Battle of Chotusitz - Preliminary Maneuvers

Preliminary Maneuvers

Prince Charles had entered Bohemia with the intention of liberating the occupied capital of Prague. Faulty intelligence misinformed him of the strength of the Prussians in the area and he was unaware that Frederick was before of him with the main Prussian force. The Prussian army had divided with Frederick leading the vanguard about 10,000 strong, marching on Kuttenberg, Kutna Hora, with the intent of preventing the Austrians from reaching Prague. The main army of nearly 20,000 followed a day later under Prince Leopold of Anhalt. With the two Prussians forces a day's march apart and out of supporting distance of each other Charles had an opportunity of inflicting a defeat in detail on one, or both, of the Prussian forces.

Unfortunately, a wary Charles hesitated for a day and the two Prussians forces, realizing the danger, both moved towards each other. Leopold marching through the night reached Chotusitz at 2 A.M. and established tenuous contact with Frederick. Leopold went into camp a little north of what was to be the field of battle on the plain in the valley of the Elbe near the small hamlet of Chotusitz. Charles of Lorraine, hoping to catch Leopold cut off from Frederick while the Prussians were divided, advanced north with his force in four columns. He decided to attempt a night attack, or camisade. Charles' overnight advance took longer than anticipated and it was well after dawn that he approached the field with 30,000 troops. Alerted to the danger, Frederick gave Leopold instructions to deploy on Chotusitz and hold until the rest of the Prussians could come up with Frederick, bringing their forces up to 28,000.

Frederick gave orders to Leopold to deploy leaving room for Frederick's force to come in on the right and he then began marching towards the field at 4 A.M. with the intent of arriving at 7 A.M.. Leopold marched from the camp to Chotusitz and positioned his troops facing south-east in the town and to the right and left with cavalry on each flank with each flank resting on difficult terrain. The left flank terrain was very broken with gullies and ponds and unsuitable for the cavalry. On the right, Leopold's cavalry wing under the seventy year old Wilhelm Dietrich von Buddenbrock, a veteran who had fought at Oudenarde, spread his cavalry line to the right to take advantage of a rise in the ground which conceal its extent, allowing Buddenbrock to out flank the oncoming Austrian left flank cavalry.

Charles advanced north from the town Czaslau but difficult ground slowed him and the army drifted slightly to their right, aggravating their vulnerability to an attack by Buddenbrock on their left flank.