Battle of Rossbach
On 5 November 1757, Frederick the Great's Prussian army of 22,000 defeated a combined Franco-Imperial force of approximately 43,000 under the Prince de Soubise and the Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen at Rossbach in Saxony. Frederick used the enemy's laborious flanking march — the allied column took hours to execute what it believed was an envelopment — as the opportunity for a rapid counter-attack. Deploying his cavalry under General Seydlitz in a concealed position, Frederick struck the allied column while it was still in march formation, unable to deploy into fighting order. Seydlitz's cavalry routed the French horse before it could form; Prussian infantry then attacked the allied infantry as they emerged from disorder. The entire action lasted under two hours; the allied army lost 10,000 casualties and prisoners against Prussian losses of fewer than 550. Frederick's army then marched 170 miles in twelve days to fight the Battle of Leuthen.
- Year: 1757 CE
- Category: Military
