Book: History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 20

T >> Thomas Carlyle >> History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 20






Chapter VII.

SIXTH CAMPAIGN OPENS: CAMP OF BUNZELWITZ.

To the outward observer Friedrich stands well at present, and seems
again in formidable posture. After two such Victories, and such
almost miraculous recovery of himself, who shall say what
resistance he will not yet make? In comparison with 1759 and its
failures and disasters, what a Year has 1760 been! Liegnitz and
Torgau, instead of Kunersdorf and Maxen, here are unexpected
phenomena; here is a King risen from the deeps again,--more
incalculable than ever to contemporary mankind. "How these things
will end?" Fancy of what a palpitating interest THEN, while
everybody watched the huge game as it went on; though it is so
little interesting now to anybody, looking at it all finished!
Finished; no mystery of chance, of world-hope or of world-terror
now remaining in it; all is fallen stagnant, dull, distant;--and it
will behoove us to be brief upon it.

Contemporaries, and Posterity that will make study, must alike
admit that, among the sons of men, few in any Age have made a
stiffer fight than Friedrich has done and continues to do. But to
Friedrich himself it is dismally evident, that year by year his
resources are melting away; that a year must come when he will have
no resource more. Ebbing very fast, his resources;--fast too, no
doubt, those of his Enemies, but not SO fast. They are mighty
Nations, he is one small Nation. His thoughts, we perceive, have
always, in the background of them, a hue of settled black. Easy to
say, "Resist till we die;" but to go about, year after year,
practically doing it, under cloudy omens, no end of it visible
ahead, is not easy. Many men, Kings and other, have had to take
that stern posture;--few on sterner terms than those of Friedrich
at present; and none that I know of with a more truly stoical and
manful figure of demeanor. He is long used to it! Wet to the bone,
you do not regard new showers; the one thing is, reach the bridge
before IT be swum away.

The usual hopes, about Turks, about Peace, and the like, have not
been wanting to Friedrich this Winter; mentionable as a trait of
Friedrich's character, not otherwise worth mention. Hope of aid
from the Turks, it is very strange to see how he nurses this fond
shadow, which never came to anything! Happily, it does not prevent,
it rather encourages, the utmost urgency of preparation:
"The readier we are, the likelier are Turks and everything!"
Peace, at least, between France and England, after such a Proposal
on Choiseul's part, and such a pass as France has really got to,
was a reasonable probability. But indeed, from the first year of
this War, as we remarked, Peace has seemed possible to Friedrich
every year; especially from 1759 onward, there is always every
winter a lively hope of Peace:--"No slackening of preparation;
the reverse, rather; but surely the Campaign of next Summer will be
cut short, and we shall all get home only half expended!"
[Schoning (IN LOCIS).]

Practically, Friedrich has been raising new Free-Corps people, been
recruiting, refitting and equipping, with more diligence than ever;
and, in spite of the almost impossibilities, has two Armies on
foot, some 96,000 men in all, for defence of Saxony and of
Silesia,--Henri to undertake Saxony, VERSUS Daun; Silesia, with
Loudon and the Russians, to be Friedrich's heavier share.
The Campaign, of which, by the one party and the other, very great
things had been hoped and feared, seemed once as if it would begin
two months earlier than usual; but was staved off, a long time, by
Friedrich's dexterities, and otherwise; and in effect did not
begin, what we can call beginning, till two months later than
usual. Essentially it fell, almost all, to Friedrich's share;
and turned out as little decisive on him as any of its foregoers.
The one memorable part of it now is, Friedrich's Encampment at
Bunzelwitz; which did not occur till four months after Friedrich's
appearance on the Field. And from the end of April, when Loudon
made his first attempt, till the end of August, when Friedrich took
that Camp, there was nothing but a series of attempts, all
ineffectual, of demonstrations, marchings, manoeuvrings and small
events; which, in the name of every reader, demand condensation to
the utmost. If readers will be diligent, here, so far as needful,
are the prefatory steps.

