Battle of Wilhelmsthal

Battle of Wilhelmsthal
Part of the Seven Years' War

General map of Duke Ferdinand of Brunswicks campaigns in 1762, Berlin 1872
Date 24 June 1762
Location Castle of Wilhelmsthal near Calden, Northwestern Germany
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
 Great Britain
 Prussia

Hanover
Brunswick
Hesse-Kassel

  France[1]
Commanders and leaders
Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick Prince de Soubise and Duc d'Estrées
Strength
50,000 70,000
Casualties and losses
707[2] over 1,500 killed or wounded
several thousand prisoners
Seven Years' War:
European theatre

The Battle of Wilhelmsthal (sometimes written as the Battle of Wilhelmstadt) was fought on 24 June 1762 during the Seven Years' War between on one side the allied forces of British, Prussian, Hanover, Brunswick and Hessian troops under the command of the Duke of Brunswick against the French. Once again, the French threatened Hanover, so the Allies manoeuvered around the French, surrounded the invasion force, and forced them to retreat. It was the last major action fought by Brunswick's force before the Peace of Paris brought an end to the war.

Contents

Background

France had made a number of attempts to invade and overrun Hanover since 1757, hoping to occupy the Electorate and use it as a bargaining counter to exchange for the return of French colonies captured by the British. The Allied army under the Duke of Brunswick had prevented them from taking Hanover - and by 1762, aware that the war was likely to draw to a close, the French had decided on a final thrust to try to defeat Brunswick and occupy Hanover.

The battle

Ferdinand had advanced and outflanked the French on both flanks, nearly encircling them. An attack on the French center held by Stainville's command was particularly effective, with one column engaging his front, another striking his rear causing some 1500 casualties[3] and forcing some regiments to surrender.

Aftermath

The result is viewed as victory for the Allied forces. It ended the last French hopes of overunning and occuping Hanover before the armistice that ended the war, and the Treaty of Paris. The Anglo-German forces advanced and captured Cassel in November, but by then the premilaries of peace had been signed.

See also

References

  1. ^ 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th Edition, New York 1910, Vol.X, p.460: "The oriflamme and the Chape de St Martin were succeeded at the end of the 16th century, when Henry III, the last of the house of Valois, came to the throne, by the white standard powdered with fleurs-de-lis. This in turn gave place to the famous tricolour."George Ripley, Charles Anderson Dana, The American Cyclopaedia, New York, 1874, p. 250, "...the standard of France was white, sprinkled with golden fleur de lis...". *[1] The original Banner of France was strewn with fleurs-de-lis.
  2. ^ Savory, Reginald, His Britannic Majesty's Army in Germany During the Seven Years War, Oxford University Press, 1966, p.375.
  3. ^ Savory, Reginald, His Britannic Majesty's Army in Germany During the Seven Years War, Oxford University Press, 1966, p.373.

External links