History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 20Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 20
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
Friedrich, on junction with Forcade, has risen to perhaps 50,000; and is
now in some condition against the Daun-Loudon-Lacy Armies, which cannot
be double his number. These still hang about, in the Breslau-Parchwitz
region; gloomy of humor; and seem to be aiming at Schweidnitz,--if that
could still prove possible with a Friedrich present. Which it by no
means does; though they try it by their best combinations;--by "a
powerful Chain of Army-posts, isolating Schweidnitz, and uniting Daun
and Loudon;" by "a Camp on the Zobtenberg, as crown of the same;"--and
put Friedrich on his mettle. Who, after survey of said Chain, executes
(night of August 30th) a series of beautiful manoeuvres on it, which
unexpectedly conclude its existence:--"with unaccountable hardihood," as
Archenholtz has it, physiognomically TRUE to Friedrich's general style
just now, if a little incorrect as to the case in hand, "sees good
to march direct, once for all, athwart said Chain; right across its
explosive cannonadings and it,--counter-cannonading, and marching
rapidly on; such a march for insolence, say the Austrians!" [Archenholtz
(ii. 115-116); who is in a hurry, dateless, and rather confuses a
subsequent DAY (September 18th) with this "night of August 30th." See
RETZOW, ii. 26; and still better, TEMPELHOF, iv. 203.] Till, in this
way, the insolent King has Schweidnitz under his protective hand again;
and forces the Chain to coil itself wholly together, and roll into the
Hills for a safe lodging. Whither he again follows it: with continual
changes of position, vying in inaccessibility with your own; threatening
your meal-wagons; trampling on your skirts in this or the other
dangerous manner; marching insolently up to your very nose, more than
once ("Dittmannsdorf, September 18th," for a chief instance), and
confusing your best schemes. [Tempelhof, iv. 193-231; &c. &c.: in
_Anonymous of Hamburg,_ iv. 222-235, "Diary of the AUSTRIAN Army" (3-8th
September).]
This "insolent" style of management, says Archenholtz, was practised
by Julius Caesar on the Gauls; and since his time by nobody,--till
Friedrich, his studious scholar and admirer, revived it "against another
enemy." "It is of excellent efficacy," adds Tempelhof; "it disheartens
your adversary, and especially his common people, and has the reverse
effect on your own; confuses him in endless apprehensions, and details
of self-defence; so that he can form no plan of his own, and his
overpowering resources become useless to him." Excellent efficacy,--only
you must be equal to doing it; not unequal, which might be very fatal to
you!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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