!!!Preußisch-österreichischer Krieg 1866

Austro-Prussian War of 1866, between Austria and most of the German 
states on one side and Prussia, Italy and some small states in 
Northern Germany and Thuerigen on the other. The reason for the 
Austro-Prussian War was the tensions between the two great powers, 
which had been increasing ever since the  Deutscher Bund had been 
founded ( Olmuetz, Punctation of). The Prussian Minister-President 
O. v. Bismarck eventually pressed for a military solution.

\\
The actual pretext found by Bismarck was a dispute over the 
administration of Schleswig-Holstein, which had been held jointly by 
Austria and Prussia since 1864 ( German-Danish War); their differences 
were once more papered over by the  Gasteiner Konvention in 1865. But 
when Prussia occupied Holstein in defiance of this agreement, Austria 
called on the other states of the Confederation to mobilise their 
armies against Prussia. Prussia then left the German Confederation and 
declared war on Austria on June 19, 1866.

\\
All the medium-sized German States (Bavaria, Hanover, Saxony, 
Wuerttemberg, Baden etc.) and most of the smaller states lined up 
behind Austria, and Prussia was supported by some of the northern 
German states, Thuringia and Italy. The Prussian army was superior to 
Austria´s, which had to fight on two front lines, not only in 
numbers, but especially in arms (breech-loading needle guns versus 
outdated muzzle loaders), and among the Austrian allies only Saxony 
was prepared to effectively support Austria.

\\
Prussia overran Saxony without a declaration of war and invaded 
Bohemia. After the Austrian General L. v.  Gablenz had beaten a 
Prussian corps near Trautenau (Trutnov) on June 27, the Austrian 
forces and the Saxon army under L. v.  Benedek were heavily 
defeated in the Battle of  Koeniggraetz (Sadowa) on July 3. 
Austria withdrew its troops to the River Danube, the Prussian army 
advanced on Vienna (up to Stockerau and Gaenserndorf).

\\
However, in the Italian theatre of war Austria won under Archduke 
Albrecht near  Custozza on June 24, and the Austrian navy was 
victorious under W. v.  Tegetthoff near  Lissa on July 20. 
Through mediation by the French Emperor, Napoleon III, Austria 
and Prussia concluded the preliminary Peace of Nikolsburg (July 26) 
and then the definitive Treaty of Prague (August 23); on 
October 3, Austria made peace with Italy (Peace of Vienna). 
Austria had to cede Holstein to Prussia, accept the dissolution of the 
German Confederation and recognise the Prussian annexation of northern 
Germany (Hanover, Hesse, Schleswig, Frankfurt etc.); in addition, 
Austria had to pay high reparations to Prussia and cede Venetia to 
Italy.

!Literature
W. v. Groote and U. v. Gersdorff (eds.), 
Entscheidung 1866. Der Krieg zwischen Oesterreich und Preussen, 1966; 
G. A. Craig, Koeniggraetz, 1966; Museum of Military History 
(ed.), Gedenkschrift 1866, 1966.


%%language
[Back to the Austrian Version|AEIOU/Preußisch-österreichischer_Krieg_1866|class='wikipage austrian']
%%

[{FreezeArticle author='AEIOU' template='Lexikon_1995_englisch'}]
[{ALLOW view All}][{ALLOW comment All}][{ALLOW edit FreezeAdmin}]