Disaster at Leuthen TL - Frederick the Great dies in battle

“...the Prussian king’s horse bolted suddenly, whether from a noise or some other occurrence may never be known, and Frederick was tossed from his saddle. The king’s retinue could only look on in stunned horror as the monarch’s head smashed into a rock and his lifeless body sprawled out on the road. The great Frederick II was dead.” – An excerpt from ‘The Four Year’s War’ by Arthur Stonebridge.

“...the sudden and accidental death of Frederick II was the pivotal moment of the war. The Prussian army, demoralised, confused and without their great leader, was subsequently routed by the larger Austrian army at the Battle of Leuthen on December 5th 1757. The Prussian cause, already desperate, was now hopeless.” – An excerpt from Ferdinand Strauss’s ‘A History of Prussia’.


OOC: This is my first TL. The POD is Frederick II dies on the verge of the battle of Leuthen, leading to a Prussian defeat in the Seven Years War. Feedback welcome
 
The Four Years War
(1756-1760)
Part I

The Four Year’s War, in Europe, began on 29th August 1756 when Prussian king Frederick II, having recently signed an alliance with Great Britain, invaded the German nation of Saxony in a move designed to pre-empt an Austro-French invasion of Silesia. The Prussian army won a series of battles against the Austro-Saxon forces, eventually cumulating in the surrender of Saxony. The invasion of Saxony however was viewed negatively in the rest of Europe and soon Austria was joined by France and Russia in the war against Prussia. Great Britain joined their Prussian allies, and began sending aid to the Prussians as well as deploying an army under the Duke of Cumberland to Hannover.

Elsewhere in the world the colonial superpowers, Britain and France, battled against each other. In North America the conflict had begun two years ago, and had been going poorly for the British. The French continued to enjoy success, repelling various British assaults into Canada and into Louisiana. The French and their Indian allies maintained the upper hand against the British and the colonials and were even able to seize the British base at Fort Oswego. In India the conflict was known as the Third Carnatic War.

Meanwhile in Europe, Frederick II invaded Austrian Bohemia in attempt to knock Austria out of the war, as the Russians invaded East Prussia. The Prussian advance into Bohemia however was dealt a blow with defeat at the Battle of Kolin on June 18th 1757 and Fredrick was forced to withdraw back into Prussia. Meanwhile the French had moved west and attacked Hannover defeating the Duke of Cumberland’s forces at the Battle of Hastenbeck, which resulted in the Convention of Klosterzeven and the surrender of Hannover and Cumberland’s forces. The Prussian victory at the Battle of Rossbach however gave the Prussians hope that they could survive. Tragedy however followed shortly after with the surprise death of Frederick II following a fall from his horse and the subsequently decisive Austrian victory at the Battle of Leuthen. Frederick’s heir apparent was his nephew the thirteen year old Frederick William. The sudden death of the king threw the Prussian government into a state of chaos.

The Prussian army that had been crushed at Leuthen withdrew north in disarray where it was again defeated by the Austrians at the Battle of Crossen in February 1758. This defeat resulted in the complete destruction of the Prussian Army. This, in addition to the Russian advances in the East and the French successes in the west caused the Prussian government, still in disarray, to ask for an armistice, which was accepted in early May 1758.
 
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I'm interested. With Prussia's rise being nipped in its most decisive hour, this could lead to a different end...

A Franco-Austrian victory perhaps?
 
Prussia has lost. Britain won't so much lose as be forced into an unfavourable peace, France will emerge as the main victor.
 
The Four Years War
(1756-1760)
Part II


The collapse of their continental ally left the British in a serious state. The new British government led by William Pitt had set the goal of conquering Canada this year by attacking the French at Louisbourg and Quebec. However, the Prussian collapse had thrown doubt onto all these plans. The French and their allies were now able to shift their focus entirely against Britain. Seeing the Prussian collapse and sensing Britain’s upcoming defeat, Spain, under French pressure, declared war on Great Britain in early June 1758. The Pitt government decided that hey had to act fast to reach a position from which an agreeable peace could be reached. The British plan was therefore to quickly assemble a force in Britain which would be sent to seize Louisbourg while meanwhile creating a force of colonial troops and drive the French out of the Ohio River Valley area. Pitt sent out a passionate call to the colonials asking them for more men to drive out the French, and they responded quite strongly and the volunteers began assembling.

