surrounded by a superior Prussian Force the hanian conflict though significant paled in comparison to the main battle and logistical preparations against the austrians as the war commenced in June the Prussian armies gathered along the Prussian border the army of the Elba commanded by Carl herar Von bittenfeld positioned itself at toal the first Army led by Prince Friedrich Carl of Prussia established its Presence at guritz meanwhile the second Army under the leadership of Crown Prince Frederick William took its position in Silesia west of Nisa it was apparent that Prussia held a slight numerical Advantage the Prussian forces numbering 254,000 faced off against Austria's North Army consisting of 245,000 troops however the course of events would have unfolded quite differently if the Italians hadn't committed over 200,000 soldiers to their offensive in Venetia which compelled the austrians to divert an additional 100,000 troops to the southwestern front the most dangerous moment for a bad government is when it decides to reform Alexis dville in the preceding decades both Austria and Prussia had dedicated themselves to the development and modernization of their military forces Austria in response to the setbacks experienced during the 1859 war with Italy had embarked on an ambitious reform program one notable aspect of their military prowess was their Advanced artillery operated by well-trained battery teams meanwhile Russia's infantry adopted the breach loading rifle the DCA zung or needle gun which allowed for a more flexible and lethal application of infantry Firepower At Close Quarters despite the needle gun's early unreliability and concern over disciplined use the prussians rigorously tested and modified the weapon while implementing an extensive regime of Marksmanship training to improve the technical Mastery and fire discipline of their soldiers the prussians and austrians developed complimentary military tactics with the austrians focusing on refining shock tactics while the prussians developed fire tactics centered on the needle gun however neither approach guaranteed victory and it was not clear that fire tactics would be more successful than shock tactics or that the needle gun would be decisive after all the austrians had used shock tactics successfully against the Italians and their muzzle loader was more accurate than the needle gun Austria enjoyed many allies among the German states in addition to mobilizing against the austrians the prussians had to confront Hanover Bavarian and Saxon the combined armies of the Confederation in 1866 mustered approximately 150,000 troops spread across multiple separate forces the Prussian Army led by helmet Von molka the chief of the general staff possessed remarkable foresight in anticipating the situation at hand despite mka's relative anonymity Beyond prussia's borders he devised a clever strategy to divide the Prussian forces into smaller agile groups by adopting this approach the prussians not only alleviated logistical challenges but also enhanced the speed and maneuverability of their forces granting them complete control over the timing and location of Confrontation while a portion of the Prussian Army invaded Hanover the majority of their troops shifted towards Western Bohemia to the direct South lay the kingdom of Saxony on the 24th of June Prince Albert of Saxony assumed overall command of the Ostro Saxon forces meanwhile the Austrian Army led by ludvig Von benedek concentrated its strength in alms the campaign commenced with hero Von bittenfeld Advance toward Dresden where he easily overpowered the Saxon Army of 23,000 soldiers before moving to join forces with the Prussian first Army the Saxons failed to execute their plan of dest destroying the vital railroads in their wake this oversight proved advantageous for the advancing Prussian forces enabling them to make Swift progress in the Eastern theater of operations the Prussian second Army led by Crown Prince Frederick William faced the most challenging assignment they were tasked with navigating through the treacherous mountainous terrain traversing three narrow passes these routes were situated at a considerable distance from the other two Russian armies and perilously close to the main concentration of Austrian forces which had shifted towards the Northwest from muts strategy is a system of expedience it is more than a mere scholarly discipline helmouth Von molka reluctantly General benedi directed his troops in a northward movement in three parallel columns taking strategic positions at The Fortress of ysep and securing the mountain passes from Saxony and Silesia the Austrian forces prepared for the impending confrontation responding to the situation molka issued a bold order on the 22nd of June he commanded both armies under his authority to converge upon yein a location near the Austrian positions this audacious maneuver aimed to curil the duration of the war despite the inherent risk of one Army being overtaken on Route Albert of Saxony joined forces with Edward clam gas's first Corp in the vicinity of munen grats by the 26th of June Albert proposed the occupation turnout to the north as a means to safeguard their flank clam Gallas dis agreed leading to a delay in action it was not until the afternoon that Albert received two critical pieces of information simultaneously firstly news of the Prussian occupation of Turnal reached him and secondly an order arrived from benedek emphasizing the imperative to defend turnau and monong grats determined to reclaim turnau and Seize The Hills West of the ISA River beyond podal the Allied Forces prepared for a counter offensive the bridges at turnau and podol were of utmost importance as their control would enable the prussians to outflank the Allied Forces from the north in the quiet Hamlet of podol the austrians were confronted with a sobering and painful lesson in the devastating effects of fire tactics as Prussian reinforcements Advanced the austrians made a bold move launching a bayonet charge in an attempt to repel the encroaching enemy however the prussians defied Expectations by halting their Retreat and swiftly organizing their forward platoon by The Stroke of 2:00 in the morning The austrians Battered and recognizing the futility of their efforts made the difficult decision to withdraw from the battlefield meanwhile General benedek had entrusted The crucial task of sealing off the mountain passes from Silesia into Eastern Bohemia located above the town of Glatz to two core of the north Army the 10th core led by gabblin and the sixth core led by Von ramming were assigned specific roles in securing the Strategic positions Goblin's primary objective was to block the defiles at trouton now while raming diligently defended the passes at Nao these vital positions held significant importance in controlling the flow of conflict within the challenging terrain Among The Columns under the command of the Prussian Crown Prince it was General Carl Stein Met's fifth core that found itself in the most exposed position this core constituting the Left Flank of the second Army embarked on a perilous Journey from Glatz towards the destination of nrod along this route numerous potential bottlenecks loomed particularly in the vicinity of nachod where the road wound its way through a narrow Valley stretching for 5 miles if eventually it crossed the formidable River Meto before traversing the town of nachod itself the austrians failed to seize any of these advantageous positions emerging from the rugged mountains the fifth core reached the plateau of nachod but only by a narrow margin of a few hours ahead of the Austrian sixth core the Austrian March had been plagued by a series of conflicting orders counter orders and chaotic disruptions the prussians were also grappling with their own challenges the presence of artillery and Supply columns stretching for miles behind the Infantry clogged the mountain pass causing further hindrances to their progress General fonin Mets known for his Relentless Drive commanded a force of 10,000 troops leading the Vanguard was General von lowenfeld who displayed astuteness and foresight in his tactical approach recognizing the importance of maintaining a strategic Advantage Lenell chose to deploy his battalions under cover and in open order rather than seeking immediate Glory through an audacious attack he prioritized the screening of the corp's arrival ensuring a coordinated and cohesive iive Advance while the prussians Pressed forward General raming troops faced delays due to a 5-hour setback before receiving Benedict's orders on the morning of June the 27th at approximately 8:15 a.m. raming sixth core consisting of around 21,000 soldiers reached the town of Scarlets situated west of Nao it was at approximately 9:00 when Colonel hertwig leading ramming second Brigade initi ated and advanced towards the leading elements of Major General Bon lowenfeld Prussian 9th division the prussians had already seized control of the commanding visoka Heights setting up his headquarters on the main road between scallet and woko general raming devised a plan to maneuver his forces across the Prussian front and secure control of woko town however his intentions quickly turned to dismay as he witnessed Colonel her 's ill-fated decision ignoring the Prussian strategic footing herwig's Brigade prematurely changed Direction directing their assault straight up the daunting face of the wiuka ridge Unleashed upon them was a Relentless onslaught of Rapid gunfire from the well-positioned Prussian troops armed with their lethal needle guns the consequences were devastating the arrival of the second Austrian Brigade led by Colonel Jonah offered a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos advancing from aocno positioned behind hertwig's second Brigade yonak's fourth division moved forward witnessing the faltering units of herw yonar displayed resolve and led his formation up the hill attacking the Prussian Southern flank their objective was to reach the village of venberg strategically positioned at the heart of Major General Fon lowenfeld position despite enduring horrendous casualties yonak's men reportedly exhibited remarkable Valor as they managed to secure the churchyard however the Relentless strength of Prussian counterattacks coupled with dwindling reserves gradually forced yonak's soldiers to relinquish their hard one ground for a grueling 2-hour period the outnumbered Prussian Vanguard a select column assembled under the personal guidance of General lowenfeld held their ground against the onslaught of the two Austrian brigades when reinforcements from the rest of the ninth division arrived later in the morning bolstering their ranks the prussians launched a counter offensive that ultimately forced the austrians to retreat having suffered approximately 2,000 casualties herw and yonak found themselves once again at the foot of the Hill their two brigades unable to make any significant progress around 11:30 a.m. another Austrian Brigade the Third under the command of Major General Rosen reached the battlefield ramming ensured that Rosen wiag fully understood his mission to proceed northward and launch an assault on visoko Town itself the objective was twofold to secure control of the crucial nached Scarlet's Road and to alleviate the pressure on the weary troops of herwig and yonac while the Prussian 9th division had borne the brunt of the fighting thus far the arrival of Lieutenant General von kirchbach 10th division at noon proved to be a timely intervention swiftly deploying into a defensive line to the north of the 9th they stood ready to confront the advancing forces of rosenb Rosen wi's troops advanced in column formations with the hawk un deutschmeister regiment spearheading the attack by bursting through the town of Woka however the Prussian infantry swiftly emerged Ed on the other side engaging in Fierce combat in the South the rallying second and fourth brigades of the Austrian forces joined the ongoing assault with the advantage of Higher Ground the Prussian needle gun volleys proved decisive pushing back the hawk and deutschmeister regiment and inflicting heavy casualties upon them around midday the Austrian first Reserve Cavalry division entered the battlefield positioning itself to the north North and posing a threat to the Prussian right flank at Woka meanwhile the Austrian core guns came into action primarily focusing their efforts on reinforcing and stabilizing the collapsing right flank brigades of hertweck and yonak while this deployment of 56 guns likely prevented the Austrian right from crumbling it also meant that the opportunity for the Austrian left to break through to nachot was lost in the rear raming briefed Colonel Fon volaron and his first brigade he was supposed to lead one final charge in an attempt to dislodge the prussians the prussians firmly entrenched held their defensive positions along the line of hills and woods to the east of the valley to the north of the Prussian line a separate Cavalry engagement unfolded north of weo the austrians though repulsed along the entire line managed to regroup on the lower slopes Gathering their forces for another attempt around 1:00 p.m. Von raming issued the order for a final fullscale assault led by vaton and his first brigade accompanying them was the second Brigade of the first Reserve Cavalry division however elements within V staton's command proved