Battle of Rossbach

Battle of Rossbach
Part of the Seven Years' War
Frederick the Great closes the trap. Red represents the French and Austrian army.
Date 5 November 1757 Location Roßbach, Electorate of Saxony (present-day Saxony-Anhalt) 51°16′10″N 11°53′40″E / 51.26944°N 11.89444°E / 51.26944; 11.89444Coordinates: 51°16′10″N 11°53′40″E / 51.26944°N 11.89444°E / 51.26944; 11.89444 Result Prussian victory
Belligerents
Prussia	France  Austria
Commanders and leaders
Frederick II	Charles de Rohan, Prince of Soubise Prince Joseph of Saxe-Hildburghausen
Strength
22,000 79 guns	42,000 45 guns
Casualties and losses
169 dead 379 wounded Total: 558	5,000 dead or wounded 5,000 captured Total: 10,000

The Battle of Rossbach (November 5, 1757) took place during the Seven Years' War (1756–1763) near the village of Rossbach, in the Electorate of Saxony.

In this battle Frederick the Great of Prussia defeated an allied army mainly composed of French forces supported by a Holy Roman/Austrian Empire contingent. It is considered one of his greatest strategic masterpieces due to his use of rapid movement to achieve complete surprise, crippling an enemy army while suffering negligible casualties.

The Franco-Imperial allied army endangered Prussia after marching into Thuringia. Their allied Austrian and Russian forces were too far away to be as immediate a threat. Using the wartime strategy of interior lines, Frederick was able to advance against the Franco-Imperial army, setting out from Dresden on August 31 with 25,000 men and managing a long and arduous march reminiscent of the forced marches of Frederick William I, the "Great Elector". Covering 170 miles in 13 days, Frederick obtained needed supplies ahead of the army, which enabled him to abandon his supply wagons to speed his march. Bringing the enemy to battle proved difficult, as the allies tried to stay out of reach. Both Frederick and his enemies moved back and forth for quite some time, trying to maneuver around each other and ending up in a stalemate situation. During this time an Austrian raiding party had attacked Berlin and almost captured the Prussian royal family.

The scene of the battle, Rossbach, was a village in then-Prussian Saxon Province, 14 kilometers (9 mi) southwest of Merseburg. Frederick commanded 27 battalions of infantry (17,000 men) and 43 squadrons of cavalry (5,000 horse), plus 72 companies of artillery, for a total of 22,000 men. The French and German Imperial troops were composed of 62 battalions (31,000 infantry), 84 squadrons (10,000) cavalry, and 109 artillery), totaling 41,000 men, under the command of Charles, Prince of Soubise and Prince Joseph of Saxe-Hildburghausen.

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