Kolin 1757: Frederick The Great's First Defeat File

Frederick was forced to lift the siege on 20 June and withdraw entirely from Bohemia back into Saxony .

Although Prussian cavalry initially drove back an Austrian counterattack, they were later crushed by fresh Austrian cavalry reserves.

The victory revitalized Austrian morale and led to the creation of the Military Order of Maria Theresa to honor the achievement. Category Prussia Austria Commanders Frederick the Great Leopold von Daun Force Size Casualties ~13,700 - 14,000 ~8,000 - 8,100 Guns Kolin 1757: Frederick the Great's First Defeat

At a critical moment, Frederick reportedly attempted to personally lead a charge, shouting at his retreating men: "Rascals, would you live forever?" . Consequences of the Defeat The battle had profound military and strategic impacts:

After a costly victory at the in May 1757, Frederick besieged the city. However, the arrival of a relief army led by the methodical Marshal Daun forced Frederick to divide his forces to intercept the threat. Daun chose a strong defensive position on hills near Kolin , compelling Frederick to attack uphill against superior numbers. The Battle of Kolin: June 18, 1757 Frederick was forced to lift the siege on

Frederick’s plan relied on an oblique order attack to outflank the Austrian right wing. However, the execution failed due to several tactical errors:

Sources for details include Wikipedia , Warfare History Network , and British Battles . If you’re interested, I can provide more info on: The tactic Frederick famously used How he recovered from this loss at the Battle of Rossbach Daun chose a strong defensive position on hills

Prussia lost the strategic initiative; for much of the remaining war, Frederick was forced to react to the moves of the anti-Prussian coalition rather than dictating the conflict.