unreliable particularly the 79th Infantry Regiment consider consisting of Venetian recruits from ponon just days prior this regiment had staged a minor Mutiny discarding their ammunition into a nearby stream and declaring their unwillingness to fight against Prussia an ally of the Kingdom of Italy placed at the rear of the Brigade The Cavalry was given the task of closely monitoring their behavior despite some hesitation from the 79th Infantry Regiment wal staton's forces launched their attack once again reaching weisa violent house-to-house fighting ensued with the Austrian troops attempting to provide all possible support to VA Staten however the disorganized Austrian forces were unable to dislodge the prussians from their fortified positions as renewed clashes erupted along the entire Prussian line around 3:30 p.m. the Prussian Reserve artillery positioned themselves strategically gaining control over weoka town as a result the austrians began a gradual Retreat their once orderly ranks now crumbling in several regiments notably herwig's exhausted polish troops these soldiers had endured a Relentless day of fighting having marched tirelessly in the morning without proper rest the previous night and with no food since noon the day before the casualties incurred were significant with the prussians suffering one 1,122 losses compared to the Austrian staggering figure of 5,700 this represented over 20% of the sixth core's total strength an astonishing toll even for the most battle hardened commander and core let alone in what was initially deemed a minor border Skirmish in an effort to bolster the weakened core benedek later assigned two complete battalions from the Yosef Garrison to support in's battered forces the Battle of nard marked a significant Triumph for the prussians as it provided them with a crucial Gateway into the Eastern Bohemian plain however it was merely one of the numerous engagements that took place on the 27th of June as Prussia launched its Invasion against the Austrian Empire and its allies in a similar fashion to the Northwest at trouton Goblin's 10th core experience experienced a brutal confrontation and suffered heavy losses while employing comparable [Music] tactics June 27th 18 1866 the Prussian Army had initiated invasions of Hanover Saxony and the electorate of Hessa 12 days prior moreover Italy had declared war on Austria on June 20th following their defeat by the hanoverians at the Battle of Langan salsa the Prussian forces had surrounded the Hanoverian Army compelling their surrender conc cently three separate Prussian armies had launched invasions into the Austrian Empire utilizing the Bohemian mountain passes as their entry points at the Bohemian Frontier the Austrian commanderin-chief benedek had left two core of the north Army to close the mountain passes from Silesia into Eastern Bohemia above Glatz the 10th Corp under the renowned ludvic Von gabblin held the most western position gabblin had previously demonstrated ated his leadership prowess during the second schic War 2 years earlier however he had been expelled from Holstein by a Detachment of the Prussian Army a fortnight earlier determined to reunite with Benedict's North Army stationed at muds gablin had embarked on a demanding journey across Central Europe reaching benedi after 2 weeks to the east of gabblin his position Fon raming commanded the sixth Corp gin's primary objective was to obstruct the defiles at ipel and trouton now while ramming was tasked with defending the passes at nachot however the austrians encountered numerous difficulties during this time their supply train according to staff officers proved to be the most significant catastrophe of the entire War the roads were congested with refugees and the maps at their disposal were often outdated one of the core dispatched by Benedict to glitchen with the intention of engaging Prince Fredick Carl's Army reported back that the resources available were barely sufficient to sustain the core let alone eight of them in the meantime Russian Vanguard units gradually made their way through the perilous Bohemian mountains navigating the treacherous paths leading to nakod trau and munen grats on that particular day a fierce confrontation unfolded at the poor communication an officers prioritizing short-term tactical decisions over long-term strategic planning resulted in a brutal engagement ramming sixth core suffered approximately 5,700 casualties accounting for around 20% of its overall strength in contrast the prussians endured around 1,200 casualties and emerged as clear Victors the consequences of the battle were profound in terms of strategy benedek relinquished position of considerable strength leaving gabblin vulnerable and exposed on his right flank without any prospects for reinforcements following the defeat of Ring's sixth core and the subsequent opening of the nakod pass Stein metz's fifth core positioned themselves on the visoko plateau meanwhile renberg's guard Corp faced ongoing challenges as they made their way through the central ipel defile located 10 km west of Nord fortunately for them benedek had chosen not to oppose their progress another 10 km to the West the seasoned Prussian first core led by the inexperienced Adolf Von Bonin made significant advancements however events took a different turn at trouton now located 12 Mi Northwest of naod trouton now was a town renowned for its cotton textiles with a population of around 5,000 situated along the Northern Bank of the Alpa River it nestled in a basin nearly encircled by mountains in the western foothills of the silesian mountains the terrain was characterized by wet and Marshy ground serving as an entry point to the sil iian mountains to the immediate south of the Town three prominent Hills covered in dense woods and Tangled undergrowth intersected by Ravines commanded the surrounding area these Hills dominated the landscape rendering it unsuitable for Cavalry or artillery Maneuvers Field Marshal Lieutenant Von Goblin's 10th Austrian core moved Northeast along the upper elb river towards the gates of trouton now the core comprised approxim 24,000 troops striking a balanced composition of infantry Cavalry and a 72 gun artillery Wing upon their arrival in the camp on June 26th they deployed a single Brigade as the advanced guard Brigade Mandell acting as the advanced guard reached trouton now at dawn after briefly surveying the town they withdrew to the heights south of trouton now to await the arrival of their core the Austrian forces positioned themselves among the Towering Hills to the South as the battle at vov neared its conclusion bonin's Vanguard finally emerged from the mountains and reached trout now at 10: a.m. exhausted from an arduous 8 Hour march across challenging terrain they entered the town finding no austrians present taking the opportunity to eat rest and await the arrival of the rest of the first core which consisted of East Prussia troops and included renowned Prussian regiments the initial plan was to secure trau and then proceed towards pilo where they could establish contact with the first Army located 3 days March away however Bor in an experienced courtier but a novice Commander became too fixated on the path ahead neglecting to watch his flanks or secure the protective Hills no reconnaissance patrols pickets or guards were dispatched con quently soldiers from mondell's Brigade stationed in the Hills leisurely Advanced into the outskirts of trau and initiated gunfire startled Prussian infantry swiftly retaliated while some sought cover within the houses around the square ascending to Upper floors and engaging the tree covered Heights where many of their fellow comrades were pursuing mondell's light infantry chaos ensued as it turned into a bloody mellow excitement overwhelmed Med the Prussian soldiers experiencing their first taste of battle leading them to continue firing disregarding repeated orders from their officers to cease fire tragically casualties were inflicted not only on the enemy but also on their own ranks following Goblin's cautious orders to await the arrival of the majority of the 10th Corp Mondell tactically withdrew his regiments to avoid the advancing Prussian first brigade ascending from trout while leaving two battalions stationed on the central Johannesburg Mondell relocated approximately 1 kilom South to hoen Meanwhile bonin's Vanguard found themselves disoriented in the complex network of Ravines beneath the heights engaged in a continued Skirmish with mandell's rear guard by noon the Prussian forces had successfully ousted the austrians from the hills the first core appeared to have secured the trout our section of the significant pass with notably less effort compared to Stein metz's campaign at nakod bonin's first division Vanguard made significant advances reaching as far as noog Nets during the morning simultaneously Bon in's second division had captured the hopfenberg and conducted reconnaissance as far as out Rog nits as a result the town Heights and surrounding Hinterland of trouton now serving as a crucial foothold in Bohemia had for fallen into bonin's control over the following 3 hours Russian infantry artillery and supplies steadily poured in from the mountains arriving outside trouton now at 10:30 a.m. gabblin observed bonin's progress with growing frustration mondell's troops were the only ones present in the Vanguard while his three remaining brigades were still making their way from ysep stat and were not expected to arrive until later in the afternoon around 12 12:30 p.m. an aid to Camp from the first guard division located approximately 8 m Southwest reached Bonin however the aid to Camp was informed that the first core did not require assistance as they believed the pass to be secure shortly thereafter a contingent of 12,000 men from the Austrian 10th Corps arrived as the guard agitant returned to the second Army headquarters in ipel reporting that bonin's core had successfully navigated the mountainous terrain two of Goblin's brigades made their way into nooget from josephat earlier goblins had recognized the vulnerable position of trouton and The crucial significance of the commanding height surrounding it namely Johannesburg and hopfenberg understanding that by gaining control of these strategic Heights he could force the Prussian forces down into the lower lying town and drive them back into the mountains by employing the devastating Firepower of his 72 guns in pursuit of his strategy Goblin issued orders for the vien Brigade to advance Beyond Mandell and launch an assault on the central Johannesburg while the agatic Brigade would maneuver to the right of Mandell flank the Prussian position and capture the hopfenberg effectively securing the Heights from both sides however Goblin's Fourth Brigade under Albert Canal had yet to arrive from yosf to prepare for the impending Austrian assault gablin positioned 40 guns at henbrook and subjected the heights to a Relentless barrage from close range the Prussian artillery having managed to bring only 10 guns up the steep slope from trau responded minimally to the hourlong canonade which surpassed any bombardment Bonin had previously witnessed recognizing the gravity of the Austrian Onslaught led by the highly esteemed team General Bonin made the decision to abandon the defense of trouton now and the heights opting instead to retreat back through the passes following an intense hour of bombardment gabblin initiated a steady Advance across the Prussian positions the storm Columns of grich's Brigade swiftly overcame a weak Prussian Detachment near alt rockits advancing towards the hopfenberg by 4 p.m. git's troops struck the Prussian Left Flank ahead of wimp fen's forces but struggled to make a Headway against the deadly needle rifles Adolf wimp fen's weary soldiers fatigued from their long march from yfat discarded their backpacks and advanced towards the Johannesburg in a tightly niit formation engaging in close combat with Russian skirmishers using bayonets however this dual pronged Austrian assault quickly faltered as both prongs encountered obstacles and faced delays in the dense vet vitation while gabblin hurriedly moved back and forth between them under heavy enemy fire giki's columns faltered and descended down the hillside leaving numerous casualties in their wake the once exuberant Hungarian soldiers fell into silence as losses incurred during this single engagement surpassed the most severe they had experienced in their previous three Wars wien's attack conducted across the rugged and wooded slope of the Johannesburg faltered during the challenging final Ascent towards the chapel facing Relentless and accurate fire from bonin's rear guard composed of two battalions from the East Prussian 43rd regiment the Austrian forces suffered significant casualties as a result over the following 3 hours a mere four Russian battalions valiantly defended their positions against the overwhelming 10th core despite facing a staggering numerical disadvantage of approximately 5 to1 the prussians inflicted devastating casualties on the enemy in their fortified defensive positions as the noon approached the battlefield became shrouded in dense smoke from Gunpowder obscuring the arrival of an additional Austrian Brigade Colonel Albert knal who arrived from ysep stat in no roget at 5:00 p.m. was instructed by goblins to remain in reserve alongside Mandell assessing the situation at