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    44 views9 pages

    1866

    Uploaded by

    alias4dl

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    of 9
    G 1g fy oy AUSTRO;PRUSSIAN|WAR} — g A PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF ONE MAN’S OBSESSION By Gerry Henry HE In his introduction to The Road to Sedan, Richard Holmes described the Ausvia as Genmany’s supreme arbiter origin of his fascination wth the Franco-Prussian War thus: anu this could only be achieved “may well ba that there are no right reasons for beconting fascinated “EY with a war; certainly I was attracted by the Franco-Prussian War for all the wrong ones. Dusty eagles in the then unmodernised Musee de l'Armee, the vigorous canvasses of Edouard Detaille and Alphonse de Neuville and “The poace negotiations that followed the Second Schleswig War of 1864 Gin which Austria and Prussia made ‘common cause against Denmark) the rather florid monuments which Fiter the fields around Mars la Tour ide he eal opportunity. ObUse and St-Privat, all exercised an irresistible appeal to a small boy on his first 4n8 provocative, Bismatck’s endless trips to France”. ‘demands on Ausitia became so excessive that they would have amounted 10 Now it would be gratifying iT could independent states, the Deutscher Bund Prussia’s viral annexation ofthe ‘demonstrate a connection (however ‘or German Confederation, ranging in size recently liberated’ tertories. Insulted by teauous) between myself and the late from big fish like Austria and Prussia Prussa's unreasonable behaviour, Austria Professor Holmes and cite a similar set of with populations numbered in the tons _ withdrew from the negotiations and by inuences to explain my own infatuation of millions, o minnows like the Grand mid-May both sides began to mobilise 1 ‘with the War of 1866. Childhood hotidays Duchy of Mecklenburg with a population in earnest in Bohemia perhaps, quaint Jager hats _of 267,000. pea ee sete with their faded capercaile plumes im Uger the presidency ofthe Emperor of for Austria by the involvement of Kay Vienna's Heeresgeschichiliches Museum usta, ths relic ofthe Holy Roman Like Germany, Taly inthe 19th Century cor drawers filled with cigarete cards Empire with ts endless squabbling and was litle more than a collection of minor iistrated by Richard Kndtel or Rudolph ery jealousies ensured was designed states and petty Kingdoms anit to had yon Otenfed... but alas. fo ensure-that Germany would forever been swept by 8 popular movement fr “ruth to tell 1 was first introduced tothe ain divided and weak unification. Between 1889 nd I861, with ‘Austo-Prasian War through laying, Opposing the whole idea of @ the assistance of the French, most of aly Rare Age RIL es.. uf eee te hal been brought under the rule ofthe never encountered the period before Nationalists, whose romantic and eae ee but [hovel I'd give ita bash and essentially liberal vision ofa united pomeieeieetnoem since playing Prussia was Chen 28 20%) _Genrany was exploited by rusia’ "ron Pusessons Venstin andthe southern Se ES re GaSe eee ee een) Tiel Kivetn wate] of ese : Paes se aton Soe On onto ecclesia tet does taint ADIT OF BACKGROUND as romantic, Bismarck stm aunt), jer tack Avia and hen Psa | fenmany a8 a potential economic an aa 1s probably worth reminding ourselves military superpower tobe forged, inhi Pent ost that in 1866 here was no single poftical own memorable phrase, through “Iron Thus, een before the fr shot had been entity called Germany. Instead there land Blood”. To elise his ambition fred, Aust found herself contemplating ‘vas aJoose confederation of thy nine however, Prussia would haverto replace war on tvo fronts. ‘THE OPPOSING FORCES, Although her population was significantly smaller than Austria's thanks to the army reforms of the ate 1850's Prassia was able to mobilise almost 300,000 front line twos as opposed to Austria's 400 000 However, Prussia wasn’t only ighting Austra, she was fighting most ofthe German Confederation as well, ‘which could (on paper atleast ila 120,000 men, In Austria's case, the secondary threat was principally Maly (though she was {reed to diver significant numbers of {woop to man her many fortresses and to "observe" neutral Russa) Thus, atthe ‘outbreak of hostilities after both sides had made the necessary contingencies, an Austrian army of 245,000 combatants ‘would face three Prussian armies (Elbe Army, First Army and Second Aa), totalling slightly more ‘numeraus 254,000, Above: Gran Prussians assault a Saxon eld forest in Broce Weigle's “Probus, 1866 IF the disparity between the opposing Fonces was simply one of numbers then there would be litle ta recommend this period over any ther, but there was more ‘oiitthan that In 1842 Prassia became the frst major power to equip its infantry ‘with a breect-oading rife, the Famed Ziindnadelgeveeh Tatil restricted to the Fuslir battalions ofthe regular infantry, by 1866 the needle gun been ised to all branches of the regular infanry and some ofthe Landwehr 190, In retrospect, the decision ofthe major powers not follow Prussia's lead in its choice of infantry weapon seems perverse, however at that time the majority of informed opinion was against the breech-lacer. Ordinary soldiers, the experts reasoned, particularly conscripts, couldn't be trusted not o fire off all ther ammunition a the beginning of the battle, leaving their pouches empty a the confit entered is second decisive phase, The Prussians didn

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