The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-13 00:00:00

-14 E PRUSSIAN ARMY.

(From the Times' Military Correspondent.)
ATTERBOGIC, June 9.

Whoever casts a glance upon the map of Central
Europe must at once observe the range of moun-
tains which, starting from the Black Forest, passes
through Germany from west to east, separates the
basin of the Danube from the plain through which
the Weser, the Elbe, and the Oder glide to the Ger-
man and Baltic seas, and terminates in the chain of
the Carpathian Hills. This range about midway
divides into two branches near the source of the
Saale, which again join together near the sources of
the Weser, and enclose in the so-formed quadrila-
teral the kingdom of Bohemia. On the north of
these mountains lie the kingdoms of Saxony and
Prussia ; on the south the territories ruled by the
Emperor of Austria. Bohemia, although a depen-
dency of the Austrian empire, is geographically se-
parated from the valley of the Danube, in which lie
the majority of the provinces of the Kaiser, by the
hills of the Bohemian forest and the mountains of
Moravia. The advanced post of Austria towards
the north, it stands as a strong bastion against an
invasion of the empire from that direction, and is
also a most valuable base of operations from which
to hurl troops against the valleys of the Elbe or the
Oder. It was this position of Bohemia which caused
the destruction of Napoleon in 1813, when Prussia
and Russia held the Elbe, and Austria from
Bohemia menaced his right flank. If he quitted his
central position at Dresden to march on the Elbe,
the Austrians issued from Bohemia, and cut off his
communication with the Rhine ; if he advanced
against Bohemia, as soon as he passed the northern
mountains of that province the allies debouched
from the line of the Elbe, and separated him from
France. It was a consequence of the natural con-
figuration of Bohemia that, after having prevented
the junction of his enemies by the victory of Dresden,
the great Napoleon was surrounded at Leipsic.
Bohemia seems again about to play an important
part in a European war. Austrian troops are
already collected there, and no one can suppose
that the object of their concentration in that pro-
vince is immediately pacific. Beyond the Erz-
Gebirge, or Mineral Mountains, and the Riesen-
Gebirge, or Giant Hills, which form the Bohemian
frontier on the north, lies in the first place the king-
dom of Saxony, but beyond this again are the
southern provinces of Prussia, in which the whole
Prussian army available for service in the field is
now cantoned. In the event of war, Saxony ap-
pears likely to be the first battlefield, unless, indeed,
she can manage to maintain a neutrality which at
present she appears not to desire. But in a life
and death struggle between the two great German
Poweri it is impossible that the theatre of war could
be restricted to one tiny kingdom ; it is much more
probable that it will extend nearly throughout the
district which is bounded on the north and south by
the sea and the Danube, on the cast and west by
the Vistula and the Weser.
This is a district not unacquainted with war.
After the last attempt to overthrow an established
monarchy in England it was the scene of that Seven
Years' strife through whose baptism of blood Prussia
advanced into the hierarchy of the great Powers of
Europe. It was repeatedly trodden under foot by
the conquering legions of the first Emperor of the
French, and it was in its very centre that the battle
was fought which led to the first overthrow of his
power. Its wide extent is inhabited by two distinct
races, and is the seat of two antagonistic creeds.
The Teutonic race occupies the north, and in reli-
gion is Protestant ; the Slavonic blood predominates
in the south, owns the Catholic faith, and politically
• is under the sway of the Kaiser.
The basin of the Elbe is the central geographical
division of Germany. This basin is divided into two ;
that of the upper Elbe forms a plateau surrounded
by mountains, and is the kingdom of Bohemia ;
that of the lower contains Saxony and the central
provinces of Prussia. The upper basin is in
general ill cultivated, and has few internal re-
sources. It possesses, however, immense forests,
considerable iron mines, and breeds horses which
are valuable in war. Its roads are few, mountainous,
and bad; but it is a country easily defensible, for its
forests, mountains, and rivers present at every point
obstacles to an invading army. The lower basin of
this river is, on the other hand, a country of plains,
marshes, and small lakes; not very fertile, but well
cultivated, thickly populated, and opened up by a
multitude of roads. The Elbe, entering it from a
close defile between the mountains of Northern Bo-
hemia, runs through its whole length, passinc, by the
fortress of Koningstein, Dresden, the capital° of
Saxony, and the fortified town of Wittenberg. This
river within Prussian territory, supported by the
fortresses of Torgau Ind Magdeburg, forms a strong
line of defence against an army advancing on Dres-
den from the west, but one which can easily be
turned from Bohemia.

The basin of the Oder, bounded on the south by
the mountains which overhang Braunau, Glatz, and
Troppau, contains near the sources of the river the
province of Prussian Silesia. The river itself forms
an angle near Breslau, which allows of its being used
as a line of defence for the eastern districts of the
kingdom of Prussia against an attack from either
the south or west. This line is supported by the for-
tresses of Glogau, Kustrin, and Stettin. The coun-
try through which the Oder flows is in general flat,
marshy, and wooded; the land is fertile only in pas-
ture, but is well cultivated, and inhabited by an
active and industrious population.
The basin of the Weser, in which lies the western
portion of the kingdom of Hanover, is bounded
on the south by the mountains of the Thuringian
Forest and the llartz, and is in general dandy and
covered with thickets; its principal riches are flocks
and herds. The Danube, the southernmost of the
four rivers which appear likely to be introduced into
the theatre of a war in Central Germany, runs
through a plain which lies on the southern side of
the Bohemian and Moravian mountains. It does
not appear probable that a war which arose on the
Elbe would penetrate into this region unless the
enemy of Austria were so powerful as to be able to
crush her armies, and actually invade her capital ;
but it is from Vienna, situated in the valley formed
by this stream, that her troops must be supplied,
and that in former campaigns her generals have
been usually directed.

There can be no doubt that, in all future wars in
civilised countries, the lines of railways kill direct
the routs pursued by armies either advancing or in
retreat; for, although the actual combatant troops
may not be moved by rail, the facilities which this
mode of conveyance affords for the transport of
stores and war material will necessitate its adoption.
Four main lines of railroad lead from Vienna to
the Prussian frontier.
1. On the east, from Vienna by Leudenburg and
Prerau to Oderburg, on the Silesian frontier.
2. By Leudenburg, Triebitz, Pardubitz, and
Koniggratz to Zittau, on the Saxon frontier.
An auxiliary line connects Leudenburg and
Triebitz.

3. From Vienna by Passau, Regensburg, and
Prague, to Dresden and the valley of the Elbe.
These three are connected in Bohemia and Mora-
via by a transverse line, which, quitting the last-
mentioned line, Passes through Prague, Pardubitz,
and Prerau.
4. From Vienna by Ratisbon, Eger, Plauer, and
Leipsic.
Four lines also lead from Berlin to the southern
frontier of Prussia :-
1. On the west by Berlin, Magdeburg, and Halle
to Leipsic.
2. By Juterbogk to Riess.

These two are connected by transverse lines be-
tween Juterbogk, Wittenberg and Halle, andJutenbock, Wittenberg, and Kothen.
3. By Hansdorff and Gorlitz.
4. By Posen and Lissa into Silesia.
The last two in Silesia form a perfect network of
branches, which render this province peculiarly fa-
vourable for military movements.
In the kingdom of Saxony all these lines meet
either directly or by means of branches, so that this
kingdom appears to be an excellent central position
for either attack or defence, and will give a great
advantage to that side to which it may attach itself
or by which it may be first occupied. Should the
Austrians be admitted into or seize Saxony, the la-