Since Fouquet's disaster, Goltz generally has Silesia in charge;
and does it better than expected. He was never thought to have
Fouquet's talent in him; but he shows a rugged loyalty of mind,
less egoistic than the fiery Fouquet's; and honestly flings himself
upon his task, in a way pleasant to look at: pleasant to the King
especially, who recognizes in Goltz a useful, brave, frank soul;--
and has given him, this Spring, the ORDER OF MERIT, which was a
high encouragement to Goltz. In Silesia, after Kosel last Year,
there had been truce between Goltz and Loudon; which should have
produced repose to both; but did not altogether, owing to mistakes
that rose. And at any rate, in the end of April, Loudon, bursting
suddenly into Silesia with great increase to the forces already
there, gave notice, as per bargain, That "in 96 hours" the Truce
would expire. And waiting punctiliously till the last of said hours
was run out, Loudon fell upon Goltz (APRIL 25th, in the
Schweidnitz-Landshut Country) with his usual vehemence;--meaning to
get hold of the Silesian Passes, and extinguish Goltz (only 10 or
12,000 against 30,000), as he had done Fouquet last Year.

But Goltz took his measures better; seized "the Gallows-Hill of
Hohenfriedberg," seized this and that; and stood in so forcible an
attitude, that Loudon, carefully considering, durst not risk an
assault; and the only result was: Friedrich hastened to relief of
Goltz (rose from Meissen Country MAY 3d), and appeared in Silesia
six weeks earlier than he had intended. But again took Cantonments
there (Schweidnitz and neighborhood);--Loudon retiring wholly, on
first tidings of him, home to Bohemia again. Home in Bohemia;
at Braunau, on the western edge of the Glatz Mountains,--there sits
Loudon thenceforth, silent for a long time; silently collecting an
Army of 72,000, with strict orders from Vienna to avoid fighting
till the Russians come. Loudon has very high intentions this Year.
Intends to finish Silesia altogether;--cannot he, after such a
beginning upon Glatz last Year? That is the firm notion at Vienna
among men of understanding: ever-active Loudon the favorite there,
against a Cunctator who has been too cunctatory many times.
Liegnitz itself, was not that (as many opine) a disaster due to
cunctation, not of Loudon's?

Loudon is to be joined by 60,000 Russians, under a Feldmarschall
Butturlin, not under sulky Soltikof, this Year; junction to be in
Upper Silesia, in Neisse neighborhood. We take that Fortress," say
the Vienna people; "it is next on the file after Glatz. Neisse
taken; thence northward, cleaning the Country as we go;
Brieg, Schweidnitz, Glogau, probably Breslau itself in some good
interim: there are but Four Fortresses to do; and the thing is
finished. Let the King, one to three, and Loudon in command against
him, try if he can hinder it!" This is the Program in Vienna and in
Petersburg. And, accordingly, the Russians have got on march about
the end of May; plodding on ever since, due hereabouts before June
end: "junction to be as near Neisse as you can: and no fighting of
the King, on any terms, till the Russians come." Never were the
Vienna people so certain before. Daun is to do nothing "rash" in
Saxony (a Daun not given that way, they can calculate), but is to
guard Loudon's game; carefully to reinforce, comfort and protect
the brave Loudon and his Russians till they win;--after which
Saxony as rash as you like. This is the Program of the Season:--
readers feel what an immensity of preliminary higglings, hitchings
and manoeuvrings will now demand to be suppressed by us! Read these
essential Fractions, chiefly chronological;--and then, at once, To
Bunzelwitz, and the time of close grips in Silesia here.

"Last Year," says a loose Note, which we may as well take with us,
"Tottleben did not go home with the rest, but kept hovering about,
in eastern Pommern, with a 10,000, all Winter; attempting several
kinds of mischief in those Countries, especially attempting to do
something on Colberg; which the Russians mean to besiege next
Summer, with more intensity than ever, for the Third, and, if
possible, the last time. 'Storm their outposts there,' thinks
Tottleben, 'especially Belgard, the chief outpost; girdle tighter
and tighter the obstinate little crow's-nest of a Colberg, and have
it ready for besieging in good time.' Tottleben did try upon the
outposts, especially Belgard the chief one (January 18th, 1761),
but without the least success at Belgard; with a severe reproof
instead, Werner's people being broad awake: [Account of itt,
Helden-Geschichte, vi. 670.] upon which
Tottleben and they made a truce, 'Peaceable till May 12th;'
till June 1st, it proved, about which time [which time, or
afterwards, as the Silesian crisis may admit!] we will look in on
them again."

