Battle of Torgau
Süptitz heights near Torgau, Saxony, Germany
What happened
Frederick the Great of Prussia attacked an Austrian army under Field Marshal Leopold von Daun. Daun's army held the Süptitz heights near Torgau. Frederick sent General Zieten to keep Daun busy from the south while his main army marched round to attack from the north. The first attacks failed, but at dusk Zieten's troops broke through and the Prussians held the heights by nine at night.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was one of the hardest-fought battles of the Seven Years' War, and both commanders were wounded. Yet it changed little, because Austria still held Dresden.
What came next
Daun went to Vienna to recover, and Austria cut the size of its army after the 1760 campaign. Russia left the war in 1762.
Did you know?
Frederick, hit in the chest by a spent shot, spent the night sitting on the bottom step of a village church altar, waiting for news.
Timeline
- 18 June 1757Daun defeats Frederick at Kolín.
- 14 October 1758Daun wins again at Hochkirch.
- 3 November 1760Battle of Torgau.
- 5 February 1766Daun dies in Vienna.