history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第46部分

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ut　evidently　with　approval　from　Prince　Karl。　Everybody　sees；　this　is　the　way　to　Prince　Karl's　favor　at　present。　〃Have　not　I　reconquered　Silesia？〃　thinks　Prince　Karl　to　himself；　and　beams　applause　on　the　high　course；　not　the　low　prudent　one。　＇Kutzen；　pp。　45…48。＇　In　a　word；　the　Austrians　decide　on　stepping　out　to　meet　Friedrich　in　open　battle：　it　was　the　first　time　they　ever　did　so；　and　it　was　likewise　the　last。

Sunday；　December　4th；　at　four　in　the　morning；　Friedrich　has　marched　from　Parchwitz；　straight　towards　the　Austrian　Camp；　＇Muller；　p。　26。＇　he　hears；　one　can　fancy　with　what　pleasure；　that　the　Austrians　are　advancing　towards　him；　and　will　not　need　to　be　forced　in　their　strong　position。　His　march　is　in　four　columns；　Friedrich　in　the　vanguard；　quarters　to　be　Neumarkt；　a　little　Town　about　fourteen　miles　off。　Within　some　miles　of　Neumarkt；　early　in　the　afternoon；　he　learns　that　there　are　a　thousand　Croats　in　the　place；　the　Austrian　Bakery　at　work　there；　and　engineer　people　marking　out　an　Austrian　Camp。　〃On　the　Height　beyond　Neumarkt；　that　will　be？〃　thinks　Friedrich；　for　he　knows　this　ground；　having　often　done　reviews　here；　to　Breslau　all　the　way　on　both　hands；　not　a　rood　of　it　but　is　familiar　to　him。　Which　was　a　singular　advantage；　say　the　critics；　and　a　point　the　Austrian　Council　of　War　should　have　taken　more　thought　of。

Friedrich；　before　entering　Neumarkt；　sends　a　regiment　to　ride　quietly　round　it　on　both　sides；　and　to　seize　that　Height　he　knows　of。　Height　once　seized；　or　ready　for　seizing；　he　bursts　the　barrier　of　Neumarkt；　dashes　in　upon　the　thousand　Croats；　flings　out　the　Croats　in　extreme　hurry；　musketry　and　sabre　acting　on　them；　they　find　their　Height　beset；　their　retreat　cut　off；　and　that　they　must　vanish。　Of　the　1；000　Croats；　〃569　were　taken　prisoners；　and　120　slain；〃　in　this　unexpected　sweeping　out　of　Neumarkt。　Better　still；　in　Neumarkt　is　found　the　Austrian　Bakery；　set　up　and　in　full　work；delivers　you　80；000　bread…rations　hot…and…hot；　which　little　expected　to　go　such　a　road。　On　the　Height；　the　Austrian　stakes　and　engineer…tools　were　found　sticking　in　the　ground；　so　hasty　had　the　flight　been。

How　Prince　Karl　came　to　expose　his　Bakery；　his　staff　of　life　so　far　ahead　of　him？　Prince　Karl；　it　is　clear；　was　a　little　puffed　up　with　high　thoughts　at　this　time。　The　capture　of　Schweidnitz；　the　late　〃Malplaquet〃　（poorish　Anti…Bevern　Malplaquet）；　capture　of　Breslau；　and　the　low　and　lost　condition　of　Friedrich's　Silesian　affairs；　had　more　or　less　turned　everybody's　head；everybody's　except　Feldmarschall　Daun's　alone：and　witty　mess…tables；　we　already　said；　were　in　the　daily　habit　of　mocking　at　Friedrich's　march　towards　them　with　aggressive　views；　and　called　his　insignificant　little　Army　the　〃Potsdam　Guard…Parade。〃　＇Cogniazzo；　ii。　417…422。＇　That　was　the　common　triumphant　humor；　naturally　shared　in　by　Prince　Karl；　the　ready　way　to　flatter　him　being　to　sing　in　that　tune。　Nobody　otherwise　can　explain；　and　nobody　in　any　wise　can　justify；　Prince　Karl's　ignorance　of　Friedrich's　advance；　his　almost　voluntary　losing　of　his　staff…of…life　in　that　manner。


