Siege of Prague
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Prague was an unsuccessful attempt by a Prussian army
led by Frederick the Great
to capture the Austria
n city of Prague
during the Seven Years' War
. It took place in May 1757 immediately after the Battle of Prague. Despite having won that battle, Frederick had lost 14,300 dead, and his severely depleted force was not strong enough to assault Prague. Instead Frederick decided to besiege the city, hoping to force it into submission through lack of supplies. 40,000 Austrian troops were trapped in the city, though they were themselves not strong enough to consider launching a sortie
. Frederick attempted to gain intelligence
from within Prague by sending the criminal Christian Andreas Käsebier
several times into the besieged city.
An Austrian army led by the Count von Daun made a sudden march to the north, threatening Frederick's lines of supply, and he was forced to break off the siege and march to attack them. Frederick won another pyrrhic victory
at the Battle of Kolín
and his force was now too weak to contemplate continuing the Siege of Prague, and he was forced to withdraw from Bohemia
entirely. It marked a high-water mark
for the Prussians, as they would never hold so advantageous a position again and most of the remainder of the war would be fought on their own territory. In spite of this the Prussians attempted another invasion of Austrian territory the following year which culminated in a failed attempt
to take Olomouc
.
Prussian Army
The Royal Prussian Army was the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power.The Prussian Army had its roots in the meager mercenary forces of Brandenburg during the Thirty Years' War...
led by Frederick the Great
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
to capture the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n city of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
during the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. It took place in May 1757 immediately after the Battle of Prague. Despite having won that battle, Frederick had lost 14,300 dead, and his severely depleted force was not strong enough to assault Prague. Instead Frederick decided to besiege the city, hoping to force it into submission through lack of supplies. 40,000 Austrian troops were trapped in the city, though they were themselves not strong enough to consider launching a sortie
Sortie
Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops from a strongpoint. The sortie, whether by one or more aircraft or vessels, usually has a specific mission....
. Frederick attempted to gain intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
from within Prague by sending the criminal Christian Andreas Käsebier
Christian Andreas Käsebier
Christian Andreas Käsebier was a legendary German thief and robber during the 18th century who became an intelligence operative for King Frederick II of Prussia following a life imprisonment sentence.-Early life:...
several times into the besieged city.
An Austrian army led by the Count von Daun made a sudden march to the north, threatening Frederick's lines of supply, and he was forced to break off the siege and march to attack them. Frederick won another pyrrhic victory
Pyrrhic victory
A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost to the victor that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately cause defeat.-Origin:...
at the Battle of Kolín
Battle of Kolin
-Results:The battle was Frederick's first defeat in this war. This disaster forced him to abandon his intended march on Vienna, raise his siege of Prague, and fall back on Litoměřice...
and his force was now too weak to contemplate continuing the Siege of Prague, and he was forced to withdraw from Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
entirely. It marked a high-water mark
High water mark
High water mark may refer to:*Ordinary high water mark, a landscape marking such as floodwater staining left by the highest level of water...
for the Prussians, as they would never hold so advantageous a position again and most of the remainder of the war would be fought on their own territory. In spite of this the Prussians attempted another invasion of Austrian territory the following year which culminated in a failed attempt
Siege of Olomouc
The Siege of Olomouc took place in 1758 when a Prussian army led by Frederick the Great besieged the Austrian city of Olomouc during the Prussian invasion of Moravia in the Seven Years' War. The attempt stalled as the besiegers faced stronger resistance than Frederick had expected...
to take Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
.