The French and their allies had different plans however. The Spanish began assembling troops in Florida in order to strike at the southern British colonies. Meanwhile the French and Spanish began expanding and improving their fleets. Following the Treaty of Dresden in August 1758, formally acknowledging the Prussian surrender, the French began moving their forces west and massing them near Calais, threatening the invasion of Britain. Seeing the entire might of the French army across the Channel the Royal Navy was called back to defend the home islands. With the Royal Navy concentrated at home the French and Spanish managed to slip more and more men and equipment through the British blockade and land them in the New World. In January of 1759 the French dispatched a large expedition to Canada, containing around 15,000 men. The Pitt government became aware of this and called for the expedition to be intercepted. However, the King and other members of parliament refused, saying this could be a ruse and that the main strength should be kept at home.

With nearly all of mainland Europe closed to it, Britain’s trading ability was severely curtailed and thus the government began to run out of money. The French, now solely focused on Britain and receiving money from a defeated Prussia, were able to out finance their opponents. In order to improve the financial strain on the country Pitt dispatched ships south to raid and capture French West African bases and then proceed on to Africa. With the French expedition now clearly heading to the New World, Pitt was able to gather enough support to dispatch ships from the Home Fleet for his African mission.

In March of 1759 the colonial forces with a British attachment under General Forbes moved west into the Ohio Valley as part of the envisioned British double offensive. The British force that had been organised to attack Louisbourg was delayed however by the invasion scare, and finally arrived in early April. However the imminent arrival of the French expedition, dissuaded the British from attacking Louisbourg, fearing that they would be trapped between the fort and the arriving French. Instead the British moved south to their base at Halifax. The French fleet arrived later that month, the British fleet moved to intercept them. A titanic naval battle ensued off Cape Breton. The French tried to force their way through the British to land their men. At the end of the day the French casualties were 6 ships of the line destroyed, 1 captured, around a dozen smaller vessels lost and around 5,000 dead. The British had lost only 4 ships of the line and less than 10 other ships. However, the French were still able to land around 9,000 men of the expedition before being forced to break off.

In June the French Expedition moved south to strike at Halifax. On July 2nd the British moved out to meet them and the Battle of Halifax was fought. The French army, veterans of the European war, were joined by a further 1,000 men, mostly French Canadians and a few French-allied Indians. The result was a decisive French victory, the British forces was destroyed and Halifax fell. Meanwhile the British Ohio Campaign and succeeded in taking Fort Duquesne and Fort Niagara. However, the Spanish drive into the Carolinas and the French victory at Halifax more than neutralised these gains. In early August, with the Royal Navy concentrated heavily at home, a surprise Franco-Spanish force managed to capture Barbados. In India meanwhile the fighting had gone back and forth, yet neither side had managed to make a significant breakthrough, the arrival of British ships dispatched by Pitt allowed them the British to compete with the French in the subcontinent. The British victory at Plassey however cemented their control over Bengal.


In December the last major battle of the war would be fought. With the nation war weary and with the defeats at Halifax and Cape Breton the Pitt government decided that a resounding victory was needed to raise the country’s morale. The British decide to attack the combined Franco-Spanish fleet massing near Brest. The Royal Navy is however spread across the globe and the force sent to attack the allied fleet is not as powerful as it could have been, especially following the losses at Cape Breton and the ships sent to India and Africa. On December 5th the Royal Navy attacks the allied fleet near Quiberon Bay. The result is a pyrrhic victory for the British. The allies loose nine ships of the line, the British eight and the allied fleet is put to flight. However, the inconclusive victory is not enough to rally the nation. The King, who has the interests of Hannover rather than Britain at heart, intervenes. Pitt is dismissed and the Duke of Newcastle is placed in charge. In early February, following a series of skirmishes and with the French army in Canada marching south, the British ask for an armistice according to status quo ante bellum. The French counter, offering to cede Chandernagore and some West African bases in return for Barbados and Belize (to Spain) and peace. India was to be divided with Britain in Bengal and France in the southeast. After much debate the war weary British government accepts, and the Treaty of Rotterdam is signed on March 27th 1760.


