Such was the situation in which Frederic found himself.He saw the whole extent of his peril.He saw that there was still a faint possibility of escape; and, with prudent temerity, he determined to strike the first blow.It was in the month of August 1756, that the great war of the Seven Years commenced.The King demanded of the Empress Queen a distinct explanation of her intentions, and plainly told her that he should consider a refusal as a declaration of war."I want," he said, "no answer in the style of an oracle." He received an answer at once haughty and evasive.In an instant the rich electorate of Saxony was overflowed by sixty thousand Prussian troops.Augustus with his army occupied a strong position at Pirna.The Queen of Poland was at Dresden.In a few days Pirna was blockaded and Dresden was taken.The first object of Frederic was to obtain possession of the Saxon State papers; for those papers, he well knew, contained ample proofs that, though apparently an aggressor, he was really acting in self-defence.The Queen of Poland, as well acquainted as Frederic with the importance of those documents, had packed them up, had concealed them in her bed-chamber, and was about to send them off to Warsaw, when a Prussian officer made his appearance.In the hope that no soldier would venture to outrage a lady, a queen, a daughter of an emperor, the mother-in-law of a dauphin, she placed herself before the trunk, and at length sat down on it.But all resistance was vain.The papers were carried to Frederic, who found in them, as he expected, abundant evidence of the designs of the coalition.The most important documents were instantly published, and the effect of the publication was great.It was clear that, of whatever sins the King of Prussia might formerly have been guilty, he was now the injured party, and had merely anticipated a blow intended to destroy him.
The Saxon camp at Pirna was in the meantime closely invested; but the besieged were not without hopes of succour.A great Austrian army under Marshal Brown was about to pour through the passes which separate Bohemia from Saxony.Frederic left at Pirna a force sufficient to deal with the Saxons, hastened into Bohemia, encountered Brown at Lowositz, and defeated him.This battle decided the fate of Saxony.Augustus and his favourite Bruhl fled to Poland.The whole army of the Electorate capitulated.From that time till the end of the war, Frederic treated Saxony as a part of his dominions, or, rather, he acted towards the Saxons in a manner which may serve to illustrate the whole meaning of that tremendous sentence, "subjectos tanquam suos, viles tanquam alienos." Saxony was as much in his power as Brandenburg; and he had no such interest in the welfare of Saxony as he had in the welfare of Brandenburg.He accordingly levied troops and exacted contributions throughout the enslaved province, with far more rigour than in any part of his own dominions.Seventeen thousand men who had been in the camp at Pirna were half compelled, half persuaded to enlist under their conqueror.Thus, within a few weeks from the commencement of hostilities, one of the confederates had been disarmed, and his weapons were now pointed against the rest.
The winter put a stop to military operations.All had hitherto gone well.But the real tug of war was still to come.It was easy to foresee that the year 1757 would be a memorable era in the history of Europe.
The King's scheme for the campaign was ******, bold, and judicious.The Duke of Cumberland with an English and Hanoverian array was in Western Germany, and might be able to prevent the French troops from attacking Prussia.The Russians, confined by their snows, would probably not stir till the spring was far advanced.Saxony was prostrated.Sweden could do nothing very important.During a few months Frederic would have to deal with Austria alone.Even thus the odds were against him.But ability and courage have often triumphed against odds still more formidable.
Early in 1757 the Prussian army in Saxony began to move.Through four defiles in the mountains they came pouring into Bohemia.
Prague was the King's first mark; but the ulterior object was probably Vienna.At Prague lay Marshal Brown with one great army.
Daun, the most cautious and fortunate of the Austrian captains, was advancing with another.Frederic determined to overwhelm Brown before Daun should arrive.On the sixth of May was fought, under those walls which, a hundred and thirty years before, had witnessed the victory of the Catholic league and the flight of the unhappy Palatine, a battle more bloody than any which Europe saw during the long interval between Malplaquet and Eylau.The King and Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick were distinguished on that day by their valour and exertions.But the chief glory was with Schwerin.When the Prussian infantry wavered, the stout old marshal snatched the colours from an ensign, and, waving them in the air, led back his regiment to the charge.Thus at seventy-two years of age he fell in the thickest battle, still grasping the standard which bears the black eagle on the field argent.The victory remained with the King; but it had been dearly purchased.
Whole columns of his bravest warriors had fallen.He admitted that he had lost eighteen thousand men.Of the enemy, twenty-four thousand had been killed, wounded, or taken.
Part of the defeated army was shut up in Prague.Part fled to join the troops which, under the command of Daun, were now close at hand.Frederic determined to play over the same game which had succeeded at Lowositz.He left a large force to besiege Prague, and at the head of thirty thousand men he marched against Daun.
The cautious Marshal, though he had a great superiority in numbers, would risk nothing.He occupied at Kolin a position almost impregnable, and awaited the attack of the King.