The Battle of Koniggratz: Prussia's Victory over Austria, 1866
by Gordon A. Craig
Great Battles of History
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Description
Königgrätz, a city overlooking the river Elbe, was a western strongpoint of the Austrian Empire. On the morning of July 3, 1866, Prussia attacked the city against high odds and defeated the Austrian army in a single day, despite the Austrian advantage in heavy artillery and command of the high ground. The fall of Königgrätz transferred power over the German states from Austria to Prussia, marking the beginning of the German nation, a political consequence considered to be among the most show more important of any conflict in modern history. The battle for the city of Königgrätz--now called Hradec Králové, located in the Czech Republic--was the largest of its time, with nearly half a million troops involved. It was also the first battle where the outcome was directly determined by the availability of new technologies, including the railroad, telegraph, cast steel rifled cannon, and breech-loading rifle. It also marked a lesson in the fallacy of dependence on technology at the expense of sound strategy. In this full account, distinguished historian Gordon A. Craig discusses the state of political affairs surrounding the battle, the personalities involved, the weaponry, and the tactics in order to recreate the battlefield in all its complexity. show lessTags
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994 The Battle of Koniggratz: Prussia's Victory over Austria, 1866, by Gordon A. Craig (read 12 Jan 1969) This battle is more familiar to me as the Battle of Sadowa (although Sadowa was one of a number of small villages in the area, while Koniggratz was the biggest nearby town). It was fought July 3, 1866. Benedek was the Austrian commander. The King of Prussia, Frederick Wilhelm IV, was commander of the Prussian forces, with Helmuth von Moltke as Chief of the General Staff. This book tells the story well. What if Prussia had not won: how different the world would have been!
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Author Information
36+ Works 1,667 Members
Gordon A. Craig is J. E. Wallace Sterling Professor of Humanities Emeritus Stanford University.
Series
Common Knowledge
- Important events*
- Schlacht bei Königgrätz
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- History, Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 943.076 — History & geography History of Europe Central Europe: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech, Poland, Hungary Historical periods of Germany Confederation 1815-1866
- LCC
- DD439 .K7 .C7 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania Germany History of Germany Prussia History
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 41
- Popularity
- 699,575
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (4.44)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
- 2