MAP　TO　GO　HEREFACING　PAGE　48；　BOOK　18　continuation


Prince　Karl's　soldiers　have　each　（in　the　cold　form）　three　days；　provision　in　their　haversacks：　they　have　come　across　the　Weistritz　River　（more　commonly　called　Schweidnitz　Water）；　which　was　also　the　height　of　contemptuous　imprudence；　and　lie　encamped；　this　night；　in　long　line；　not　ill…chosen　（once　the　River　IS　behind）；　perpendicular　to　Friedrich's　march；　some　ten　miles　ahead　of　him。　Since　crossing；　they　had　learned　with　surprise；　How　their　Bakery　and　Croats　had　been　snapt　up；　that　Friedrich　was　not　at　a　distance；　but　near；and　that　arrangements　could　not　be　made　too　soon！　Their　position　intersects　the　Great　Road　at　right　angles；　as　we　hint；　and　has　villages；　swamps；　woody　knolls；　especially；　on　each　wing；　good　defences。　Their　right　wing　leans　on　Nypern　and　its　impassable　peat…bogs；　a　Village　two　or　three　miles　north　from　the　Great　Road；　their　centre　is　close　behind　another　Village　called　Leuthen；　about　as　far　south　from　it：　length　of　their　bivouac　is　about　five　miles；　which　will　become　six　or　so；　had　Nadasti　once　taken　post；　who　is　to　form　the　left　wing；　and　go　down　as　far　as　Sagschutz；　southward　of　Leuthen。　Seven　battalions　are　in　this　Village　of　Leuthen；　eight　in　Nypern；　all　the　Villages　secured；　woods；　scraggy　abatis；　redoubts；　not　forgotten：　their　cannon　are　numerous；　though　of　light　calibre。　Friedrich　has　at　least　71　heavy　pieces；　and　10　of　them　are　formidably　heavy；brought　from　the　walls　of　Glogau；　with　terrible　labor　to　Ziethen；　but　with　excellent　effect；　on　this　occasion　and　henceforth。　They　got　the　name　of　〃Boomers；　Bellowers　（DIE　BRUMMER）；〃　those　Ten。　Friedrich　was　in　great　straits　about　artillery；　and　Retzow　Senior　recommended　this　hauling　up　of　the　Ten　Bellowers；　which　became　celebrated　in　the　years　coming。　And　now　we　are　on　the　Battle…ground；　and　must　look　into　the　Battle　itself；　if　we　can。



Chapter　X。

BATTLE　OF　LEUTHEN。

From　Neumarkt；　on　Monday；　long　before　day；　the　Prussians；　all　but　a　small　party　left　there　to　guard　the　Bakery　and　Army　Properties；　are　out　again；　in　four　columns；　towards　what　may　lie　ahead。　Friedrich；　as　usual　in　such　cases；　for　obvious　reasons；　rides　with　the　vanguard。　To　Borne；　the　first　Village　on　the　Highway；　is　some　seven　or　eight　miles。　The　air　is　damp；　the　dim　incipiences　of　dawn　struggling　among　haze；　a　little　way　on　this　side　Borne；　we　come　on　ranks　of　cavalry　drawn　across　the　Highway；　stretching　right　and　left　into　the　dim　void：　Austrian　Army　this；　then？　Push　up　to　it；　see　what　it　is；　at　least。

It　proves　to　be　poor　General　Nostitz；　with　his　three　Saxon　regiments　of　dragoons；　famous　since　Kolin…day；　and　a　couple　of　Hussar　regiments；　standing　here　as　outpost；who　ought　to　have　been　more　alert；　but　they　could　not　see　through　the　dark；　and　so；　instead　of　catching；　are　caught。　The　Prussians　fall　upon　them；　front　and　flank；　tumble　them　into　immediate　wreck；　drive　the　whole　outpost　at　full　gallop　home；　through　Borne；　upon　Nypern　and　the　right　wing；without　news　except　of　this　symbolical　sort。　Saxon　regiments　are　quite　ruined；　〃540　of　them　prisoners〃　（poor　Nostitz　himself　not　prisoner；　but　wounded　to　death　＇Died　in　Breslau；　the　twelfth　day　after　（Seyfarth；　ii。　362）。＇）；　and　the　ground　clear　in　this　quarter。