MAY 3d, as above intimated, Friedrich hastened off for Silesia,
quitted Meissen that day, with an Army of some 50,000;
pressingly intent to relieve Goltz from his dangerous predicament
there. This is one of Friedrich's famed marches, done in a minimum
of time and with a maximum of ingenuity; concerning which I will
remember only that, one night, "he lodged again at Rodewitz, near
Hochklrch, in the same house as on that Occasion [what a thirty
months to look back upon, as you sink to sleep!]--and that no
accident anywhere befell the March, though Daun's people, all
through Saxony and the Lausitz, were hovering on the flank,--
apprehensive chiefly lest it might mean a plunge INTO BOHEMIA, for
relief of Goltz, instead of what it did." For six weeks after that
hard March, the King's people got Cantonments again, and rested.

Prince Henri is left in Saxony, with Daun in huge force against
him, Daun and the Reich; between whom and Henri,--Seidlitz being in
the field again with Henri, Seidlitz and others of mark,--there
fell out a great deal of exquisite manoeuvring, rapid detaching and
occasional sharp cutting on the small scale; but nothing of moment
to detain us here or afterwards, We shall say only that Henri, to a
wonderful extent, maintained himself against the heavy overwhelming
Daun and his Austrian and Reichs masses; and that Napoleon, I know
not after what degree of study, pronounced this Campaign of 1761 to
be the masterpiece of Henri, and really a considerable thing,
"La campagne de 1761 est celle ou ce Prince a vraiment
montre des talents superieurs; the Battle of Freyberg
[wait till next Year] nothing in comparison." [Montholon,
Memoires de Napoleon, vii. 324.] Which may well detain
soldier-people upon it; but must not us, in any measure. The result
of Henri being what we said,--a drawn game, or nearly so,--we will,
without interference from him, follow Friedrich and Goltz.

Friedrich and Goltz,--or, alas, it is very soon Friedrich alone;
the valiant Goltz soon perishing from his hand! After brief
junction in Schweidnitz Country, Friedrich detached Goltz to his
old fortified Camp at Glogau, there to be on watch. Goltz watching
there, lynx-eyed, skilful, volunteered a Proposal (June 22d):
"Reinforce me to 20,000, your Majesty; I will attack so and so of
those advancing Russians!" Which his Majesty straightway approved
of, and set going. [Goltz's Letter to the King, "Glogau, 22d June,
1761," is in Tempelhof (v. 88-90), who thinks the plan good.]
Goltz thereupon tasked all his energies, perhaps overmuch; and it
was thought might at last really have done something for the King,
in this matter of the Russians still in separate Divisions,--a
thing feasible if you have energy and velocity; always unfeasible
otherwise. But, alas, poor Goltz, just when ready to march, was
taken with sudden violent fever, the fruit probably of overwork;
and, in that sad flame, blazed away his valiant existence in three
or four days:-gone forever, June 30th, 1761; to the regret of
Friedrich and of many.

Old Ziethen was at once pushed on, from Glogau over the frontier,
to replace Goltz; but, I doubt, had not now the requisite velocity:
Ziethen merely manoeuvred about, and came home "attending the
Russians," as Henri, Dohna and others had done. The Russians
entered Silesia, from the northeast or Polish side, without
difficulty; and (July 15th-20th) were within reach of Breslau and
of an open road to southward, and to junction with Loudon, who is
astir for them there. About Breslau they linger and higgle, at
their leisure, for three weeks longer: and if their junction with
the Austrians "in Neisse neighborhood" is to be prevented or
impeded, it is Friedrich, not Ziethen, that will have to do it.