trouton now nabal observed that rikic had been pushed back to the banks of the Alpa river by the Prussian Fourth Brigade meanwhile viin after sending an Urgent Message to canabal was gathering the remnants of his predominantly Ukrainian 58th regiment from the southern slopes of the Johannesburg similar to Vin's Venetian troops earlier they had suffered heavy losses while engaging the two Russian battalions stationed around the chapel despite gaben's orders to remain in reserve nebble made the decision to disregard them convinced that the enemy was fatigued he believed that successive attacks from his Brigade would break their defenses proceeding to the left of vien nabal initiated a final assault on the chapel despite suffering heavy losses of 43 officers and 859 men nabal's half Battalion formations person evered ascending towards the Prussian right joined by vien they eventually reached the summit clearing the church through determined bayonet charges the Prussian rear guard under Bonin was forced back to trouton now where they retreated alongside the rest of the first core following the course of the OPA River the Battle of trouton now proved to be a costly empiric victory for Austria although the Austrian troops were shaken their casualties which could have have led to their defeat were spread out over an extended period approaching a critical threshold of 24% only when the prussians began their withdrawal they suffered nearly 5,000 casualties nearly four times the number incurred by Russia which totaled around 1,300 in the aftermath of the battle the hills surrounding trouton now were littered with the wounded and dying abandoned to endure the effects of shock and exhaustion in the hot and arid weather General Bonin found himself in an awkward predicament as he led the elite East Prussian Corps of the royal Army in a hasty Retreat while only four of his battalions valiantly held off the entire Austrian 10th Corp from formidable defensive positions the critical Factor hindering bonin's ability to reinforce his troops on the heights was the blockage of the roads in and out of trouton Now by Prussian baggage and artillery consequently 14 of his infantry battalions and the majority of his artillery were forced to withdraw from the battle without even firing a single shot the loss of control at trouton now posed a significant threat to general mk's comp comprehensive War plan mka had assigned the first core The crucial task of safeguarding the passage of the Guard core and second Army Headquarters through ipol and then swiftly advancing across Bohemia to establish contact with first Army near glitchen bonin's failure to maintain command jeopardized this strategic objective as a result bonan himself faced disgrace and disapproval among his subordinates the absence of the first core left a significant Gap in the Prussian formation Crown Prince Frederick vilhelm unaware of bonin's loss ordered the guard Corp to advance through the pass at eiel intending to flank gablin while anticipating an attack from Bonin in the front although gabblin emerged Victorious his situation was far from ideal the Austrian Supply service proved disappointing leaving the troops without the expected provisions of one wine hot meals and Brandy instead they had to endure hunger and discomfort as the food trains had been forgotten along the busy road at Joseph sta it was not until the following morning that the supplies arrived emanating an unpleasant odor of rotting meat with empty stomachs the Austrian tenth Corps had to retreat quickly to evade the approaching Army of the Crown Prince from the East the setbacks at nakod and trot now did not deter benedek to continue the westward Advance towards [Music] gin in late June a series of battles and skirmishes erupted in the Bohemian Hills as the Prussian Army launched a multi-sided Invasion the initial clashes took place at podal woku and now on June 27th the austrians suffered significant defeats in the first two battles however at trout now the Austrian Commander ludvig Von gabblin utilized his numerical advantage and The Bravery of his Austrian troops to push back bonin's first core of the Prussian second Army he paid a deer price suffering nearly four times as many casualties as the prussians did however due to limited and communication channels it became evident that both sides had to operate independently as the invasion progressed in the aftermath of the disastrous battle at podol the Austrian Commander CLM Gallas found himself with no viable option but to retreat towards Benedict's Main Army stationed at yfat recognizing the overwhelming odds Clem Gallas estimated that his Austrian forces numbering 60,000 were facing approximately 140,000 Russian troops he was taken aback and frustrated when benedek ordered him to hold the ISA River at all costs despite facing an adversary more than double his strength to the West the Prussian Elba Army under herar Von bittenfeld which had pushed the Saxon Army into Bohemia days earlier Advanced through the mountain passes and to his North the Prussian first Army under Prince Friedrich Carl had already given his austrians a run for their money at podol the situation at glitchin necessitated urgent reinforcements as the Prussian Crown Prince friedrich's Army was advancing through the viso passages to Aid the defeated Bonin and secure the final passage needed for their fullscale Invasion Crown Prince Friedrich dispatched the entire Prussian guard Corp towards trouton due to clam gas's failure to establish communication with the headquarters of the north Army benedek the commanding officer remained unaware of the true situation and held the belief that his forces were adequately positioned to defend against the Prussian Invasion this misconception stemmed from clam gas's negligence in utilizing the core Telegraph to relay Vital Information in the meantime the Prussian forces engaged in the Looting of the towns in northern Bohemia bohemia's riches proved enticing to Prince friederick Carl to the extent that he contemplated delaying The crucial March assigned to him by molka originally tasked with heading Eastward to glitchin in order to disengage the second Army at Scarlets and trouton now the prince instead set his sights on achieving a momentous victory in the form of a kessle schlut or encirclement battle based on erroneous Prussian intelligence Prince Friedrich Carl was led to believe that not only the Saxons and the Austrian first core were trapped in munen grats but also the Austrian second core the prospect of such a significant Conquest within close reach fueled his determination with the belief that a decisive blow could be delivered at munen Gratz the Prussian forces under Prince friederick Carl quickened their Pace in order to reach their target the divisions descending from podol had to navigate between two prominent mounts musky Hill situated east of the town and katsof hill located approximately 1 km to the north meanwhile General herath advancing Eastward from huasa faced two significant obstacles before engaging the Austrian brigades in munen grats the elevated claster Monastery on the West Bank of the river followed by the formidable Isa River itself the Austrian Left Flank was positioned at claster while munin Gratz and katsov Hill formed the center and musky Hill constituted the right wing in the early hours of June 28th Crown Prince Albert ordered the retreat to glitchin to commence at 400 a.m. the Cavalry division was given priority and set off first along the munen Gratz glitchin Road the Saxon infantry on the other hand embarked on a more Securus route marching South to Yung bulau which eventually LED them to Gin it is likely that Albert aimed to keep the direct Road relatively clear facilitating The Escape of the Austrian Wagon Train and artillery following the Cavalry two brigades commanded by poaka and ringelheim proceeded along the main road in the retreat General clam Gallas himself opted to join his two brigades effectively leaving his rear guard to manage on their own while occupied with the retreat General clam entrusted count Lan's Brigade accompanied by the 32nd field Jaga Battalion with the defense of munen grats count Ling gun positioned his Jager Battalion within the town and stationed his two line regiments the 33rd juli and the 38th htz across the river in claster on the Sandstone slopes of musky Hill ludvig pere's Brigade comprising The Ninth field y Mega Battalion the 18th Infantry Regiment Constantine and the 45th Infantry Regiment sigismond took up their defensive positions beneath them clam's eel Brigade formed Battalion columns and faced the road originating from podo the reserve forces included the 22nd field Jer Battalion the 35th Infantry Regiment Kevin hula and the 72nd Infantry Regiment Ramy around 8:30 a.m. the advanced guard of the army of the elb 16th division made its appearance on the field this division had marched relentlessly for 8 hours from hunov Vasa to clasta it consisted of seven battalions from the 31st Brigade under the command of Major General von Schuler along with the eth Jager Battalion the 29th regiment and the 69th regiment the Prussian troops were in a state of frustration as their arduous March from honasa had taken a toll on them as was often the case herv's Supply trains had lagged behind the men and at every Wayside Inn the Prussian March battalions had discovered depleted provisions and tainted water sources upon reaching a location 4 km west of the eer river the advancing Prussian forces came under Fire from Austrian artillery positioned on the hill at at claster responding swiftly Major General scholer directed his own batteries to engage in a counter battery fire while dispatching two infantry columns to flank the Austrian position surprisingly The Defenders of the height including Ling gun's 38th regiment comprised of Italian troops from ventia made minimal effort to hold their ground already before lian's troops crossed the bridge and gathered in munen grats Prince friederick Carl had dispatched his brigades from podol to the South the Vanguard led by Horn's eighth division approached the musky Hill from the north PIR and abello were strategically positioned on the slopes of the Hill the Prussian troops had to storm the slopes if they wanted to advance to munchin grats and link up with their Elba Army counterparts Prince friederick Carl's Advanced brigades launch lached an assault on the Northern face of musky Hill engaging the forces under Pere and abile the sounds of battle from the podor road convinced lian's Brigade they would be stuck in a pincer movement they deliberately set the bridge on fire to hinder the Elba Army's Advance Prince Fredick Carl and his chief of staff Constantine voits RS observed the unfolding battle from their vantage point in podol they witnessed the flashes and smoke plumes was generated by Hero's advancing batteries closing in on claster then at 10:00 a.m. a sudden eruption of black smoke signaled the ignition of the ISA Bridge the Prussian Prince upon spotting an Austrian General's Entourage through his telescope on musky Hill believed that he had effectively trapped the entire EA Army between the converging Elba and first armies simultaneously Fran's seventh division guided by a helpful peasant maneuvered through the Marshland behind the hill effectively severing the communications of the Austrian Defenders with munchin grats and glitchin it became evident that all three Austrian brigades stationed in munen grats were at risk of being ens snared within Friedrich Carl's encircling maneuver recognizing the Peril the Austrian Gunners who were shelling horns column from musky Hill swiftly packed up their artillery and departed as fr's forces maneuvered behind them they retreated as swiftly as possible passing through musky village where platoon from Parade's 45th regiment consisting of Venetian soldiers from Verona were observed discarding their rifles and surrendering to Fran's flanking column their hands raised in surrender in munin Gratz General lingan had commenced a retreat toward the East heading for sabotka effectively abandoning the desert Ed town to herath and the Prussian Elba Army scholer's regiments suffering from extreme thirst and hunger took off their shoes rolled up their trousers and anxiously awaited orders to Wade across the ISA River in search of promised sustenance by the time scholer's Vanguard reached cluster his soldiers were Delirious due to their thirst and hunger failing to find any nourishment on the Western Bank of the ISA they wed across to monen grats for y entered the Valenstein Palace and descended into the Dual Brewery an underground Labyrinth stocked with a cool beer kegs were brought to the surface and tapped if there was ever a moment for lingan to launch a Counterattack it would have been at this opportune time however the Austrian Brigadier was far removed from the situation already on the outskirts of monen Gratz and heading East toward glitchen thanks to the efforts of ab's Czech and Hungarian troops who held the rugged and overgrown Southern Slope of musky Hill lingan and pay managed to escape to the east evading Prince friederick Carl's flanking column most of Abel's troops ended up getting captured but it could have been much worse had friederick Carl's Piner movement successfully closed on the entire Austrian army or rear guard instead the vast majority got away the ISA Army had eluded him