Battle of Kunersdorf - The Battle

The Battle

Russian and Austrian forces had united in the Prussian heartland of Brandenburg after the Russian victory at the Battle of Kay on 23 July. King Frederick rushed from Saxony, took over the remaining contingent of Lieutenant General Carl Heinrich von Wedel at Müllrose and moved across the Oder River urging for a battle of decision. It started with a Prussian attack on the flank of the Russian positions. This attack was successful and if Frederick had stopped there (as his brother Henry demanded), Kunersdorf would have been a Prussian victory. But the Prussian leader wanted to press his initial success and decided to continue the fight. While the Prussian oblique order attack faded, the Austrian cavalry (so far kept in reserve) entered the battle. However, King Frederick II was able to regroup and kept pressure on the allies.

The battle culminated in the early evening hours with a massive Prussian cavalry charge under Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz upon the Russian center and artillery positions. The Prussian cavalry suffered heavy losses and retreated in complete disorder. Seydlitz himself was gravely wounded. The allied cavalry, included heavy Russian cavalry, Croats and Kalmyks, counterattacked and scattered what was left of the Prussian Army. King Frederick II himself barely escaped capture, and was wounded by gunfire himself, according to legend saved by the tobacco tin in his pocket. He stood alone on a small hill with his rapier sticking in the ground before him - determined to either hold the line against the whole enemy army alone or die. Cavalry Captain Ernst Sylvius von Prittwitz came to the king's rescue with his 200 strong squadron and convinced Frederick to leave. Major Ewald Christian von Kleist was severely injured and succumbed to his wounds twelve days later.