Junction in Neisse neighborhood (Oppeln, where it should have been,
which is some 35 miles from Neisse), Friedrich did, by velocity and
dexterity, contrive to prevent; but junction somewhere he probably
knows to be inevitable. These are among Friedrich's famed marches
and manoeuvrings, these against the swift Loudon and his slow
Russians; but we will not dwell on them. My readers know the King's
manner in such cases; have already been on two Marches with him,
and even in these same routes and countries. We will say only, that
the Russians were and had been very dilatory; Loudon much the
reverse; and their and Loudon's Adversary still more. That, for
five days, the Russians, at length close to Breslau (August
6th-11th), kept vaguely cannonading and belching noise and
apprehension upon the poor City, but without real damage to it, and
as if merely to pass the time; and had gradually pushed out fore-
posts, as far as Oppeln, towards Loudon, up their safe right bank
of Oder. That Loudon, on the first glimpse of these, had made his
best speed Neisse-ward; and did a march or two with good hope;
but at Munsterberg (July 22d), on the morning of the third or
fourth day's march, was astonished to see Friedrich ahead of him,
nearer Neisse than he; and that in Neisse Country there was nothing
to be done, no Russian junction possible there.

"Try it in Schweidnitz Country, then!" said Loudon. The Russians
leave off cannonading Breslau; cross Oder, about Auras or Leubus
(August 11th-12th); and Loudon, after some finessing, marches back
Schweidnitz-way, cautiously, skilfully; followed by Friedrich,
anxious to prevent a junction here too or at lowest to do some
stroke before it occur. A great deal of cunning marching, shifting
and manoeuvring there is, for days round Schweidnitz on all sides;
encampings by Friedrich, now Liegnitz head-quarter, now Wahlstadt,
now Schonbrunn, Striegau;--without the least essential harm to
Loudon or likelihood increasing that the junction can be hindered.
No offer of battle either; Loudon is not so easy to beat as some.
The Russians come on at a snail's pace, so Loudon thinks it, who is
extremely impatient; but makes no mistakes in consequence, keeps
himself safe (Kunzendorf, on the edge of the Glatz Hills, his main
post), and the roads open for his heavy-footed friends.

In Nicolstadt, a march from Wahlstadt, 16th August, there are
60,000 Russians in front of Friedrich, 72,000 Austrians in rear:
what can he, with at the very utmost 57,000, do against them?
Now was the time to have fallen upon the King, and have consumed
him between two fires, as it is thought might have been possible,
had they been simultaneous, and both of them done it with a will.
But simultaneity was difficult, and the will itself was wanting, or
existed only on Loudon's side. Nothing of the kind was attempted on
the confederate part, still less on Friedrich's,--who stands on his
guard, and, from the Heights about, has at last, to witness what he
cannot hinder. Sees both Armies on march; Austrians from the
southeast or Kunzendorf-Freyberg side, Russians from the northeast
or Kleinerwitz side, wending in many columns by the back of Jauer
and the back of Liegnitz respectively; till (August 18th) they
"join hands," as it is termed, or touch mutually by their light
troops; and on the 19th (Friedrich now off on another scheme, and
not witnessing), fall into one another's arms, ranked all in one
line of posts. [Tempelhof, v. 58-150.] "Can the Reichshofrath say
our junction is not complete?" And so ends what we call the
Prefatory part; and the time of Close Grips seems to be come!--
Friedrich has now nothing for it but to try if he cannot possibly
get hold of Kunzendorf (readers may look in their Map), and cut off
Loudon's staff of bread; Loudon's, and Butturlin's as well; for the
whole 130,000 are now to be fed by Loudon, and no slight task he
will find it. By rushing direct on Kunzendorf with such a velocity
as Friedrich is capable of, it is thought he might have managed
Kunzendorf; but he had to mask his design, and march by the rear or
east side of Schweidnitz, not by the west side: "They will think I
am making off in despair, intending for the strong post of Pilzen
there, with Schweidnitz to shelter me in front!" hoped Friedrich
(morning of the 19th), as he marched off on that errand. But on
approaching in that manner, by the bow, he found that Loudon had
been quite sceptical of such despair, and at any rate had, by the
string, made sure of Kunzendorf and the food-sources. August 20th,
at break of day, scouts report the Kunzendorf ground thoroughly
beset again, and Loudon in his place there. No use marching
thitherward farther:--whither now, therefore?