Fredick Carl's detour South had proven to be in vain or at least nearly so now the elb and first armies stood side by side with the consolation of having taken 1,400 Austrian prisoners in total the austrians Lost around 3,000 troops the five Prussian divisions that bivak in munen Gratz indulged in an entire night of rry drinking in celebration their losses in the battle amounted to only 300 Fallen comrades giving them cause for joyous commemoration despite the formidable nature of cler and musky Hill as defensive positions the Prussian forces managed to capture them with the support of only 14 battalions although Prince Fredick Carl's left wing remained 50 km away from Friedrich wilhelm's right wing with the Austrian North Army positioned between them still that same day clashes occurred to the east at boras dorf and skullets and without Prince Friedrich Carl's Prussian Army close by the Crown Prince was unable to act with as much initiative as he would [Music] like [Music] on June 27th the Austrian 10th Corps under gabblin achieved the only victory for the austrians during the entire War by successfully repelling the Prussian first core led by Bonin however G lens's position became untenable due to the Austrian defeat at visaka and the advancing Russian guard Corps towards IPO despite the circumstances the situation could have been worse to the West Prince Friedrich Carl's first Army deviated from orders neglecting to swiftly move Eastward to support Crown Prince Friedrich wilhelm's second Army's Advance through nachod ipel and trout out instead he turned South with the intention of encircling the ostros Saxon Isa Army at munching grats the following day he would score a victory but it was meaningless for the greater war effort the risk was not worth the reward meanwhile in josephat benedek and his Aid to Camp General Gideon Chrisman manic spent June 27th observing the intense battles unfolding on their Northern flank from the foress ramparts while they were alarmed by the scale and intensity of the conflicts they felt compelled to continue their Westward March towards the ISA benedek urged on by crisman manic was eager to fully commit his forces against the five core of the Prussian Elba and the first armies by joining clam's Isa Army at glitchin on the 29 in an attempt to mitigate losses he ordered Arch Duke Leopold's eight core to join forces with ramming at Scarlets towards the end of the 27th a staff officer suggested reinforcing Scarlet but Chrisman manic deeming it too late to divert troops from their assigned marching routes expressed his resignation he reportedly muttered what can I do it's too late everyone should just continue on to YF stat Chris manik and benedek made the Strategic decision to concentrate their main attack at glitchin on the 13th they acknowledged the Peril of pursuing the second Army into Silesia while facing the threat of Prince friederick Carl's forces disrupting Benedict's lines of retreat considering these factors krisic and benedek reached a consensus to leave gabblin and two cor stationed at Yosef stat on the 28th with the purpose of impeding the advance of the second Army meanwhile the majority of the north Army would continue its Westward flank March at trouten now the intention was for gabblin to establish contact with the second Army engage in battle and subsequently disengage to return safely to ysep stat this approach aimed to minimize risks and avoid the need for a timec consuming rescue [Music] operation after setting up camp at trouton now on the 27th gabblin realized that he had lost valuable time although he did not receive specific orders for the following day the successful advancement of the Prussian guard and other core compelled him to retreat to the secure Elba line at ysep stat however initiating the Escape proved to be timec consuming as there were delays in getting his trains on the road and his troops retrieving their backpacks it was not until 8:00 a.m. when gabblin himself finally left trouton now but by then the Prussian guard Corps was already in close Pursuit as his March column reached burkers dorf approximately 5 km away the second guard Brigade leading Prince August's first guard division spotted them while closing in from stance the physical condition of Goblin's troops was severely strained as the guard core had covered a distance of 50 km within a span of 2 days the approach to burkdorf from ipel was particularly arduous involving a narrow dirt track followed by traversing through seemingly endless Meadows which further drained their energy gabblin had anticipated the arrival of the Prussian guard although he did not not expect them to reach his location so swiftly fortunately he had already positioned three artillery batteries at bastorf having trained them to face East in order to secure his last remaining Escape Routes to the elv namely the roads from bers dorf and henbrook leading West to pilow gabblin made a hasty maneuver to the left he deployed the canabal and mondal brigades which had previously been moving Southward in a protective half circle for Facing East specifically Mundell took position on the left at nnit while Canal positioned on the right at bers dorf he then dispatched gic's Brigade despite being devoid of any Cavalry and having suffered significant damage from the preceding day's events on a mission to flank the Vanguard of the Guard Corp by advancing from the rear through radic goblins managed to position 64 guns all aim directly at the Prussian guards before they could fully engage while the steady barrage from the 10th cores artillery held the prussians in check for an hour the second guard Brigade successfully broke through and reached burkdorf by 9:30 a.m. launching a fierce assault on the elevated terrain leading to the Village simultaneously gabblin redirected the majority of his core onto the westward road to pilow while leaving behind a single regiment in boras dorf to impede the advancing Prussian forces these soldiers comprising Germans and checks from the lower silesian first regiment inflicted substantial casualties upon the Prussian guards who were compelled to Traverse 400 m of exposed ground in order to capture the village during the Final Approach the Prussian guards endured Relentless shellfire and targeted salvos resulting in the loss of numerous Guardsman and every company Captain leading the charge while the Austrian first regiment gradually conceded ground in Booker's dwarf Goblin's canal and mundle brigades dispersed across the fields toward pilow leaving behind a substantial number of unharmed prisoners as the intensity of Austrian fire waned an increasing number of disoriented Prussian guards stumbled into Buras door their impulsive rush to encircle gabblin LED them to engage in a frontal bayonet assault causing casualties reminiscent of Austrian style Warfare 18 officers and 478 men were left lying on the battlefield the time was approximately 10 a.m. subsequently Neal's first regiment relinquished control of basor and joined Goblin's forces as they moved towards pilika under the the cautious leadership of Prince August of verberg an energetic Pursuit by the Prussian forces was deemed impractical as the majority of the Guard Corps was still on route from Apel furthermore to everyone's surprise Bonin would not return to Trout now until the following day satisfied with the belief that gabblin had been defeated the first guard division halted in the fields between bisdorf and saw where they set up their cook fires as the afternoon progressed in order to pass the time curious Guardsmen scavenged through the abandoned spoils left by the panic-stricken austrians on the yosf road these included kasons food wagons and gin's entire cash reserve of 10,000 silver florins gablin was compelled to forgo his planned Retreat on a well-established hardened Road and instead navigate through the soft Fields behind him remarkably he only lost two cannons during this hurried maneuver he successfully led the three brigades under his command nebble Mandell and wimam to safety unfortunately Colonel giki's Brigade was doomed due to gaben's Swift Retreat Messengers failed to locate grich's Brigade and at noon he found himself alone in the wilderness southeast of trouton now completely unaware of the developments in Burker dor following his original orders gravitic continued his March 3 km South to radc intending to face Northeast and confront any Prussian forces approaching from the Appel Road erroneously assuming that the artillery barrage pounding Bookers dorf was due to the arrival of Austrian fourth core batteries reinforcing gablets the Prussian Brigade fell into a trap with his 5,000 hungry men he found himself caught in a fog of ignorance and unfavorable circumstances by chance gisc Brigade stumbled upon four Russian Rifle companies dispatched as a Vanguard for reconnaissance thus began an hourlong engagement where four Prussian rifle companies faced off against an entire Austrian Brigade managing to hold them at Bay due to the absence of intelligence from Cavalry Scouts gisc remained uncertain about the size of the Prussian Force he had encountered instead of Simply pushing aside the Prussian Battalion and continuing his March gravi made the decision to defend rudersdorf his aim was to divert the main attack of the Guard Corp toward himself buying time for gabblin and the rest of the 10th Corp to move Southward towards josephat however grishik was unaware that gabblin had deviated from the yosf stat Road and gabblin himself was unaware of gic's presence in Rudders dor through the use of horn and drum signals gravitic managed to communicate the change in the Battlefront to his scattered regiments repel the Prussian Battalion and seek refuge in the Fortified farm buildings of the village along with seven infantry battalions it was only when the Prussian guards opposite him refused to launch an attack that gravis realized he had been facing a smaller reconnaissance party rather than an entire Vision at 1: p.m. the gravitic Brigade resumed its cautious Advance at this point the Prussian Battalion facing them had received reinforcement from another Battalion prompted by the sounds of fighting at rudersdorf while gravitic skirmishers meticulously searched the dense Meadows to the south of rudersdorf they were suddenly ambushed and overwhelmed by a formidable force of 2,000 prussians as the Austrian Yager hastily retreated to rudersdorf elements of the fourth guard Brigade swiftly pursued them subjecting gravit chik's line infantry to heavy fire despite still holding a numerical advantage of 2 to one over the prussians in his vicinity gravi found himself unable to make any progress against their Advanced needle rifles consequently he issued orders for his men to withdraw to the safety of rudersdorf where the battle persisted in a fierce house-to-house struggle reflecting on the situation later gravitic expressed his desperate need to establish communication with gent but the absence of Cavalry and the incapacitation of his adjutants along with the loss of most of his staff officers at tral the previous day left him in a dire predicament matters soon deteriorated further as three additional guard battalions arrived and executed a successful flanking maneuver for in panic among his polish 23rd regiment his efforts to organize the retreat were cut short when he too was shot and fell from his horse left without a leader and encircled by the Prussian guard Corp gravitic demoralized Brigade surrendered in the ensuing events hundreds of men were killed hundreds surrendered and hundreds more sought Refuge among the rows of crops or escaped into the nearby Woods only a group of approximately 1,000 600 Austrian stragglers managed to navigate through the night driven by their fear of being detained in prussia's Baltic prison camps these traumatized survivors eventually rejoined the north Army however out of this group only 600 individuals were deemed fit to participate in the upcoming Battle of corn grats taking place one week later Buras dorf marked the continuation of the conflict that unfolded at trouton now making it essentially a second battle in the series as wmur's Cavalry pursued the retreating troops from grich's Brigade some 30 km to the east an even more significant and pivotal battle unfolded at the small Market town of scallet [Music] on the morning of June 28th there was a state of organized chaos at Benedict's Austrian headquarters located located in ysep the reports regarding the battles at weoka and trouton had arrived the previous night although gabblin emerged Victorious at trouton now his losses were nearly five times higher than those of bonin's Prussian Corp which had withdrawn through the Bohemian Hills Ring's defeat at wiov had left him in a precarious situation vulnerable to being outflanked throughout the day blend and raming had continuously requested and eventually demanded reinforcements in the form of more troops and artillery their goal was to decisively defeat the first core and overrun the isolated fifth core since clam Gallas positioned in the west had failed to establish communication with the headquarters of the north Army benedek still unaware of the situation believed that his first core and the Saxons were holding their positions along the eer river lacking this crucial information benedek made the decision to deploy the eighth core commanded by Arch Duke Leopold from the West