Battle of Rossbach - Opening Moves

Opening Moves

The Allies with about 42,000, irrespective of detachments, possessed a numerical superiority of two to one in the battle itself. Their advanced post overlooked all parts of Frederick's camp. They had had the best of it in the manoeuvres of the previous days, and the duke of Hildburghausen determined to take the offensive. He had some difficulty, however, in inducing Soubise to risk a battle so the Allies did not begin to move off their campground until after eleven on the 5th. Soubise probably had the intention to engage as late in the day as possible with the idea of gaining what advantages he could in a partial action. Their plan called for the Allied army to march by Zeuchfeld, around Frederick's left, which no serious natural obstacle covered, and to deploy in battle array facing north, between Reichardtswerben on the right and Pettstädt on the left. The duke's proposed battle and the more limited aim of Soubise appeared equally likely to succeed in taking this position which threatened to cut off Frederick from the towns on the Saale. But the Allies could only attain this position by marching around the Prussian flank, which would have put them the tenuous position of marching across their enemies' front. The Allies posted a considerable guard against the obvious risk of interference on their exposed flank.

Frederick spent the morning watching them from a house-top in Rossbach. The initial stages of their movement convinced him that the Allies had started retreating southward towards their magazines and about noon he went to dinner, leaving Captain von Gaudi on the watch. This officer formed a different impression of the Allies' intentions because the columns, which from time to time became visible in the undulations of the ground, appeared to turn eastwards from Zeuchfeld. Gaudi's excited report at first served only to confirm Frederick in his error. But when the king saw for himself that hostile cavalry and infantry had already approached near to Pettstädt, he realized the enemy's intentions. The Allies now offered him the battle for which he had manoeuvred in vain and he took it without hesitation.