Battle of Fraustadt The Battle of Fraustadt ( or battle of Wschowa ) was fought on February 2 , 1706 ( O . S . ) / February 3 , 1706 ( Swedish calendar ) / February 13 , 1706 ( N . S . ) between Sweden and Saxony - Poland and their Russia n allies near Fraustadt ( present - day Wschowa ) in Poland . During the Battle of Fraustadt on February 3 , August II was only 120 kilometers away with a cavalry force about 8 , 000 men strong . This was one of the main reasons Swedish General Rehnskiöld hurried to engage Schulenburg . The battle is an example of successfully executed pincer movement and was one of Sweden ' s greatest victories in the Great Northern War . Deployment . The Saxon army had not chosen its position carefully ; Schulenburg had been maneuvered into a position chosen by the Swedes . Rehnskiöld withdrew his forces from Schlawa to Fraustadt . Rehnskiöld later stated in his journals , " “ Så resolverade jag att draga mig till Fraustadt tillbaka i den tanken att locka till mig fienden efter mig utur sin fördel , inbillandes honom att jag ville alldeles draga mig av ” " roughly translated as " ” Thus I resolved to withdraw to Fraustadt with the thought to lure the enemy to me away from his advantageous position , deceiving him into thinking I was in full retreat ” " . The Saxons , superior in numbers regarding infantry ( 9 , 000 Saxons and 6 , 300 Russians ) , but with less cavalry ( 4 , 000 Saxons ) than the Swedes , took a strong defensive position behind lines of chevaux de frise littered by artillery . In two lines , with cavalry on both flanks , between the villages of Geyersdorf and Röhrsdorf and ahead of the town of Fraustadt , entrenched behind frozen lakes and marshes opposing the Saxon - Russian army , Rehnskiöld placed his infantry of 3 , 700 men in the center in three columns and his cavalry consisting of 5 , 700 units on both flanks . The Battle . On the left flank , the Swedish cavalry under Hummerhielm had some trouble passing through a frozen swamp , but the Saxon cavalry did not use that advantage . After regrouping , the Swedes charged the Saxon Garde du Corps and Chevaliers Garde regiments three times , utterly routing them . Colonel von Krassow , commander of the Swedish cavalry on the right flank , passed outside the left Russian flank with 12 dragoon squadrons , near the village of Rörsdorf , and engaged the Saxon Cavalry covering the Russian flank . After witnessing the destruction of the Saxon right flank , the left flank fled , and were routed by the Swedish dragoons . Colonel von Krassow ' s cavalry then wheeled clock - wise into the Saxon - Russian rear , which caused several of the Saxon regiments to break formation . On the Saxon left flank , facing Rehnskiöld ' s infantry , the Russians were deployed with their uniforms inside - out so they would look more like Saxons with their red colors instead of the Russian - standard green . This was however an order from Schulenburg who questioned their battle skills to reveal the weakness of the flank . The Swedish infantry assaulted the Saxon - Russian line frontally , under heavy cannon and musket fire . Upon discovering that the left wing of the enemy line was held by the Russian troops , Rhenskiöld directed his infantry to assault their positions , which were also being attacked from the rear by colonel von Krassow ' s cavalry . The Russian infantry were quickly surrounded and dispersed . The Saxon middle had its flank and rear exposed , and its regiments buckled and broke formation in short order under the pressure along its left flank . The Saxon right flank initially held , inflicting some damage to the Swedish infantry until the cavalry in the frozen swamp attacked their rear . The Saxon - Russian army fell apart and the main body fled to the south through Fraustadt . The Swedish cavalry , previously bogged down in the swamp , raced ahead on the open terrain , and met the fleeing Saxons and Russians on the far outskirts of the town . Trapped by Swedish cavalry to their front and infantry to their rear , the defeated Saxon - Russian forces surrendered en masse . Casualties and losses . In the end 7 , 377 Saxons and Russians had been killed and over 7 , 300 taken prisoner where of 2 , 000 of them were wounded . Sweden suffered some 400 killed , ( amongst them , commander of the Kronoberg Regiment , colonel Gabriel Lilliehöök ) and 1 , 000 wounded . Schulenburg managed to escape , despite having suffered a bullet wound to his hip . 71 banners , the whole Saxon artillery , 11 , 000 rapiers and equally as much muskets had also been captured . Analysis . The Swedish success in the battle was due mainly because Rehnskiöld had effectively neutralized the Saxon infantry , who were superior in numbers at the start of the battle , while at the same time the Swedish cavalry under the leadership of Hummerhielm and von Krassow succeeded in performing a pincer movement . Schulenburg also made two grave mistakes : first by being lured into terrain not to his advantage and then underestimating the mobility of the Swedish cavalry , especially on the flanks . It is known from Rehnskiöld ' s personal journals that he had intended a double envelopment from the beginning . The Battle of Fraustadt is one of the most classic double envelopment s in military history . It is probable that Rehnskiöld had studied the Battle of Cannae 216 BC although it is uncertain if he intended to copy it . Aftermath . The captured Russians ( some 500 ) were , according to some historians , executed by an order from Rehnskiöld , although involvement of the latter has been disputed . The authors further quotes Lieutenant Colonel Nils Gyllenstierna of the Norra Skånska cavalry regiment about the fate of the Russian infantry , " “ på några 100 när massakrerat , emedan vi inte i begynnelsen kunde giva kvarter , eftersom vår vänstra flygel ännu stod i full eld ” " roughly translated as " “ all but a few hundred were massacred , as initially quarters could not be given , since our left flank was still in full assault ” " . The road to Saxony was open for King Charles XII of Sweden . King August II of Poland gave up his claim on the Polish crown , although he remained Elector Frederick Augustus I of Saxony . He would later regain the Polish throne in 1709 . The prisoners taken by the Swedes during the battle that were of German , French and Swiss nationality were immediately reorganized into the ranks of the Swedish army . The Saxon prisoners were shipped to Sweden , where they formed a regiment and three battalions . This regiment made a good effort at the Battle of Helsingborg 1710 .