Leuthen

(present-day Lutynia in Poland), a village in Silesia, west of Breslau.

On Dec. 5, 1757, at the time of the Seven Years’ War of 1756–63, the troops of the Prussian king Frederick II (about 40,000 men) defeated the Austrian Army (up to 66,000 men), commanded by Charles of Lotharingia. After the victory at Rossbach, Frederick moved into Silesia in order to drive out the Austrians, who occupied a position at Leuthen with their front facing west. The Prussian cavalry repulsed the Austrian advance guard at Borne, after which the Austrian commander decided that the next blow would come from the west and reinforced his right flank. But Frederick II carried out a flank march under the cover of hills and arrived at the enemy’s left flank south of Leuthen. The Austrians belatedly began reorganizing their front to the southwest. Concentrating superior forces, Frederick enveloped the enemy’s left flank and routed first his left flank and then his center. The counterattack of the Austrian cavalry was repulsed, leading to a disorderly retreat of the whole Austrian Army, which lost 27,000 men, all of its artillery, and its trains. The Prussians lost about 6,000 men. The victory at Leuthen enabled Prussia to capture Silesia.