to Scarlets Leopold was tasked with replacing raming Ring's defeat the previous day had significantly undermined his superior's confidence in him the appointment of arch Duke Leopold to this role was met with bewilderment as sources described him as over overweight suffering from kidney problems partially blind and despised by his own soldiers benedek issued orders for gabblin to prepare for a strategic Retreat toward yfat with the objective of protecting the north Army from the Prussian first core and the Prussian guard in the event that the prussians were to appear with a larger Force than just a single core the second and fourth Austrian Corp were designated as available reinforcements to Provide support despite this contingency plan Benedict's primary intention remained focused on engaging the enemy around glitchin leveraging the advantage of fighting on ground of his own choosing and on his own terms in the Western Front Prince friederick Carl's first Army and herv Von bittenfeld El Army successfully encircled the first Austrian Corp at munen Gratz resulting in a tactical victory for the prussians orbe it at the cost of losing valuable time on the Eastern Front the Prussian Crown Prince's second Army possessed extensive knowledge of the terrain this location had witnessed several famous battles from Frederick the Great's era such as mulitz hoen fredberg Sor Lan and lignitz all of which had taken place within a few miles of the current Battleground Prussian officers were well acquainted with this terrain having studied it through historical records war games and Military Maneuvers with the forward core of the Austrian Army still separated from each other and positioned along the mountain passes that served as their respective axes of Advance the Crown Prince of Prussia faced the challenge of managing multiple responsibilities without being able to fully concentrate on any one of them taking a cautious approach he opted to redirect the Prussian guard Eastward in order to alleviate the pressure on bonin's first Corp gabblin known for his determined leadership even in Retreat divided his core to confront the advancing Prussian guard however during the Battle of burdorf veren BG's guard Corps intercepted gaben's retreating forces resulting in a loss of approximately 3,700 men including the majority of the gravitic Brigade around 30 km southeast of this engagement Stein Mets encountered only a single core blocking his Advance towards Scarlets the dispositions at Scarlets were nothing but brainless Benedict's Aid de Camp prisic the village of Scarlets is situated approximately 5 or 6 miles away from waku it is located along the opar river and can be reached via a winding Mountain Road that passes through the giant mountains this road acts as a boundary between the Bohemian plain where the Austrian Army is stationed and Silesia which is being approached by the crown Prince's Army steinet strategically positioned his Vanguard in weisa meanwhile the remaining troops of the Prussian second Army were moving towards wi isakov to reinforce him General Lou muta's sixth Corp was leading the way crossing the hilly terrain and mountain passes in Bohemia however schin Mets did not expect immediate assistance from them as they would require the entire day to Traverse the challenging mountain passes Scarlets itself was a town with a population of around 4,000 it is situated on a 30t high Plateau that is adjacent to the flowing OA river running in a North South direction towards the north there was a plateau that extended for half a mile on the left front there was a wooded area while on the right front there were Open Fields sloping gently downwards additionally a rail road enters the town from the south turned East and ran alongside a high embankment that passes a wooded area at 11:00 a.m. benedek accompanied by his staff conducted a survey of the site on Horseback they first visited raming reserves in trabis off before proceeding to the positions of the eighth core in and around scallet ramming made a request for him to relocate his seventh core to scallet with the objective of flanking any advancing Prussian forces from the left side by combining the Firepower of a core with their Cavalry Advantage Scarlets would have been an impenetrable position however Benedict did not believe that Stein Mets would initiate an attack consequently he refused the request and allowed his army to proceed with their March towards glitching this decision left Arch Duke Leopold alone with only a single narrow bridge behind his Vanguard overheard conversations revealed that benedek had no intention of engaging in a battle at scallet he departed intending to oversee the March towards the ISA Army in the western region the plan was for Leopold and raming to abandon the village and move to glitchin if no significant battle had commenced by 2: p.m. as benedek left the Austrian forces completed their deployment General Gustav Fran's Brigade took positions on the oper Heights located behind the dubno Forest General Leopold kryon stationed his troops north of the rensa pond and Schulz commanded the defenses around scallet in total leapold core consisted of approximately 20,000 soldiers meanwhile the Prussian artillery initiated their attack from visoka while the ninth division of the Prussian Army consisting of eight battalions and three artillery batteries began their Advance towards the dubno forest although exact figures for the size of the Prussian Army are unavailable it can be inferred that Stein metz's forces were of comparable strength to the austrians as he committed both the ninth and 10th divisions to the battle benedek and ramming encountered General tassilo festetics at the Austrian rear who had moved up from schwow despite pleas from ramming and fresthetic to reinforce scallet bened refused their requests on two occasions and instead directed them to commence their March towards the West in the background the sounds of artillery fire and intermittent musket shots could be heard as benedek returned to y St meanwhile Stein Mets made preparations for a direct assault on Scarlets with his 10th division to ensure no Austrian reinforcements would arrive from the southern Direction he ordered a general Advance simultaneously his ninth division approached the dubno forest a battalion of Slovak soldiers stationed within the forest retreated hastily before any significant engagement took place as the prussians swiftly pushed forward upon emerging from the other side of the forest the Prussian forces Unleashed devastating rapid fire volleys the slovaks suffered significant losses losing half of their strength before retreating towards kon's Brigade observing these developments with uncertainty from the OPA Heights fragon decided to take action he remained without instructions from Leopold and became concerned that the Prussian 9th division would soon cross the dubno forest to towards zick thereby turning his Left Flank and penetrating into eighth core's rear in order to disrupt this attempted envelopment fragen opted to launch an attack with his two regiments leading them down to the dubno forest to repel the Prussian flanking column at 12:30 p.m. fragon signaled the start with the sound of his bands ordered his men to advance and departed from their strong Hilltop position in a fervent display of determination even the Brigade artillery mobilized and joined the charge descending the steep slope behind the Infantry columns the Austrian soldiers rushed towards the prussians with bayonets however the initial Prussian Salvo proved devastating knocking down most of the Austrian officers and half of Fran's first wave of men 14 horses were brought down with a single blow a force of 6,000 austrians crowded into the dubno forest only to be mercilessly cut down by the converging Prussian troops who opened rapid fire volleys from a distance of 400 m fren while moving among his men was struck by three bullets and lost his life an attempt to find the senior surviving colonel in the Brigade proved futile as all other officers had either been struck down or dismounted and sought shelter Within the Woods within a mere hour frager's regiment now in disarray suffered a loss of 3,000 men and six cannons pursued by Prussian Riflemen the surviving Austrian soldiers sought to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the dubno forest inadvertently disrupting parts of cryon and Schultz's defensive lines in the process in the center cryon found himself inadvertently drawn into frager's offensive despite still lacking orders from Arch Duke leapold felt compelled to reposition five of his battalions towards the southwest corner of the dubno forest in an attempt to rescue frager's shattered Brigade Chon's battalions moved towards the advantageous cover of the skelets Railway embankment too late a regiment of Prussian grenadiers responding swiftly to protect the Left Flank of the ninth division from this unexpected attack reached the railway embankment first they quickly took cover behind it and Unleashed rapid fire volleys upon Chon's half Battalion formations which arrived running the initial wave of Chon's forces crumbled under the intense fire while the second wave pressed forward with heavy losses encountering an entire Brigade from the Prussian 10th division that had rushed down the railway and adjacent road to confront them the intensity of the fighting escalated resulting in mounting casualties Austrian artillery batteries positioned at the entrance to Scarlet engaged in close- range exchanges of shrapnel and canister fire against the embankment in response stm's core batteries having descended from visce to concealed positions within the clany wood retaliated with their own artillery fire Arch Duke Leopold taken back by these attacks that occurred without his direct orders dispatched a staff major through the dangerous no man's land to the railway embankment in an effort to command kon's Retreat however to his dismay he discovered that General cryon like fragman before him had been killed his body riddled with bullets amidst the horror unfolding in Scarlets Schultz's Brigade observed the tragic turn of events as Chon's regiments were mercilessly decimated in the open clearing below them in the afternoon an agitant arrived at schulz's position carrying a retreat order order that had been dictated by benedek an hour earlier however the soldiers of the shortz Brigade composed of checks and Germans initially refused to retreat as they were eager to engage in battle after being stationed since 6:00 a.m. still they couldn't do anything because the battlefield was so crowded to the north approximately 400 intoxicated Ukrainian soldiers from the 13th regiment disregarded orders and recklessly pursued Russian fusers across open ground Beyond the dno Forest they were easily mowed down by the accurate fire of the Prussian draer needle rifles by now fighting had gotten so intense that some Prussian battalions of the 10th division pushed towards the eighth corp's only bridge to reach the railway station meanwhile the Prussian 9th division focused on turning the arch Duke's Left Flank on the AL pip two Prussian regiments ascended the opahs and advanced towards the bridge as well in the center Stein Mets himself rode to the front lines leading the assault of the West Prussian 47th regiment on the railway station only the Relentless shrapnel case shot from Leopold's Reserve batteries and the Valiant efforts of a hastily assembled Austrian rear guard managed to momentarily halt the Prussian onslaught buying enough time for the leaderless brigades of chern and frag to withdraw at 2:15 p.m. Leopold sounded The Retreat signaling the disengagement from the battle during the retreat many austrians tragically drowned in the op the congested streets and Bridge impeded their escape two regiments completely disintegrated unable to maintain cohesion in the chaotic Retreat the estimated casualties were grim with over 6,000 austrians and 1,365 prussians losing their lives the prussians took approximately 3,000 prisoners although less than half of them were unharmed General Chon's forces suffered 2,000 casualties in terms of dead wounded and missing while General Fran's losses amounted to 3,200 men and 100 officers the Austrian forces endured a staggering rate of nearly 800 casualties per hour this translates to approximately 13 casualties per minute and nearly 40% of the engaged Force the remaining Austrian soldiers found themselves caught in a retreat that rapidly deteriorated into a panic-stricken flight as the effects of alcohol and adrenaline wore off while the Prussian losses were comparatively lower several attacking Prussian battalions witnessed the loss of all their cap s and a number of generals fell while leading their brigades it is not our intention to permit ourselves to be drawn into a serious battle message from Arch duuk leopo to General Chon while his Battalion was getting decimated at the railroad the defeat suffered by the eighth Corp served as a prime example of the early battles that set the stage for the Battle of kerik Reds it was marked by a failure in both command and tactics characterized by uncoordinated charges launched by individual brigades the Austrian core structure posed significant challenges in terms of effective control with commanders often disregarding the authority of their deputies in contrast the Prussian side benefited from a