Course First Silesian War

1 course

1.1 silesian campaign of 1740–41
1.2 negotiations of summer 1741
1.3 bohemia–moravia campaign of 1741–42
1.4 treaties of breslau , berlin

course
silesian campaign of 1740–41

19th-century painting of prussian advance during battle of mollwitz

the prussian army had massed quietly along oder river during december 1740, , on 16 december, without declaration of war, frederick moved army across frontier silesia. prussian force consisted of 2 corps totaling 27,000 soldiers, while of silesia defended austrian garrison of 8,000 men. austrians able offer light resistance , garrison few fortresses; prussians swept through province, taking control of capital @ breslau without fight on 2 january 1741. fortress @ ohlau taken without resistance on 9 january, after prussians used winter quarters. end of january 1741, entirety of silesia had come under prussian control, , remaining austrian strongholds of glogau, brieg , neisse besieged.

after leaving winter quarters in 1741, prussian forces began spring campaign, , on 9 march prince leopold ii of anhalt-dessau took glogau storm. in late march, austrian force of around 20,000 under command of wilhelm reinhard von neipperg crossed sudetes moravia break siege of neisse, , main prussian force maneuvered oppose advance. 2 armies engaged each other near village of mollwitz on 10 april, prussians under marshal kurt von schwerin defeated austrians in battle of mollwitz. prussian siege of neisse had been lifted neipperg s army approached, brieg surrendered prussians on 4 may, after main prussian force encamped through summer near neisse, facing off against neipperg s austrians fighting little.

negotiations of summer 1741

the lands of bohemian crown under habsburg rule until 1742, when of silesia ceded brandenburg–prussia

after austria s defeat @ mollwitz, other powers emboldened attack beleaguered archduchy, widening conflict become war of austrian succession. france declared support prussia s seizure of silesia in 5 june treaty of breslau, , in july joined in treaty of nymphenburg, france , spain committed support bavaria s territorial claims against austria. french forces began crossing rhine on 15 august, joining bavarian elector s forces on danube , advancing toward vienna, while spanish–neapolitan army attacked austria s holdings in northern italy. franco-bavarian force seized linz on 14 september , advanced through upper austria, reaching vicinity of vienna october, while bohemia simultaneously invaded saxons (who joined alliance against austria on 19 september).

as new enemies attacked austria on multiple fronts, king frederick conducted secret peace negotiations neipperg in breslau, continued publicly support league of nymphenburg. british urging , mediation, on 9 october austria , prussia agreed secret armistice known convention of klein-schnellendorf, under both belligerents cease hostilities in silesia (though maintaining appearance), , austria concede lower silesia in return final peace negotiated before end of year. neipperg s austrian forces recalled silesia defend austria against western invaders, abandoning neisse after sham siege , leaving whole of silesia under prussian control.

bohemia–moravia campaign of 1741–42

in mid october, charles albert of bavaria , french allies encamped near vienna, ready besiege austrian capital. however, elector became concerned saxony , prussia seize parts of bohemia, had claimed, , on 24 october force turned north march on prague. bavarian, french , saxon armies converged around city in november, besieging , storming on 26 november; charles albert went on proclaim himself king of bohemia on 7 december. meanwhile, in november frederick negotiated border between putative territories of prussian silesia , saxon bohemia–moravia frederick augustus, securing french , bavarian support seizure of entirety of silesia, along bohemian county of glatz. end of year approached without sign of formal peace treaty, frederick concluded austrians did not intend honor convention of klein-schnellendorf , concede territory in silesia; so, press austria further, repudiated convention , renewed offensive operations of own.

in december, kurt von schwerin s army advanced through sudetes moravia, occupying capital @ olmütz on 27 december, while prince leopold s army besieged fortress @ glatz on edge of bohemia. in 1742, frederick organized joint advance through moravia toward vienna saxons , french, began after forces met on 5 february @ wischau; french, however, reluctant , uncooperative, and, after seizure of iglau on 15 february, withdrew bohemia. prussians , saxons marched on toward brünn, main austrian stronghold remaining in moravia, made little progress due substantial austrian garrison , shortage of supplies. moravian campaign achieved no significant gains, , effort abandoned on 5 april, after prussians withdrew bohemia , upper silesia.

as moravian advance collapsed, charles of lorraine (maria theresa s brother-in-law) led austro-hungarian army of 30,000 through moravia toward bohemia, hoping liberate prague. in may, prussian army of 28,000 led king frederick , prince leopold marched plains of elbe southeast of prague, maneuvering block austrian advance. 2 armies met when charles s austrians attacked prince leopold s camp near village of chotusitz on 17 may; resulting battle of chotusitz ended in narrow prussian victory, substantial casualties on both sides. prince charles s defeat @ chotusitz, followed shortly defeat of austrian army @ 24 may battle of sahay, left prague securely in invaders hands , austria no immediate means of driving them out of bohemia.

treaties of breslau , berlin

in aftermath of chotusitz, frederick learned french had begun secret moves toward separate peace austria. hoping cement own gains in silesia, he, too, began renewed peace talks austrian negotiators, held again in breslau. frederick demanded whole of silesia, county of glatz, concessions maria theresa reluctant make; however, british envoy, lord hyndford, pressed make peace prussia , concentrate forces against french. british treasury had financed of austria s war effort through cash subsidies, , hyndford threatened withdraw britain s support if maria theresa refused give silesian war lost. 2 belligerents reached agreement in 11 june treaty of breslau, ended first silesian war.

under treaty, austria conceded prussia large majority of silesia, along county of glatz, territories later consolidated form prussian province of silesia. austria retained 2 small portions of extreme southern end of silesia, including duchy of teschen , parts of duchies of jägerndorf, troppau, , neisse; these lands later combined form crown land of austrian silesia. prussia agreed take on of austria s debts had been secured against assets in silesia, committing remain neutral remainder of ongoing war of austrian succession. arrangement formalized , confirmed in treaty of berlin, signed 28 july 1742.