Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-08-07
SADOWA.


The issues of the present war in
Europe being involved with those of the
war of 1866, we give a brief resume of
the Sadowa campaign. Austria and
Prussia had, in their war with Denmark,
wrested from the latter the duchies of
Sehleswig and Holstein. Austria favored
the claims of the Prince of Augustenberg
to the ducal authorities, but Prussia, in
October, 1866, published the opinion of
the crown jurists that according to the
treaty of Vienna, concluded October 30,
1864, Denmark had yielded the sovereignty
of these duchies to Austria and Prussia,
jointly and exclusively.
The Austrian sympathy with Augusten-
burg was regarded by Prussia as indicat-
ing an GniDlItS hostile to the joint SOW
ereignty. Austria began in 1866 to put
her army on war footing, and Prussia,
understanding the purpose of this arrna-
nnent, about the last of March began to
arm in her own defense. Austria ex-
planned her military preparations by the
necessity for protecting the Jews in Bo-
hemia from popular persecution, a pre-
text as shallow as that of France in max
ing the present war. After considerable
discussion the belligerent parties agreed
to disarm; but the agreement, through mu-
tual suspicion, was not carried out.
A demand on the part of Prussia for
reorganization of the Diet provoked dis
cussions which still further widened the
breach, and finally Prussia declared that
if no attention was paid to this demand,
she must regard the Diet as failure and
seek other redress. The Austrian Cover
nor of Holstein had been ordered to con-
yoke the Estates to deliberate upon their
political status, and this was regarded by
Prussia as a direct violation of treaty
stipulations.
In addition to sharp diplomatic note,
Bismark sent body of troops into HOls-
TEN, the commander of which was dir
ected to invite the Austrian Governor to
unite in a Joint administration of the
ducbies, but the Austrians deny such an
invitation was ever received. They with
drew from the territory, and Prussia as
sumed the administration. Austria then
moved in the Diet the mobilization of its
forces, and this motion, by some political
trickery, was declared carried. Prussia
now declared the Diet dissolved by viola
ton of its Constitution, and called upon
the German States to rally around her in
a new COnfederacy. This was virtually
a declaration of war. On the 18th of
June, 1856, Prussia summoned Hanover,
Saxony and Hesse-Cassel to reduce their
armies to the peace footing, and to join
the new Confederation, and, upon their
refusal, declared war, Immediately march
ing her troops into their territory.
In order to have no enemy in the rear,
Prussia, with great celebrity, occupied
Hessel- Cassel, Hanover and Saxony. The
King of the latter, even before the Prus-
sian invasion, marched to join the Aus
trians in Bohemia. All these decisive
events occurred on the 18th and 10th of
June. Negotiations for an accommoda-
ton with Hanover having failed, her
army attempted to break the PruSsian
lines at Langensalza The failure of the
| Bavarians to come to their aid caused
their surrender to the rapidly concen-
| trating Prussian army.
To the operations in Italy our limited
| space will permit us to allude but briefly.
| The Italians were defeated at Custozza on
| the Path of June and retreated to Valez-
zio. In July the same people advanced
into Venetia, the Austrians not being able
to keep the field. On the left of the
Italians an auxiliary corps of $4,000 men
under Garibaldi operated in the passes of
the Tyrol. The final result was the re-
treat of the Austrians through Veneti2.
| During these minor operations in the
| South the grand movements of the war
were taking place in Germany. Prussia
| had organized three columns of invasion.
The first army, consisting of the %, Sd
and 4th corps, with the cavalry of the
guard, under the command of Prince
Frederick Charles, having occupied the
southern frontier of Saxony Immediately
after its evacuation by its King, entered
the Austrian province of Bohemia, reach
ing Reichenburg on the oath of June.
The third army formed of the 8th corps
and one division of the 9TH, effected q
junction with the first army in front of
Munchengratz, the point of concentration
of .he threatening Austrians, thus mass.
ing one hundred and twenty Thousand
men, and the united force drove the Aus
TRANS from their positions in full retrea
| upon Nechanitz. In the meantime, The
second army, consisting of the 1st, 5tl
and 9th corps, with the Guards, under tn,
Crown Prince, crossed Silesia into Bohe
mia on the Goth of June, near the villagt
of Nachod, and the next day drove tn,
Austrians back upon Skility.
After a series of brilliant movements