more organized chain of command and enabling senior officers to have a better understanding of the overall situation following their Retreat from skullets the disordered eighth core hastily overtook Ring's more disciplined marching columns forcing them off the ysep stat Road and into the adjacent Fields the sixth core would have to navigate its way to the Elba river that night relying on cross country Roots while moral soared among the Prussian ranks molda became increasingly concerned about the Strategic limitations of Prince friederich Carl and issued orders for the first Army to relieve the pressure on the austrians malola as the chief of staff commenced the relocation of his entire headquarters to Bohemia that night endeavoring to maintain communication with his armies in the field via Telegraph upon learning of the developments at borers dorf and Scarlets he instructed Crown Prince Friedrich wilhelm's second Army to hold its position and be prepared to establish contact with the advancing first Army in the crown Prince's Direction the Bohemian campaign was far from over and the outcom still hung in the balance neither the prussians nor the austrians could afford to make any further mistakes as they VI for victory [Music] on June 29th 1866 the Austrian Empire found itself in a precarious situation as the Prussian Army launched an invasion and secured a series of Victories the outcome of the conflict was far from certain in the western theater two Prussian armies Advanced these were the Elber Army led by herar Von bittenfeld and the first Army commanded by Prince Friedrich Carl they closed in on the Austrian iser Army Under The Joint leadership of General Clem Gallas and Crown Prince Albert of Saxony following their defeat at mgrads Clem Gallas made the decision to retreat to gchen his Hope was to receive reinforcements from Arch duuk ernest's Austrian Army Corp which would help balance the odds against the larger Prussian forces positioned advantageously among Hills they intended to make a stand and repel the fatigued and disheveled Prussian Army which was grappling with logistical challenges however the situation took a turn on June 28th when a Prussian Army achieved victory over Arch Duke Leopold's 8 core at scallet upon receiving news of yet another defeat ludvic Von bened the Austrian Commander issued orders to his core commanders these orders outlined the plan for the north Army to assume a central position on the Elba River at kigan Hoff awaiting the return of gabblin forces once the Prussian second Army came within Striking Distance the Austrian North Army would engage them aiming to annihilate the crown Prince's second Army subsequently they would March Westward to confront and defeat friederick Carl's first Army the the unexpected decision to abandon the advance towards gin caused a significant shift in Focus leading to confusion among the already disorganized Austrian core commanders compounding the confusion field Marshall benedek chose to delay dispatching the orders until 8:00 a.m. on June 29th despite the Situation's urgency consequently units that had already set out Westward had to retrace their steps while frustrated staff officers and command ERS already on edge criticized benedek for his indecisiveness and perceived incompetence in line with the agreed plan between gabblin and benedek gabblin had intended to retreat to the Elba with the expectation that a brigade from the Austrian fourth Corp would Safeguard his Left Flank at deut prits however the headquarters of the north Army accidentally directed The Brigade to chesa prits which was considerably further West as gabblin initiated his Retreat following the disastrous Battle of burkdorf his appeals for reinforcements at D prits went unanswered since no troops were stationed there from the southern front count cun's second core arrived near josephat however their strenuous March since June 17th coupled with a lack of food for the past 12 hours and no sleep the previous night left the soldiers utterly exhausted and on the verge of collapse even with reinforcements Benedict's predicament remained unchanged the weary troops made their way to kigin Hof but a more pressing issue loomed to their West the decision to abandon the march on gin was not effectively communicated to the Austrian iser Army unaware of the shift in circumstances both Albert and clam Gallas found themselves severely outnumbered and devoid of any hope for reinforcements meanwhile the Prussian elb and first armies encountered significant challenges The Strain on their Logistics three consecutive days of Relentless battles and forced marches had taken a toll on the troops hunger and fatigue plagued their ranks in Berlin the commander-in-chief of the Prussian forces helmet Von molka received fragmented information about the battles that had transpired 2 days prior the T gra communication lines operated with great difficulty Prince Friedrich Carl's insubordination led to the entire Prussian Entourage including bismar and the King making the journey from Berlin to Bohemia to oversee the campaign communication with in Bohemia was similarly problematic and it was not until the eve of the battle of kig grats that Prince Friedrich Carl's first Army and Crown Prince friederick wilhelm's second Army managed to establish contact on June 29th Prince Fredick Carl of the first Army received instructions from Mala commanding him to advance Eastward and exert pressure on Benedict's forces in compliance with these orders he dispatched General AUST verder leading the Prussian third division to conduct reconnaissance near gin meanwhile herar Von bittenfeld Elba Army turned its focus Southward following the same path previously taken by the Saxons leading to Yung bulau the Vanguard of this Prussian force was led by the fifth division under the command of vilhelm Fon tuming both Prussian armies were fatigued hungry and grappling with a growing number of illnesses moreover they faced a significant numerical disadvantage With the Enemy outnumbering them by almost 3 to1 clam gas's iser Army remained confident that reinforcements could arrive at any moment therefore they opted to deploy their forces around ditchin preparing for an imminent battle ever since the wars against Frederick the great Bohemia had served as a favored maneuvering area for the Austrian Army and a training ground for their Engineers the densely wooded elevated terrain to the north and west W of gin had been meticulously assessed for its defensive potential deploying brigades against exhausted and thirsty Prussian forces was almost a routine for clam adhering to their standard operating procedure the Saxon Retreat from munen grads proved to be a lengthy detour with the Saxon second division arriving in the afternoon utterly fatigued the Saxon first division remained stationed in ginis on the 29th the two Saxon brigades making their way to Gin commenced their March at 3:00 a.m. and proceeded for 7 hours upon reaching the outskirts of gin podr situated 10 km south of clam's position at Brad dilac Prince Albert determined that no battle would take place that day instead of positioning his division accordingly which would have necessitated additional hours of marching and maneuvering under the scorching midday heat he set up camp over an hour's distance to the south of the designated sector unintentionally this created a perilous Gap in the ISA Army's front line at gin deprived of the Saxons clam gas's first core and first light Cavalry division mustered a mere 40,000 troops in order to fortify the town against potential Prussian offensives from the West clam strategically selected a renowned position which had long been praised by Austrian staff m ERS this position extended north and west of gin flanking the privy scene a forested cliff the heights were occupied by Vincent Abel's Brigade while Yosef ringelheim Brigade held the left wing guarding the road from munin grats at LOF the center of the defensive formation rested on Brad Hill commanded by General Ferdinand po ARA's Brigade with support from lingan on the right wing General ludvic puree positioned his Brigade consisting of four battalions in the elevated Village of Eisen which overlooked the road leading in from tuna crucially the space between poaka and P was meant to be held by the Saxon Army thus forming a vulnerable gap between the Austrian Center and the right flank clam gas's second in command Leopold gondra cour allocated 56 of his 69 artillery pieces to this critical juncture along with the deployment of Leopold edhe him's first light Cavalry division this time it was the Prussian formations that struggled amid the marshy Meadows and treacherous terrain from the Northwestern front the Prussian fifth division commanded by vilhelm Fon tuming Advanced toward the town of gin despite being outnumbered and expecting the Austrian third Corp to reinforce the ISA Army if he delayed tuming made the decision to launch an attack he positioned his artillery batteries and initiated a canonade to soften the a aan positions Crown Prince Albert of Saxony and his forces were alerted by the artillery barrage Unleashed by tumer Albert dedicated the following hours to maneuvering the Saxon second division into position to the north clam Gallas contemplating Retreat ultimately opted to engage in battle relying on the potential reinforcement of arch Duke 's thirdd Corp by 5:00 p.m. following an intense artillery duwel tuming ordered his ninth Brigade to advance towards the tid Lina Creek targeting zames and D simultaneously his 10th Brigade moved forward towards the privy sin both Prussian brigades faced the onslaught of fire from clam's 12 batteries the Austrian Loren model rifles renowned for their longrange capabilities inflicted heavy casualties on the Prussian troops as they traversed the vast open land despite being wounded tuming relentlessly pushed the attack forward in a swift maneuver a Prussian Vanguard cleared podles subjecting two of POS chaka's Battalion to Rapid firing and forcing them to flee poscha regrouped his regiments in the village of brada situated further up from Puli along the Privacy to counter the Prussian rifles Superior rate of fire poaka instructed his line troops to focus solely on loading rifles and passing them forward to his Sharp shooting yoga this strategy proved successful as three Prussian companies attempting to storm Brad suffered heavy casualties and were driven back by 6: p.m. the third division led by August Fon Verda arrived from the west and immediately joined the ongoing battle they launched a swift attack against a and ringelheim brigades near LOF recognizing the need for immediate action tuming leftand column consists of five battalions Advanced along the northern slope of the privy seeking to regain the upper hand tuming aimed to flank and attack pakka's Brigade at brada with his 10th Brigade while his ninth Brigade remained halted however as tuming maneuvered through the rugged terrain he unexpectedly encountered ab's Brigade which swiftly rushed forward in storm columns to repel the flanking assault a fierce hand to hand struggle ensued leading to The Retreat of the Prussian 10th Brigade they regrouped and withdrew Westward through the trees clam's front held its ground with ringelheim Brigade successfully pushing back the leading Prussian Battalion of verda's third division on the munen grats Road the subsequent Prussian attack was targeted at the center right position near the Hamlet of zans where they encountered the 45th regiment of P's Brigade according to Prussian eyewitnesses these Austrian troops comprised of Italians had to be coerced into battle with loaded revolvers aimed at their backs notably a well executed Salvo from the prussians forced them to retreat enabling tuming to advance with three batteries it was difficult to comprehend how two Prussian battalions managed to establish themselves in Zs a critical point Point within the Austrian position without being swiftly overwhelmed by the overwhelming Force surrounding them surprisingly Lan's Brigade positioned as a reserve just 2 km away remained inactive while pir's regiment stubbornly refused to engage the needle rifle the Austrian saber Cavalry proved ineffective against the disciplined Prussian infantry General edesheim attempted to deploy several squadrons of Austrian husar against zamir only to witnessed their repulsion by the rapid and accurate Prussian fire resulting in 50 casualties our infantry accomplished this in a linear formation Rec called a Prussian officer without even bothering to form defensive squares the Austrian batteries positioned on privon and around Eisen shutle provided the most effective resistance against tuming advance subjecting zames to intense bombardment and causing the village to catch fire the Russian Battalion stationed in zams seized the opportunity to move forward racing towards dilc a crucial point in the ostros Saxon defense of gin as the prussians looked South towards gin they observed a Saxon Brigade hastily making its way North to occupy DC despite its unfavorable location being a low-lying village vulnerable to enade fire from all directions dilik held strategic importance as it flanked the privis massive and spaned the sedina the prussians successfully drove back the belated Saxon forces across the sedina meanwhile at Eisen stattle PIR took the initiative without explicit orders from clam or Prince Albert he deployed