Battle of Chotusitz The Battle of Chotusitz , or Chotusice , sometimes called the Battle of Czaslau , was fought on May 17 , 1742 in Bohemia between the Austrians under Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine and the Prussia ns under Frederick the Great . The battle was a part of the War of the Austrian Succession sometimes referred to as the First Silesian War . The armies were about equal at 28 , 000 to 30 , 000 each , with the Prussians having about 2 , 000 more infantry and the Austrians some 2 , 000 more cavalry . The Austrians were attempting to retake occupied Prague and the Prussians were trying to block them from accomplishing that . The battle of Chotusitz was especially notable in that it was the only major battle started by the Austrians during this war . Preliminary maneuvers . Prince Charles had entered Bohemia with the intention of liberating the occupied capital of Prague . Faulty intelligence misinformed him of the strength of the Prussians in the area and he was unaware that Frederick was before of him with the main Prussian force . The Prussian army had divided with Frederick leading the vanguard about 10 , 000 strong , marching on Kuttenberg , Kutna Hora , with the intent of preventing the Austrians from reaching Prague . The main army of nearly 20 , 000 followed a day later under Prince Leopold of Anhalt . With the two Prussians forces a day ' s march apart and out of supporting distance of each other Charles had an opportunity of inflicting a defeat in detail on one , or both , of the Prussian forces . Unfortunately , a wary Charles hesitated for a day and the two Prussians forces , realizing the danger , both moved towards each other . Leopold marching through the night reached Chotusitz at 2 A . M . and established tenuous contact with Frederick . Leopold went into camp a little north of what was to be the field of battle on the plain in the valley of the Elbe near the small hamlet of Chotusitz . Charles of Lorraine , hoping to catch Leopold cut off from Frederick while the Prussians were divided , advanced north with his force in four columns . He decided to attempt a night attack , or camisade . Charles ' overnight advance took longer than anticipated and it was well after dawn that he approached the field with 30 , 000 troops . Alerted to the danger , Frederick gave Leopold instructions to deploy on Chotusitz and hold until the rest of the Prussians could come up with Frederick , bringing their forces up to 28 , 000 . Frederick gave orders to Leopold to deploy leaving room for Frederick ' s force to come in on the right and he then began marching towards the field at 4 A . M . with the intent of arriving at 7 A . M . . Leopold marched from the camp to Chotusitz and positioned his troops facing south - east in the town and to the right and left with cavalry on each flank with each flank resting on difficult terrain . The left flank terrain was very broken with gullies and ponds and unsuitable for the cavalry . On the right , Leopold ' s cavalry wing under the seventy - year - old Wilhelm Dietrich von Buddenbrock , a veteran who had fought at Oudenarde , spread his cavalry line to the right to take advantage of a rise in the ground which conceal its extent , allowing Buddenbrock to out flank the oncoming Austrian left flank cavalry . Charles advanced north from the town Czaslau but difficult ground slowed him and the army drifted slightly to their right , aggravating their vulnerability to an attack by Buddenbrock on their left flank . Battle . By 7 A . M . the Austrians were deployed and had advanced to within cannon shot while Frederick had arrived on the field with the rest of the Prussian army . At 8 A . M . Charles ordered a general attack . Frederick rode up the rise behind which Buddenbrock ' s cavalry was partially concealed , observed the Austrian position , quickly unlimbered some guns and began cannonading the Austrian cavalry . Under cover of this fire , Buddenbrock ' s cavalry advanced at a trot and then at a gallop . The Prussian line , in a furious charge , outflanking the Austrian first line , broke and drove the Austrians back on their second line . The day was hot and dry and the cavalry mêlée raised a huge cloud of dust in which the second line of Austrian cavalry now overthrew Buddenbrock sending the Prussian cavalry tumbling back broken , pursued by the Austrians and having suffered over 2 , 000 casualties . The Austrian cavalry was then stopped and driven back by a some cavalry under Rothenburg and couple of Prussian infantry regiments and this flank settled down for a time to some minor clashes and feints . The broken ground on the Prussian left prevented their cavalry there from supporting the infantry in the town of Chotusitz . The Austrian infantry stormed the town and took it almost completely except for a small section that held out . Failing to completely clear the town , the Austrians set it on fire at about 9 A . M . . Austrian right flank cavalry advanced , encountered the same difficult ground but managed some successful charges . These were ultimately halted by Prussian cavalry which like the other flank ran out of control galloping through the Austrians , finding themselves isolated and cut off behind Austrian lines . The Austrian cavalry and infantry on the right advanced again but finally broke off to loot the Prussian camp and moved beyond any further use in the battle . In the center the Austrian infantry made a number of very determined attacks which are all driven back with heavy loss by the disciplined platoon fire of the Prussian infantry . The burning town made it difficult for Charles to coordinate the efforts of his center and right . The Prussian infantry slowly drove the Austrians from Chotusitz . Back on the Prussian right another cavalry fight was won by the Austrian cavalry who then pursued the defeated Prussian cavalry leaving the Austrian left flank exposed . Frederick had finally made his arrangements and a coordinated attack of twenty three infantry battalions was made on the open Austrian left flank . The Prussian infantry advanced at the double quick preceded by fifteen cannon . Under a furious fire from gun and musket , the Austrians gave way , falling back on their center and right . Seeing this and the possibility of his being cut off from his line of retreat through Czaslau and forced back against brook of Brtlinka , Charles gave the order for a general retreat at about Noon , abandoning his cannon at the town of Czaslau . In a generally orderly withdrawal the pursuing Prussian cavalry was effectively held off by the Austrian cavalry . Aftermath . Each side suffered around 25 % casualties and subsequently avoided any further major conflicts . The battle would lead directly to the treaty of Breslau . Frederick , learning that his French allies might be attempting to make a separate peace , would soon pull out of the war himself , having gained the territory of Silesia for Prussia . Friedrich Leopold von Gessler who led 20 squadron s of cuirassiers in the charge of Buddenbrock ' s cavalry was promoted to lieutenant general and received the order of the Black Eagle for his achievement at Chotusitz . Prince Leopold was made a Field Marshal .