Frederick the Great and the Seven Years’ War, 1756–1763

The Seven Years’ War (1756–1763), known as the French and Indian War in North America, was perhaps the first war that might be called a world war. It involved the major European countries, North and Central America, the coast of West Africa, the Philippines, and India. A major player in the war was Frederick the Great (1712–1786), the king of Prussia and a great military leader.
The first major work on the monarch and his role in the war for more than a century, this book sheds light on many aspects of military and European history.

High school teacher Herbert J. Redman lives in Huntington, West Virginia.

“a comprehensive operational treatment of the Prussian role in the Seven Years’ War…considerable detail…thoughtful analysis…valuable”—The NYMAS Review.

Herbert J. Redman
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 608
Bibliographic Info: maps, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2015
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7669-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1300-0
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Preface   1

Introduction: Prelude to War   3

Part I. 1756–1757: The Contest Opens

One: The Invasion of Saxony   7

Two: The Battle of Lobositz   15

Three: The Saxon Surrender; The End of the Campaign   23

Four: Winter Interlude; Start of the 1757 Campaign   29

Part II. 1757: Invasion of Austria

Five: Early Operations   35

Six: The Battle of Prague   49

Seven: The Siege of Prague   60

Eight: Headed for Battle at Kolin   74

Nine: The Battle of Kolin   79

Ten: Siege of Prague Lifted; Prussians Retire from Bohemia   90

Part III. 1757: Prussia in Retreat and Recovery

Eleven: The War Settles Down   95

Twelve: Operations in Silesia; Preliminaries to Rossbach   110

Thirteen: The Battle of ­Gross-Jägersdorf   118

Fourteen: Final Preliminaries to Rossbach   122

Fifteen: The Battle of Rossbach   125

Sixteen: The Austrians Attempt to Reconquer Silesia   137

Seventeen: Preliminaries to Leuthen   151

Eighteen: The Battle of Leuthen   154

Nineteen: Mopping Up After Leuthen   166

Part IV. 1758: The Third Campaign

Twenty: Winter Interlude; Start of Campaign 1758   171

­Twenty-One: Frederick Invades Austria a Second Time; Siege of Olmütz   176

­Twenty-Two: Frederick Retires from the Walls of Olmütz; Russian Advance on Brandenburg   189

­Twenty-Three: Operations in Brandenburg Prior to Battle at Zorndorf   203

­Twenty-Four: The Battle of Zorndorf   209

­Twenty-Five: Prussians Follow up on Fermor; Frederick Marches for Saxony   218

­Twenty-Six: Preliminaries to Battle at Hochkirch   228

­Twenty-Seven: The Battle of Hochkirch   235

­Twenty-Eight: Aftermath of Hochkirch; Maneuvering to the End of the Campaign   247

Part V. 1759: The Fourth Campaign

­Twenty-Nine: Frontier Incursions and the Russian Threat   261

Thirty: Battle at Züllichau   278

­Thirty-One: Preliminaries to Kunersdorf   285

­Thirty-Two: The Battle of Kunersdorf   290

­Thirty-Three: The Swedes Show Their Hand   297

­Thirty-Four: Allies Spring to Life   301

­Thirty-Five: Maneuvering in the East; Frederick Prepares

to Move to Saxony   305

­Thirty-Six: Fall of Dresden; Soltikov Departs   317

­Thirty-Seven: Preliminaries to and Battle at Maxen   327

Part VI. 1760: The Fifth Campaign

­Thirty-Eight: Austrian Successes in Silesia; Frederick Ruminates There   349

­Thirty-Nine: Battle at Landshut and Events Up to the Siege of Dresden   357

Forty: Frederick Besieges Dresden   367

­Forty-One: Maneuvering in Silesia Prior to Liegnitz   375

­Forty-Two: Battle at Liegnitz and Aftermath   381

­Forty-Three: Preliminaries to Torgau; Allied Raid upon Berlin   396

­Forty-Four: The Battle of Torgau   405

­Forty-Five: Aftermath of Torgau; End of the Campaign   420

Part VII. 1761: The Sixth Year

­Forty-Six: Campaign 1761 Opens with a Flourish   425

­Forty-Seven: Opening Salvos in Silesia; Allied Union Realized   435

­Forty-Eight: Frederick Leaves Bunzelwitz; Schweidnitz Is Captured;

End in Sight?   449

­Forty-Nine: The Swedes Launch Their Last Offensive; Colberg Falls   457

Part VIII. 1762: The Last Campaign

Fifty: Operations in Silesia Commence   475

­Fifty-One: Battles of Burkersdorf and Reichenbach; Fall of Schweidnitz   491

­Fifty-Two: The Campaign of 1762 in Saxony   506

Part IX. Maps   521

A list of maps appears on this page.

Chapter Notes   559

Bibliography   591

Index   597