Friedrich knows Pilzen, what an admirable post it really is;
except only that Schweidnitz will be between the enemy and him, and
liable to be besieged by them; which will never do! Friedrich, on
the moment of that news from Kunzendorf, gets on march, not by the
east side (as intended till the scouts came in), but by the west or
exposed side of Schweidnitz:--he stood waiting, ready for either
route, and lost not a moment on his scouts coming in. All upon the
road by 3 A.M. August 20th; and encamps, still at an early hour,
midway between Schweidnitz and Striegau: right wing of him at
Zedlitz (if the reader look on his Map), left wing at Jauernik;
headquarters, Bunzelwitz, a poor Village, celebrated ever since in
War-annals. And begins (that same evening, the earlier or RESTED
part of him begins) digging and trenching at a most extraordinary
rate, according to plan formed; no enemy taking heed of him, or
giving the least molestation. This is the world-famous Camp of
Bunzelwitz, upon which it is worth while to dwell for a little.

To common eyes the ground hereabouts has no peculiar military
strength: a wavy champaign, with nothing of abrupt or high, much of
it actual plain, excellent for cavalry and their work;--this
latter, too, is an advantage, which Friedrich has well marked, and
turns to use in his scheme. The area he takes in is perhaps some
seven or eight miles long, by as many broad. On the west side runs
the still-young Striegau Water, defensive more or less; and on the
farther bank of it green little Hills, their steepest side stream-
ward. Inexpugnable Schweidnitz, with its stores of every kind,
especially with its store of cannon and of bread, is on the left or
east part of the circuit; in the intervening space are peaceable
farm-villages, spots of bog; knolls, some of them with wood. Not a
village, bog, knoll, but Friedrich has caught up, and is busy
profiting by. "Swift, BURSCHE, dig ourselves in here, and be ready
for any quotity and quantity of them, if they dare attack!"

And 25,000 spades and picks are at work, under such a Field-
Engineer as there is not in the world when he takes to that
employment. At all hours, night and day, 25,000 of them: half the
Army asleep, other half digging, wheeling, shovelling; plying their
utmost, and constant as Time himself: these, in three days, will do
a great deal of spade-work. Batteries, redoubts, big and little;
spare not for digging. Here is ground for Cavalry, too; post them
here, there, to bivouac in readiness, should our Batteries be
unfortunate. Long Trenches there are, and also short; Batteries
commanding every ingate, and under them are Mines: "We will blow
you and our Batteries both into the air, in case of capture!" think
the Prussians, the common men at least, if Friedrich do not.
"Mines, and that of being blown into the air," says Tempelhof, "are
always very terrible to the common man." In places there are
"Trenches 16 feet broad, by 16 deep," says an admiring Archenholtz,
who was in it: "and we have two of those FLATTERMINEN
(scatter-mines," blowing-up apparatuses) "to each battery."
[Archenholtz, ii. 262 &c.]

"Bunzelwitz, Jauernik, Tschechen and Peterwitz, all fortified,"
continues Archenholtz; "Wurben, in the centre, is like a citadel,
looking down upon Striegau Water. Heavy cannon, plenty of them, we
have brought from Schweidnitz: we have 460 pieces of cannon in all
and 182 mines. Wurben, our citadel and centre, is about five miles
from Schweidnitz. Our intrenchments"--You already heard what gulfs
some of them were! "Before the lines are palisades, storm-posts,
the things we call Spanish Horse (CHEVAUX-DE-FRISE);--woods we have
in abundance in our Circuit, and axes busy for carpentries of that
kind. There are four intrenched knolls; 24 big batteries, capable
of playing beautifully, all like pieces in a concert." Four knolls
elaborately intrenched, clothed with cannon; founded upon FLATTER-
mines: try where you will to enter, such torrents of death-shot
will converge on you, and a concert of 24 big batteries begin
their music!--