his entire Brigade in Battalion columns accompanied by marching bands and led them towards the chid Lina despite being outnumbered the prussians maintained composure aligning their rifle sights at a distance of up to 250 M and initiating a barrage of fire after three volleys pure's First Column faltered and broke undeterred he dispatched two more columns comprising three battalions in total towards zames to flank and seize dilc from behind recognizing the Peril posed by this maneuver tuming deployed his last Reserve Battalion mobilizing it from Puli to zames upon arrival the reserve Battalion greeted P's storm columns with rapid and accurate gunfire the pay Brigade was defeated by six Prussian companies resulting in a significant 25% casualties and isolated from the main Army subsequent disbandment as the Prussian forces pressed forward Austrian troops began to retreat from the privin area desperately trying to escape the advancing exhausted Prussian companies despite the proximity of Lan's Brigade and POS shaka's reserves they remained motionless and eventually fled as well the loss of dillick a crucial point in the Austrian position was now in the hands of the Prussian fifth division then verda's sixth Brigade launched another attack aiming to flank ringelheim Brigade at Loof and complete the encirclement initiated by tumper despite encountering resistance from ael's Brigade which descended from the privy for a second time verda's forces persisted as the battle continued the left wing of the Austrian position became obscured by powder smoke some Prussian units depleted their ammunition and had to be withdrawn for reloading in the midst of confusion verer deployed grenadiers to advance straight up the road successfully pushing back ab and Ringle time with rapid fire the prussians having expended all all their ammunition in the process observed two of AR's battalions positioned on the privy scene but making no attempt to engage the exposed flank offered by the prussians as they moved through lockoff to capitalize on their Victory now there was no obstacle standing between Verda and gin at approximately 8:00 p.m. an order from benedek arriv delivered by horseback instructing the iser Army to join him as part of the north Army's change of Clans the message mentioned new positions detailed in the appendix but to clam's dismay the appendix was missing this was just one of many costly mistakes made during prussia's Invasion clam gallus and his Deputy count Leopold gondra cour were determined to continue the fight recognizing the risks involved in disengaging from a chaotic battle in the darkness where the troops from both sides were intermingled however Albert the Saxon Crown Prince overruled their objections and ordered the Saxons to retreat consequently the austrians had no choice but to withdraw as well as predicted by clam and gondra the Tactical outcome was unfavorable the Saxons managed to retreat in relatively good order however the exhausted Austrian battalions many of whom had not been adequately fed that day or in the preceding days lost cohesion and Scattered the core staff was unable to provide effective assistance in restoring order hosaka and Langan passed through gin without realizing how the battle had been lost in a matter of moments they found themselves with Prussian forces behind them after having held a solid front it had been a gruelling day of combat the Prussian first Army suffered over 1,500 casualties by the time they finally secured gin sometime after midnight on the 29th among them were 329 killed and 1,212 wounded the austrians incurred losses of nearly 5,000 soldiers and 184 officers equivalent to the strength of an entire Brigade the Saxons lost nearly 600 soldiers only one Regiment of the Austrian first core remained intact while the other seven regiments were severely battered broken and abandoned despite holding a strong position the ISA Army suffered defeat at the hands of two Prussian divisions primarily due to strategic and tactical errors following their Victory the Prussian forces faced challenges as they lacked essential supplies objectively speaking the austrians still possessed some strategic advantages on June 30th the main Prussian armies remained geographically separated and the north Army reinforced forced by The Three core of Albert clam Gallas and gablin held a numerical superiority over its enemies though morale among the ranks was noticeably low logistical efforts such as providing edible rations and replacing worn uniforms and lost equipment could potentially address this issue upon learning of the outcome at gjin benedek made the decision to abandon the current position considering its significant tactical weaknesses and Retreat toward olmutz pausing briefly at kerig [Music] Gres under a shroud of heavy rain and amidst the rugged terrain Austrian commander-in-chief ludvig Von benedek meticulously orchestrated his forces on July 3rd 1866 as the Spectre battle loomed large with an army of around 240,000 troops Benedict's strategic placement of his core provided a sense of security for the Austrian troops the heights of chlum served as the fulcrum defended by strong Austrian divisions while core under festetics ton and goblins bolstered the line their cannons poised for devastating Onslaught facing them the Prussian forces led by bittenfeld Army Army of the elb and friederick Carl's first Army totaling 124,000 soldiers prepared for the imminent Clash at Dawn King Wilhelm flanked by bismar arrived the fact their army was outnumbered nearly 2 to one and they had no idea where prussia's second Army was led to uncertainty clouding their minds as they gazed upon the formidable Austrian formation as the clock neared 9:00 a.m. friedi car ordered a daring Advance hoping to secure crucial ground and pave the way for the arrival of this second Army little did they know that the Austrian artillery positioned strategically and armed with ample ammunition stood ready to unleash a storm of Destruction turning the pristine morning into a battleground of chaos and bloodshed in the turbulent summer of 1866 Europe stood on the precipice of a colossal Clash within a week half a dozen battles had raged armies had moved and the Bohemian theater bore witness to two exhausted armies the advancing prussians and the retreating austrians the Prussian first Army under Prince Friedrich Carl had recently dealt a crippling blow to the Austrian first Corp led by General clam Gallas in the bloody engagement at gin meanwhile the crown Prince's second Army against firm opposition had pressed on to kigan Hoff as June Drew to a close the Prussian first Army Drew ominously close to the second Army while the austrians seemingly vanished from sight leaving Prussian Cavalry in the dark with a decisive Showdown on the horizon Prussian chief Chief of Staff helmouth Von molka urged King Wilhelm and Army Headquarters to join the front lines arriving at gchen on July 1st mka's orders were clear the second Army was to remain on the Left Bank of the upper elbow and connect with the advancing first Army near kigan North while the Elba Army commanded by herwart Von bittenfeld was tasked with assaulting the enemy's right flank on July 2nd the war council convened uncertainty clouded the atmosphere no one could pinpoint the exact location of Benedict's forces and speculation ran rampant some belied the austrians had retreated behind the Elba River calling for the armies to unite but Mala held a different view keep the armies separate until the elusive Benedict's true whereabouts were revealed uncertainty gripped the war council meanwhile General benedek battered and disheartened by losses besed teed Emperor France ysf for peace to spare his army from an imminent catastrophe yet his pleas fell on death years and an ambiguous Imperial decree was taken as a call for a final stand benedek now cornered positioned his Austrian forces along the Elba between saduwa and krets preparing for a last ditch effort in the Prussian Camp tension was palpable after capturing gin the first and Elba armies Linked UP eagerly waiting Intelligence on the Austrian North Army's location when Scouts finally unveiled the enemy's position on the evening of July 2nd Friedrich Carl swiftly ordered a general Advance driven by a thirst for Glory however his initial orders excluded the second Army a decision that was promptly rectified by the Vigilant Chief of Staff helmet Von molka with revised orders in hand the crown Prince's 110,000 strong Army embarked on a forced March Southward uncertain of the horrors that awaited them as Dawn broke on that fateful day the king generals and their Entourage gathered the first Echoes of battle reverberated through the air marking the beginning of the Monumental battle of [Music] krets on July 3rd the large Austrian Army deployed as heavy rain fell from low hanging clouds their area of choosing was surrounded by woods and elevations to its Direct North lay the sweep a forest over a mile long and a half mile deep with few Trails where underbrush sufficiently Tangled to disrupt even experienced Bush Fighters the Army's pivot point was on the heights of Clum on the right two core tesillo festetics is fourth and car vonthun second with a total of 55,000 men and 176 guns faced northward their task was to repel the Prussian second Army if it were to arrive at the Clum Heights benedek posted Arch duuk ernest's third core facing West toward the bits south of it was Goblin's 10th core making a total of 44,000 men backed by 134 guns extending the line Southeast was the Saxon core supported by what remained of arch duuk Leopold's 8th Core 40,000 men and 140 guns expected to secure the north Army against any threat to its Left Flank In Reserve benedek retained clam gas's first core ramming sixth core his heavy Cavalry and the Army artillery Reserve almost 50,000 infantry over 11,000 Horsemen and no fewer than 320 guns the Austrian Army of around 240,000 troops faced bittenfeld Army of the ELA numbering 39,000 and fredrich Carl's first Army numbering 85,000 they had been marching for hours before sunrise and had to pinned the Austrian Army in place until the crown Prince's 100,000 strong second Army arrived King Wilhelm accompanied by bismar arrived on Horseback at 7:45 a.m. at the Prussian command post established by Prince freed Carl a top dub Hill overlooking the bis they were not yet sure if they faced the entire Austrian Army at 9:00 a.m. Friedrich Carl ordered a general Advance across the bistri the Prussian Pomeranian second Corp comprising the third and fourth divisions fored the stream with relative ease and drove the Austrian yers from the 10th Corp back to langenhof Hill Austrian shells crashed among the advancing prussians with devastating results the Austrian artillery caused the majority of the damage positioned strategically with ample ammunition the Prussian attempts to advance were quickly thwarted as the Austrian Jer deployed as skirmishers targeted exposed Prussian infantry with deadly Precision from Beyond the effective range of their needle guns the casualties among officers and sergeants were particularly High leading to a lack of leadership and a growing number of disorganized soldiers retreating in groups by noon entire battalions seemed to be straggling backwards due to the combined effect of artillery fire and skilled Austrian Marksman meanwhile to the north a dire situation was unfolding for the austrians the events began at approximately 800 a.m. when the Prussian 7th division ventured into the sweep VA its Commander Fon fransi recognized the urgency of relieving pressure on the frontal assault despite the daunting terrain the seventh division pressed forward taking matters into his own hands he led his division into the forest fully aware of the risks including the vulnerable Left Flank that Drew the attention of two Vigilant Austrian generals Heinrich Horn's e8th division provided crucial support together they swiftly cleared benetech forging ahead into the dense sweep B franzii recognized the forest's Strategic significance vital for communication lines once the second Army arrived in a surprising move the prussians swiftly ousted an Austrian Brigade from the forest depths catching the attention of two entire Austrian Corp upon witnessing his Brigade being pushed out pathetics quick on his feet demanded a Counterattack the retreating soldiers had to Pivot and Traverse open ground towards the Prussian Vanguard the prussians armed with the deadly dri needle rifle Unleashed rapid volleys of fire upon the advancing austrians half of festetics men never reached the safety of the Woods falling to the Relentless Prussian Onslaught within a mere 30 minutes all seven battalions were so scattered that the once formidable Brigade was rendered ineffective in response festetics dispatched two more brigades into the sweet wall launching a determined Counterattack in Battalion columns this assault was skillfully coordinated by festetics second in command Anton Von molinary meanwhile to the South the Saxons relentlessly rained down fire upon bittenfeld three advancing divisions benenfeld recognizing the Peril ordered Brigadier General von shurer and his seven battalions of the advanced guard to fall back to the river around 10:00 adopting a defensive posture up to this point the Austrian Lawrence rifle with its Superior range held the upper hand leaving the outnumbered prussians unable to