Battle of Peterswalde
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Peterswalde occurred on 15 August 1759, in Peterswald
, now part of the Czech Republic
, during the Seven Years War. Peterswalde was the site of a Habsburg
ammunition magazine. A column of Prince Henry of Prussia
's advance guard, under command of Johann Jakob von Wunsch
, attacked a position strongly held by Croatia
ns of the Habsburg military. In the skirmish, the Croats were routed out of their positions. Wunsch ordered all the munitions destroyed; he also destroyed several ships that were stationed on the Elbe
river. Wunsch's force stayed in the village overnight; the next day they were attacked by the imperial force of the Archbishop of Mainz; in the subsequent skirmish, Wunsch's Prussians took one officer and 22 men prisoner.
Petrovice (Ústí nad Labem District)
Petrovice is a village and municipality in Ústí nad Labem District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic.The municipality covers an area of , and has a population of 784 ....
, now part of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, during the Seven Years War. Peterswalde was the site of a Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
ammunition magazine. A column of Prince Henry of Prussia
Prince Henry of Prussia
Frederick Henry Louis , commonly known as Henry , was a Prince of Prussia. He also served as a general and statesman, and, in 1786, was suggested as a candidate for a monarch for the United States....
's advance guard, under command of Johann Jakob von Wunsch
Johann Jakob von Wunsch
Johann Jakob von Wunsch was soldier of fortune and Prussian general of infantry, and a particularly adept commander of light infantry. The son of a Württemberg furrier, he served in several armies in the course of his lengthy career....
, attacked a position strongly held by Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
ns of the Habsburg military. In the skirmish, the Croats were routed out of their positions. Wunsch ordered all the munitions destroyed; he also destroyed several ships that were stationed on the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
river. Wunsch's force stayed in the village overnight; the next day they were attacked by the imperial force of the Archbishop of Mainz; in the subsequent skirmish, Wunsch's Prussians took one officer and 22 men prisoner.