With Frederick the Great: A Story of the Seven Years' War Read online

  WITH FREDERICK THE GREAT:

  A Story of the Seven Years' War

  by

  G. A. HENTY.

  Illustrated by Wal Paget

  1910

  Contents

  Preface. Chapter 1: King and Marshal. Chapter 2: Joining. Chapter 3: The Outbreak Of War. Chapter 4: Promotion. Chapter 5: Lobositz. Chapter 6: A Prisoner. Chapter 7: Flight. Chapter 8: Prague. Chapter 9: In Disguise. Chapter 10: Rossbach. Chapter 11: Leuthen. Chapter 12: Another Step. Chapter 13: Hochkirch. Chapter 14: Breaking Prison. Chapter 15: Escaped. Chapter 16: At Minden. Chapter 17: Unexpected News. Chapter 18: Engaged. Chapter 19: Liegnitz. Chapter 20: Torgau. Chapter 21: Home.

  Illustrations

  The king walked round Fergus as if he were examining a lay figure

  Two of the newcomers fired hastily--and both missed

  Not a blow was struck, horse and rider went down before them

  As the man was placing his supper on the table, Fergus sprang upon him

  Fergus was received by the count, the countess and Thirza with great pleasure

  As Fergus was sallying out, a mounted officer dashed by at a gallop

  The roar of battle was so tremendous that his horse was well-nigh unmanageable

  Before he could extricate himself, Fergus was surrounded by Austrians

  "Why, Karl!" Fergus exclaimed, "where do you spring from--when did you arrive?"

  Lord Sackville stood without speaking, while the surgeon bandaged up his arm

  "Take her, Drummond, you have won your bride fairly and well"

  As Fergus fell from his horse, Karl, who was riding behind him, leapt from his saddle

  Maps

  Map showing battlefields of the Seven Years' War Battle of Lobositz Battle of Prague Battle of Leuthen Battle of Zorndorf Battle of Hochkirch Battle of Torgau

  Preface.

  [Map: Map showing battlefields of the Seven Years' War]

  Among the great wars of history there are few, if any, instances ofso long and successfully sustained a struggle, against enormousodds, as that of the Seven Years' War, maintained by Prussia--thena small and comparatively insignificant kingdom--against Russia,Austria, and France simultaneously, who were aided also by theforces of most of the minor principalities of Germany. Thepopulation of Prussia was not more than five millions, while thatof the Allies considerably exceeded a hundred millions. Prussiacould put, with the greatest efforts, but a hundred and fiftythousand men into the field, and as these were exhausted she hadbut small reserves to draw upon; while the Allies could, withcomparatively little difficulty, put five hundred thousand men intothe field, and replenish them as there was occasion. That thestruggle was successfully carried on, for seven years, was duechiefly to the military genius of the king; to his indomitableperseverance; and to a resolution that no disaster could shake, nosituation, although apparently hopeless, appall. Something was duealso, at the commencement of the war, to the splendid discipline ofthe Prussian army at that time; but as comparatively few of thosewho fought at Lobositz could have stood in the ranks at Torgau, thequickness of the Prussian people to acquire military disciplinemust have been great; and this was aided by the perfect confidencethey felt in their king, and the enthusiasm with which he inspiredthem.

  Although it was not, nominally, a war for religion, theconsequences were as great and important as those which arose fromthe Thirty Years' War. Had Prussia been crushed and divided,Protestantism would have disappeared in Germany, and the wholecourse of subsequent events would have been changed. The war wasscarcely less important to Britain than to Prussia. Our closeconnection with Hanover brought us into the fray; and the weakeningof France, by her efforts against Prussia, enabled us to wrestCanada from her, to crush her rising power in India, and to obtainthat absolute supremacy at sea that we have never, since, lost. Andyet, while every school boy knows of the battles of ancient Greece,not one in a hundred has any knowledge whatever of the momentousstruggle in Germany, or has ever as much as heard the names of thememorable battles of Rossbach, Leuthen, Prague, Zorndorf,Hochkirch, and Torgau. Carlyle's great work has done much tofamiliarize older readers with the story; but its bulk, itsfullness of detail, and still more the peculiarity of Carlyle'sdiction and style, place it altogether out of the category of booksthat can be read and enjoyed by boys.

  I have therefore endeavoured to give the outlines of the struggle,for their benefit; but regret that, in a story so full of greatevents, I have necessarily been obliged to devote a smaller sharethan usual to the doings of my hero.

  G. A. Henty.