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Austrians storm the "Königshügel" in Schleswig Holstein |
The battle of Königgrätz took place on the 3rd July 1866 in nowadays "Hradec Kralove". An 100.000 inhabitants town in the North of todays Czech Republic.
Already in May 1865 the Prussian authorities thought about a preventive war against Austria. But the idea was canceled because there were too much princes of the German Union on Austria's side.
It was a war for the supremacy in Germany. And the main reason because Austria and Germany, both German speaking countries, went devided paths after the war. Austria lost, and so Berlin became the capital of the United German Empire some years later, instead of Vienna.
Prussia went well prepared into this war, nevertheless they lost their first battle on the 29th June 1866 near Langensalza against Hannoverian soldiers, who were allied with Austria. But only two days later Austrians and Hannoverians had to surrender. The reason were problems with the supply of ammunition. They were just out of ammunition and had to surrender. Prussians were now able to take Dresden, Kassel and Bohemia.
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Austrian infantrymen marching to the battle in Bohemia |
In the little Bohemian village "Sadowa" near Königgrätz the war got decided. The Austrian commander "Ludwig von Benedek" was defeated after bloody losses. The Austrian soldiers with their "old guns", who were loaded infront of the barrel, had no chance against the new guns of the Prussians, which were able to shoot seven times faster as the old ones from the Austrians.
After the battle of Königgrätz the Prussians were marching till Lower Austria. The Austrians were quite in a hurry to fix fortification facilities which should save Vienna. In todays Slovakian "Blumau" it already came to first fights, as Prussian King Wilhelm the First stopped his soldiers. It was a rational decision. On the one hand the dysentery disease claimed hundreds of soldiers lifes every day, on the other hand French troops were ready to attack Prussia from the west and the Bohemian citizens did not liked the Prussian soldiers in their country.
The armisitce was decided on the 21th July 1866 in Nikolsburg (todays Mikulov), and fixed on the 23th August in the "Peace of Prague". Austria had to pay 20 Millions Taler compensation and gave up a right to say in Schleswig Holstein.
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click to enlarge |
Losses:
1.920 dead Prussian soldiers
5.658 dead Austrian soldiers
images: Wilhelm J. Wagner, Allmayer-Beck/Lessing