advance against the Relentless artillery barrage or effectively engage the Austrian infantry simultaneously The Sweep R transformed form Med into a chaotic Smoke Filled Battleground where organized formations on both sides dwindled into mere clusters of survivors led by whoever could set an example and convey orders coherently festetics wounded and out of commission saw mulliner taking charge and convinced count Carl Thun of the second Corp to lend support with two additional brigades by 11 a.m. these freshh troops descended into the woods sealing the impending victory Colonel Carl Von Puck leading the charge against the prussians was determined yet flanking fire from the Prussian eighth division raak Po's Battalion annihilating it as an effective fighting force and claiming the life of its Commander within the besieged sector only Fran's two Prussian battalions stood resilient defending against the onslaught exhausted from a grueling 2-hour firefight and enduring Heavy Artillery bombardment they faced an overwhelming force of two dozen fresh battalions resulting in the loss of 2,000 men during this intense battle for Supremacy King vilhelm was ready to commit the first Army's reserves to what looked like the crisis point of the field molka intervened even though there was no sign of the Crown Prince and no sound of his artillery until relief arrived from the north the two divisions still at the first Army's disposal must be kept in hand against a general Austrian Counterattack I know fransi the chief of staff declared he'll hold out while the engagement to the north remained UNC bittenfeld ordered another Advance Prince Albert's Riflemen and artillery effectively held off three Prussian divisions who hesitated to engage closely due to the ongoing battle when a Saxon Brigade launched a Counterattack and nearly broke through in one area Albert took the initiative by deploying two additional brigades from his own forces and two borrow from Arch duuk Leopold's e8th core the Saxons executed their attack in a disciplined manner steadily advancing however the austrians advancing alongside the Saxons found themselves flanked by a Prussian Brigade that redirected its fire toward them instead Brigade Schulz advancing in columns with skirmishers at the front unknowingly ran into three Prussian battalions deployed in line formation the Prussian troops fired rapidly causing heavy casual ities among the austrians a second Brigade sent to relieve the pressure suffered a similar fate being torn apart by the Prussian needle guns some soldiers surrendered immediately While others retreated along their original line of Advance some took the path of least resistance and fled South colliding with the Saxons and creating a chaotic mass of targets for the Prussian Riflemen without waiting for orders officers of the Prussian 15th division took command of whatever men they could finded in the dust and smoke and pushed toward the Gap that had suddenly opened between the Saxon core and the Austrian Center gablin alerted by the changing locations of the firing informed his Commander that either reserves must be committed on his left or he would have to shift part of the third core to secure the line before that was necessary the Saxons regained their momentum and launched several well aimed volleys once again halting the Elba Army's advance in the heart of the sweet world chaos reigned as Colonel mry driven by desperation hurled his battalions into a final desperate Onslaught against franz's Resolute Prussian division the air crackled with tension as franzei his voice a beacon of determination rallied his remaining men urging them to stand firm against the looming storm hold on boys franek encouraged those able to hear him it's stand or die yet the much-feared onslaught never materialized The Sweep wal fell eerily silent as the austrians decimated and disheartened had nothing left to give together the second and fourth core numbered 59 battalions a staggering 43 had ventured into the dense forest only to emerge shattered and decimated just 13 stood intact eight additional battalions although rallied and reorganized wavered on the precipice of battle their willingness to fight uncertain the remaining 21 units faced a grim fate ens snared in the unforgiving tangle of the woods or crushed beneath the Relentless fire of Fran's needle guns benedek acutely aware of the vulnerability of his right flank made strategic decisions he ordered mry and Thor to return to their original positions attempting to salvage what remained of his shattered forces however Discord reigned within his ranks as generals clashed over the course of action around noon frederi Carl had brought up up his reserve the two divisions of the third Brandenburg core as the Prussian forces came within range of Austrian batteries they suffered significant casualties without achieving immediate tactical gains then Goblin's 10th core Advanced towards the front lines despite prussia's initial success the austrians had more tenacity than they were able to deal with then at 1 p.m. bismar observed the battlefield with his telescope he noticed what he initially mistook for a line of trees on orono's Heights moving forward informing mola they both concluded that the battle was won and Vienna was within their grasp almost unnoticed by both sides the crown Prince's second Army had successfully captured the strategically important High Ground of Heroes as they approached the Austrian rear the Crown Prince ordered his subordinates to form a gun Line open fire on The High Ground around overs and make enough noise to let the king know that help is on its way by 12:30 p.m. 90 guns were bombarding the Austrian guns enjoying a much longer range the Austrian guns turned around and began bombarding the Prussian positions as they bombarded the austrians general Lewis mutius LED his sixth Prussian Corp around the Left Flank of the first guards the second Army crossed the trinka river from the North in a pinsa movement towards the maslo plateau most battered Austrian battalions dispersed after a few shots having spent the entire morning fighting in the sweep board the Battalion in Clum Village was destroyed before it knew what was happening 400 of its men surrendered almost without a fight to prussians who seemed to appear from nowhere two more battalions attempted a Counterattack and had 600 shot down in a few minutes three companies of the Guard bypassed the fight in in the village instead advancing downhill into the neighboring Village of rosbert news of the approach of prussia's second Army also reignited bittenfeld resolve to charge he sent a full division forward they captured proo by 3:30 p.m. the Saxon Corp fell back bittenfeld moved his batteries onto the captured Twin Hills to canonade Goblin's 10th core from their flank benedek ordered pet to recapture problems when news arrived that the prussians had captured Clum and were in their rear what remained of bened de's second and fourth core were dissolved their men seeking any way out of the smoke shrouded Inferno the Austrian third Corp was beginning to fade back from its positions along the bits across Benedict's entire right wing increasing numbers of austrians were giving way before limited numbers of prussians Thun on his own authority ordered what remained of the second core to pull out of line and Retreat toward the elb when the prussians atop proas and clume began shelling the position of the Austrian Reserve units a substantial number of soldiers dropped their muskets and packs and fled across the countryside to escape the surging enemy The Sea of panicked Austrian troops fleeing from the front lines swept benedek and his small Entourage along with it toward the elb troops from Seven Corp and five Cavalry divisions were squeezed into a pocket no more than a half mile wide trying to reach the elb although benedek had ordered four pontoon bridges constructed earlier in the day in case Retreat became necessary neither the troops nor their officers had been told how to reach them in the chaos unfolding in the by stre pocket it was impossible for the two Austrian infantry Corp commanders charged with counterattacking Clum to coordinate their actions nevertheless ramming and gondra Cort ordered their troops to change direction and attack Ring's Counterattack began around 3:15 p.m. with General Ferdinand rosen's Brigade on the left sweeping aside a few companies of Prussian fusers stationed around the village of rosor the prussians retreated North on a sunken Road from rosar toward Clum with rosen's infantry in Hot Pursuit without realizing it the pursuing austrians ran into a trap Prussian infantry hiding in the fields to the West sprang up and fired at Point Blank Range into the stunned a in an effort to support rosenb raming ordered General gorg won's Brigade into action but retreating Austrian Cavalry rode through their own lines severely disrupting the formations before they could realign Russian rifles and cannons ripped into their ranks realizing the futility of his situation raming called off the attack in a short time he had lost nearly 6,000 men gondra kort's attack followed on the heels of RAM attack as he repositioned his three brigades to face North the prussians poured continuous rifle fire into the Austrian first core Gondor personally led a Slovenian regiment up the slopes of Clum into a hail of enemy fire after taking heavy losses he broke off the attack having miraculously survived the experience gondra Court's attack sputtered out before 5:00 p.m. and the survivors fled East some dispersed Austrian Cavalry contingents was successful at covering the Austrian rear keeping the bridges over the Elba open for retreating Austrian soldiers and preventing Pursuit by the prussians but at a terrible cost 2,000 men and almost as many horses were killed wounded or captured in action benedek ordered the pontoon bridges destroyed for fear the prussians would capture them intact his decision left large numbers of Austrian and Saxon Infantry and Cavalry stranded on the West Bank many refugees unwilling to wait for the bottleneck at the causeway to subside plunged into the river and drowned the battle ended with heavy casualties for the austrians the austrians and allies had more than 44,000 men killed wounded or missing with 22,170 captured that is 8,000 per hour or 133 more than half an infantry company each minute the prussians Lost roughly 9,000 troops 7,000 wounded 2,000 killed and a surprisingly low number of 278 missing that night Benedict telegraphed France Joseph the catastrophe I warned you of 2 days ago happened today refusing to accept responsibility for the disaster benedek blamed foul weather and disloyal subordinates for the debacle the following morning Austria's General goblins appeared at the Prussian headquarters he proposed a 3-day Armistice suspicious of Goblin's intentions they rejected the offer suspecting it was a ruse to facilitate the Escape of the retreating North Army toward olmutz indeed benedek decided to retreat towards olmutz partially due to familiarity and the need for immediate rest and reorganization for his troops amidst this diplomatic efforts were in play on July 2nd Austria's Minister of Foreign Affairs mens dorf sought French mediation and sweetened the deal by offering venea directly to France Napoleon initially indecisive due to internal weaknesses leaned toward military intervention but vacillated bismar strategically used the threat of German nationalism and magar separatism to deter French involvement the aftermath of the battle saw Austria's Fortune spiral into despair Italian offensives in the South coupled with the pillaging by the Prussian first Army in Bohemia and Upper Austria left the once Mighty Empire vulnerable and isolated other German states capitulated to Prussia and even France remained indifferent to Austria's plight now the road to Vienna lay open for the Prussian Army in the midst of negotiations and logistical struggles bismar persuaded King vilhelm to accept a moderate pieace despite initial reluctance vilhelm agreed to the terms the preliminary agreement saw Prussia receiving an Indemnity of 40 million florens allowing annexations abolition of the Confederation and recognition of a new Association of States north of the main river this marked a turning point avoiding prolonged antagonism with Austria while securing significant territorial and financial gains for Prussia with no allies and facing overwhelming odds Emperor France Joseph made the painful decision to surrender the subsequent piece of Prague signed on August 23rd dealt a harsh blow to Austria they were forced to seed Holstein withdraw from German politics entirely and pay the Hefty compensation this defeat marked prussia's triumphant expansion absorbing schwick Holstein Hanover Hessa Castle Nassau and Frankfurt but the German Empire was not born yet and the following 5 years would be crucial for Germany's development thank you very much for watching this video please leave a like it really helps out the channel if there is a topic battle or person you would like to know more about let me know your thoughts in a comment I would also like to thank all my patrons and channel members for their generous support if you enjoy House of history and you want to support my work consider joining me on patreon for just $1 per month you will already gain Early 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