Battle of Hochkirch
Hochkirch, Saxony, Germany
What happened
An Austrian army under Leopold von Daun, with Franz von Lacy and Ernst von Laudon, surprised Frederick the Great's Prussian army. Frederick had camped his army close to a much larger Austrian force. Before dawn, Daun's troops attacked the Prussian camp by surprise. The Prussians tried to regroup, but much of their camp was overrun and they had to retreat.
Why it matters
Why it matters: Historians count it among Frederick's greatest blunders. But Daun did not chase the beaten Prussians, so Frederick's army survived.
What came next
Frederick rebuilt his army over the winter and kept hold of Saxony and Silesia. Daun took his army into winter quarters in Bohemia.
Did you know?
Daun's own secretary had been secretly sending his plans to Frederick hidden in egg deliveries, until he was caught.
Timeline
- 18 June 1757Daun first defeats Frederick at Kolín.
- 14 October 1758Battle of Hochkirch.
- 3 November 1760Frederick defeats Daun at Torgau.