Friedrich；　on　the　farther　side　of　Borne；　calls　halt；　till　the　main　body　arrive；　rides　forward；　himself　and　staff；　to　the　highest　of　a　range　or　suite　of　knolls；　some　furlongs　ahead；　sees　there　in　full　view；　far　and　wide；　the　Austrians　drawn　up　before　him。　From　Nypern　to　Sagschuitz　yonder；　miles　in　length；　and　so　distinct；　while　the　light　mended　and　the　hazes　faded；　〃that　you　could　have　counted　them　＇through　your　glasses＇；　man　by　man。〃　A　highly　interesting　sight　to　Friedrich；　who　continues　there　in　the　profoundest　study；　and　calls　up　some　horse　regiments　of　the　vanguard　to　maintain　this　Height　and　the　range　of　Heights　running　south　from　it。　And　there；　I　think；　the　King　is　mainly　to　be　found；　looking　now　at　the　Austrians；　now　at　his　own　people；　for　some　three　hours　to　come。　His　plan　of　Battle　is　soon　clear　to　him：　Nypern；　with　its　bogs　and　scrags；　on　the　Austrian　right　wing；　is　tortuous　impossible　ground；　as　he　well　remembers；　no　good　prospect　for　us　there：　better　ground　for　us　on　their　left　yonder；　at　Leuthen；　even　at　Sagschutz　farther　south；　whither　they　are　stretching　themselves。　Attempt　their　left　wing；　try　our　〃Oblique　Order〃　upon　that；　with　all　the　skill　that　is　in　us；　perhaps　we　can　do　it　rightly　this　time；　and　prosper　accordingly！　That　is　Friedrich's　plan　of　action。　The　four　columns　once　got　to　Borne　shall　fall　into　two；　turn　to　the　right；　and　go　southward；　ever　southward：they　are　to　become　our　two　Lines　of　Battle；　were　they　once　got　to　the　right　point　southward。　Well　opposite　Sagschutz；　that　will　be　the　point　for　facing　to　left；　and　marching　up；in　〃Oblique　Order；〃　with　the　utmost　faculty　they　have！

〃The　Oblique　Order；　SCHRAGE　STELLUNG；〃　let　the　hasty　reader　pause　to　understand；　〃is　an　old　plan　practised　by　Epaminondas；　and　revived　by　Friedrich；who　has　tried　it　in　almost　all　his　Battles　more　or　less；　from　Hohenfriedberg　forward　to　Prag；　Kolin；　Rossbach；　but　never　could；　in　all　points；　get　it　rightly　done　till　now；　at　Leuthen；　in　the　highest　time　of　need。　〃It　is　a　particular　manoeuvre；〃　says　Archenholtz；　rather　sergeant…wise；　〃which　indeed　other　troops　are　now　＇1793＇　in　the　habit　of　imitating；　but　which；　up　to　this　present　time；　none　but　Prussian　troops　can　execute　with　the　precision　and　velocity　indispensable　to　it。　You　divide　your　line　into　many　pieces；　you　can　push　these　forward　stairwise；　so　that　they　shall　halt　close　to　one　another；〃　obliquely；　to　either　hand；　and　so；　on　a　minimum　of　ground；　bring　your　mass　of　men　to　the　required　point　at　the　required　angle。　Friedrich　invented　this　mode　of　getting　into　position；　by　its　close　ranking；　by　its　depth；　and　the　manner　of　movement　used；　it　had　some　resemblance　to　the　〃Macedonian　Phalanx；〃chiefly　in　the　latter　point；　I　should　guess；　for　when　arrived　at　its　place；　it　is　no　deeper　than　common。　〃Forming　itself　in　this　way；　a　mass　of　troops　takes　up　in　proportion　very　little　ground；　and　it　shows　in　the　distance；　by　reason　of　the　mixed　uniforms　and　standards；　a　totally　chaotic　mass　of　men　heaped　on　one　another；〃　going　in　rapid　mazes　this　way　and　that。　〃But　it　needs　only　that　the　Commander　lift　his　finger；　instantly　this　living　coil　of　knotted　intricacies　develops　itself　in　perfect　order；　and　with　a　speed　like　that　of　mountain　rivers　when　the　ice　breaks；〃is　upon　its　Enemy。　＇Archenholtz；　i。　209。＇

〃Your　Enemy　is　ranked　as　here；　in　long　line；　three　or　two　to　one。　You　march　towards　him；　but　keep　him　uncertain　as　to　how　you　will　attack；　then　do　on　a　sudden　march　up；　not　parallel　to　him；　but　oblique；　at　an　angle　of　45　degrees；swift；　vehement；　in　overpowering　numbers；　on　the　wing　you　have　chosen。　Roll　that　wing　together；　ruined；　in　upon　its　own　line；　you　may　roll　the　whole　five　miles　of　line　into　disorder　and　ruin；　and　always　be　in　overpowering　number　at　the　point　of　dispute。　Provided；　only；　you　are　swift　enough　about　it；　sharp　enough！　But　extraordinary　swiftness；　sharpness；　precision　is　the　indispensable　condition；by　no　means　try　it　otherwise；　n