Battle of Domstadtl

Overview

The Battle of Domstadtl was a battle between the Habsburg monarchy and the Kingdom of Prussia in the Moravian village of Domašov nad Bystřicí during the Third Silesian War on 30 June 1758, preceded by a minor clash at Guntramovice (Gundersdorf) on 28 June. Austrians under the command of Major General Ernst Gideon von Laudon and Major General Joseph von Siskovits attacked and destroyed a supply convoy bound for the Prussian army besieging Olomouc (Olmütz). The Austrian victory saved the city and the Prussian King Frederick the Great was forced to leave Moravia.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Domstadtl on 30 June 1758 was the decisive action that ended the Prussian siege of Olomouc during the Seven Years' War. An Austrian force of 12,000 under Major General Ernst Gideon von Laudon and Major General Joseph von Siskovits attacked and destroyed a supply convoy bound for the Prussian besieging army, inflicting between 2,700 and 3,500 casualties on a Prussian force of 7,000 under Hans Joachim von Zieten. The loss of the convoy severed the logistical lifeline of Frederick the Great's siege operation, rendering the investment of Olomouc unsustainable. Frederick was consequently forced to abandon Moravia entirely, foreclosing Prussian ambitions in the region during the Third Silesian War. The engagement illustrated the strategic vulnerability of extended supply lines in Moravian terrain and demonstrated that interdicting Prussian logistics could achieve operational results without a direct engagement against Frederick's main force.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)