On 3 July 1866 the Prussian army defeated the Austrians under Ludwig von Benedek near Königgrätz (Sadová) in Bohemia. It was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War and cleared the way for German unification without Austria.
The largest battle of its age
The sources conflict on the strengths, but it was the largest battle in the world since Leipzig in 1813. Prussia lost 9,172 killed, wounded or missing. Austria and Saxony lost about 44,000 to 45,000 killed, wounded, missing or captured, nearly half of them prisoners, plus 187 cannon.1
The Prussian Dreyse needle gun and railway-based mobilization were important factors.
Unification without Austria
The battle cleared the way for the North German Confederation and German unification without Austria, and left Prussia free to fight France in 1870.
Also on this day
1778: Battle of Wyoming. In Pennsylvania's Wyoming Valley, Patriot militia were attacked by Loyalist rangers and Iroquois warriors during the American Revolutionary War.
Frequently asked questions
When and where was the Battle of Königgrätz?
It was fought on 3 July 1866 near Königgrätz (Hradec Králové) and the village of Sadová, in Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic.
Who won the Battle of Königgrätz?
The Prussian army defeated the Austrians under Ludwig von Benedek.
Why was it decisive?
It was the decisive battle of the war and cleared the way for German unification without Austria.
Notes
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