Battle of Fraustadt

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Battle of Fraustadt

Date	February 3, 1706
Location	Fraustadt, Poland
Result	Decisive Swedish victory

Combatants

Sweden

Saxony,
Poland,
Russia

Commanders

Carl Gustaf Rehnskiöld

Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg

Strength

3,700 infantry
5,700 cavalry

16,000 infantry,
2,000 cavalry,
32 guns

Casualties

424 killed,
760 wounded

7,300 killed,
7,600 captured

Great Northern War
Narva – Kliszów – Fraustadt – Holowczyn – Lesnaya – Poltava – Gadebusch – Gangut – Dynekilen – Oesel – Grengam

The Battle of Fraustadt was fought on February 3, 1706 between Swedish and Saxon-Russian forces near Fraustadt (present-day Wschowa) in Poland.

[edit] The battle

The Saxons took a defensive position between the villages of Geyersdorf and Röhrsdorf, entrenched behind frozen lakes and marshes.

Rehnskiöld placed his infantry in the center and his cavalry on both flanks. On his right flank, von Krassow passed outside the left russian flank with 12 dragoon squadrons, by the village of Rörsdorf, and then routed the Saxon cavalry. On the left flank, the Swedish cavalry had some trouble passing a frozen swamp, but the Saxon cavalry did not use that advantage and was then also routed after four Swedish attacks. On the Saxon left flank, facing Rhenskiöld himself, the Russians were deployed with their uniforms inside-out to conceal their lesser quality (the Saxons had red uniforms, the Russians had (at this time) outside-green, inside-red uniforms). These were attacked in the back by the dragoons, in front by Rhenskiöld after some three firings with artillery, and soon surrounded. The Saxon middle then was in danger in flank and rear and soon also broke up. The Saxon right remained to the last, inflicting some damage to the swedes before the cavalry on the swamp-ice succeeded to attack their rear. The main part of the Saxon army fled to the south, but the Swedish cavalry on the left, previously so clumsy, now got away in advance of them and succeeded to stop them until the Swedish infantry got there and had them surrounded.

In the end 7,600 Saxons were taken prisoner and more were killed in the battle. The captured Russians (some 500) were all executed by an order, probably from Rehnskiöld.

[edit] Aftermath

King August II of Poland gave up his claim on the Polish crown, although he remained Elector Frederick Augustus I of Saxony. He would later regain the Polish throne in 1709.

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Categories: 1706 | Battles of the Great Northern War | Battles of Russia | Battles of Saxony