The March North
This army led by Neipperg caught Frederick II completely off-guard as he lingered in the province, and Neipperg's forces surged northwards past Frederick and his army in order to relieve the city of Neisse, which was being besieged by a small Prussian force and had not yet fallen. Both Neipperg and Frederick raced northwards in a rush to reach the city first, in parallel columns. The weather was atrocious for both sides but von Neipperg reached Neisse first and set up camp there. Frederick II and his entire army were now caught behind enemy lines with a large Austrian force lying between him and the rest of his kingdom and his supply and communication lines cut off. Both sides knew that battle was now inevitable.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Mollwitz
Famous quotes containing the words march and/or north:
“After the brief bivouac of Sunday,
their eyes, in the forced march of Monday to Saturday,
hoist the white flag, flutter in the snow storm of paper,”
—Patricia K. Page (b. 1916)
“Refinement’s origin:
the remote north country’s
rice-planting song.”
—Matsuo Basho (1644–1694)