Battles & Campaigns · 1866
Battle of Kissingen
Bad Kissingen, Bavaria, Germany
What happened
The Bavarians had pulled back to Kissingen to stop the Prussians crossing the Franconian Saale River. Goeben's division had trouble at the main bridge, but a footbridge at a mill let Prussian troops cross and strike the Bavarian side. The Prussians took the town around 1 p.m., and by evening the Bavarians, short of ammunition, retreated.
Why it matters
The Bavarian army could no longer join the troops of Baden, Württemberg and Hesse in the VIII Federal Corps. The Bavarians withdrew toward Schweinfurt and Würzburg.
What came next
The Prussians turned west, attacked the VIII Corps and occupied Frankfurt.
Did you know?
Before the battle, a Prussian general gave a speech in Polish, because most of his soldiers came from the Province of Posen.
Timeline
- 3 Jul 1866Battle of Königgrätz.
- 10 Jul 1866Battle of Kissingen.
- 23 Aug 1866Peace of Prague.
- 1874Bismarck, a frequent spa visitor, survives an attack in Kissingen.