On the third day, Loudon, looking into this thing, which he has not
minded hitherto, finds it such a thing as he never dreamt of
before. A thing strong as Gibraltar, in a manner;--which it will be
terribly difficult to attack with success! For eight days more
Friedrich did not rest from his spadework; made many changes and
improvements, till he had artificially made a very Stolpen of it, a
Plauen, or more. Cogniazzo, the AUSTRIAN VETERAN, says: "Plauen,
and Daun's often ridiculed precautions there, were nothing to it.
Not as if Bunzelwitz had been so inaccessible as our sheer rocks
there; but because it is a masterpiece of Art, in which the
principles of tactics are combined with those of field-
fortification, as never before." Tielke grows quite eloquent on it:
"A masterpiece of judgment in ground," says he; "and the treatment
of it a model of sound, true and consummate field-engineering."
[Tielke, iii. § BUNZELWITZ (which is praised as an attractive
Piece); OESTERREICHISCHER VETERAN, iv. 79: cited in PREUSS,
ii. 285.]

Ziethen, appointed to that function, watches on the Heights of
Wurben, the citadel of the place: keeps a sharp eye to the
southwest. All round, in huge half-moon on the edge of the Hills
over there, six or more miles from Ziethen, lie the angry Enemies;
Austrians south and nearest, about Kunzendorf and Freyberg.
Russians are on the top of Striegau Hills, which are well known to
some of us; Russian head-quarter is Hohenfriedberg,--who would have
thought it, Herr General von Ziethen? Sixteen years ago, we have
seen these Heights in other tenancy: Austrian field-music and
displayed banners coming down; a thousand and a thousand Austrian
watch-fires blazing out yonder, in the silent June night, eve of
such a Day! Baireuth Dragoons and their No. 67;--you will find the
Baireuth Dragoons still here in a sense, but also in a sense not.
Their fencing Chasot is gone to Lubeck long since; will perhaps pay
Friedrich a visit by and by: their fiery Gessler is gone much
farther, and will never visit anybody more! Many were the reapers
then, and they are mostly gone to rest. Here is a new harvest;
the old SICKLES are still here; but the hands that wielded them--!
"Steady!" answers the Herr General; profoundly aware of all that,
but averse to words upon it.

Fancy Loudon's astonishment, on the third day: "While we have sat
consulting how to attack him, there is he,--unattackable, shall we
say?" Unattackable, Loudon will not consent to think him, though
Butturlin has quite consented. "Difficult, murderous," thinks
Loudon; "but possible, certain, could Butturlin but be persuaded!"
And tries all his rhetoric on Butturlin: "Shame on us!" urges the
ardent Loudon: "Imperial and Czarish Majesties; Kriegshofrath,
Russian Senate; Vienna, Petersburg, Versailles and all the world,--
what are they expecting of us? To ourselves it seemed certain, and
here we sit helplessly gazing!" Loudon is very diligent upon
Butturlin: "Do but believe that it is possible. A plan can be made;
many plans: the problem is solved, if only your Excellency will
believe." Which Butturlin never quite will.

Nobody knows better than Friedrich in what perilous crisis he now
stands: beaten here, what army or resource has he left? Silesia is
gone from him; by every likelihood, the game is gone. This of
Bunzelwitz is his last card; this is now his one stronghold in the
world:--we need not say if he is vigilant in regard to this.
From about the fourth day, when his engineering was only complete
in outline, he particularly expects to be attacked. On the fifth
night he concludes it will be; knowing Loudon's way. Towards
sunset, that evening (August 25th), all the tents are struck:
tents, cookeries, every article of baggage, his own among the rest,
are sent to Wurben Heights (to Schweidnitz, Archenholtz says; but
has misremembered): the ground cleared for action. And horse and
foot, every man marches out, and stands ready under arms.

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