Battle of Mollwitz | |||||||
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Part of the First Silesian War (War of the Austrian Succession) | |||||||
Prussian infantry during battle of Mollwitz 1741 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Prussia | Austria | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Frederick II Count Schwerin | Wilhelm Reinhard von Neipperg | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
21,600[1] 58 guns[2] |
15,800[3]-19,000[4] 19 guns[2] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
4,850 dead, wounded or missing/prisoners[5] | 4,550 dead, wounded or missing/prisoners[5] |
The Battle of Mollwitz was fought by Prussia and Austria on 10 April 1741, during the First Silesian War (in the early stages of the War of the Austrian Succession). It was the first battle of the new Prussian King Frederick II, in which both sides made numerous military blunders and King Frederick II of Prussia fled the battlefield, but the Prussian Army still managed to attain victory. This battle cemented Frederick's authority over the newly conquered territory of Silesia and gave him valuable military experience.