 
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I like your timeline, yet I have some concerns with the peace treaty you made.

First, I doubt that France would really be interested in Kleve, Mark and Ravensberg - all protestant and far away. Probably Austria isn't that interested to get a strong French presence in North-West Germany either, with the Austrian Netherlands then between France proper and the new French possessions.

Second, Prussia's losses are rather small. The peace preserves Prussia as a major power in Germany - probably the Austrians would want more. You might give Pommerania up to Stettin to Sweden. East Prussia might go under a secondary branch of the Hohenzollern or directly to Poland - which exchanges it against some lands it looses to Russia.
 
I like your timeline, yet I have some concerns with the peace treaty you made.

First, I doubt that France would really be interested in Kleve, Mark and Ravensberg - all protestant and far away. Probably Austria isn't that interested to get a strong French presence in North-West Germany either, with the Austrian Netherlands then between France proper and the new French possessions.

Second, Prussia's losses are rather small. The peace preserves Prussia as a major power in Germany - probably the Austrians would want more. You might give Pommerania up to Stettin to Sweden. East Prussia might go under a secondary branch of the Hohenzollern or directly to Poland - which exchanges it against some lands it looses to Russia.

Agreed. East Prussia was planned to go to Poland and exchanged with Courland and probably Royal Livonia to be given to Russia. Saxony is also likely to be given something (maybe Magdeburg?). France might or might not be given the part of western prussian lands west of the Rhine, but most likely nothing at all across the river. Sweden was also a part of the anti-prussian coalition and surely will get at least some bit more of Pomerania with probably Stettin, and even all of Pomerania in case of a Carthaginian peace, which is likely since the vengeful will of the Austrians and the lack of an already established Prussian role in the BoP.
 

Valdemar II

Banned
Saxony had a claim to Cleve, Mark and Ravensberg, beside at thias point they are still in personal union with Poland. So if they are a little smart they are going to push Ducal Prussia as a Royal Polish Domain*. Beside that Sweden would at least regain what they lost to Prussia in 1721 (Prussia Vorpommern and Strettin), and they may also regain Bremen-Verden from Hanover, and if they are pushing it also gain Hinterpommern from Prussia. France will likely gain some inland territories of the Austrian Netherlands or/and colonial possesions (from UK as payment for not gaining the entire Austrian Netherlands).

*Poland are gaining it because Courland and Semigalia shifting from a Polish to Russian vassal.
 
What about the Treaty of Versailles, the one signed in early 1757 before the POD? Austria was to gain Parma and Silesia in exchange for part of the Austrian Netherlands where the French would install the House of Bourbon Parma to rule a client state. I assume the Treaty would still be in force and I see you've given Austria Parma as well as Silesia so what happens to the House of Bourbon Parma?
 
I doubt Prussia would collapse this fast. They do have other great generals.

What about Prince Henry?

Yes they do. But with Frederick II dead a thirteen year old is on the throne. With three great powers invading their lands they really can't mount an effective resistance. There will be some Prussians who resent the peace and this will have future consequences.

Saxony had a claim to Cleve, Mark and Ravensberg, beside at thias point they are still in personal union with Poland. So if they are a little smart they are going to push Ducal Prussia as a Royal Polish Domain*. Beside that Sweden would at least regain what they lost to Prussia in 1721 (Prussia Vorpommern and Strettin), and they may also regain Bremen-Verden from Hanover, and if they are pushing it also gain Hinterpommern from Prussia. France will likely gain some inland territories of the Austrian Netherlands or/and colonial possesions (from UK as payment for not gaining the entire Austrian Netherlands).

*Poland are gaining it because Courland and Semigalia shifting from a Polish to Russian vassal.

Yes I see your points. I've edited the map to give Saxony the gains in Germany, Kleves etc. Poland has taken East Prussia in exchange for ceding Courland to Russia as well as Russia taking its OTL post-partition eastern Polish territories. France will gain British colonial territories as made evident in the next update.

What about the Treaty of Versailles, the one signed in early 1757 before the POD? Austria was to gain Parma and Silesia in exchange for part of the Austrian Netherlands where the French would install the House of Bourbon Parma to rule a client state. I assume the Treaty would still be in force and I see you've given Austria Parma as well as Silesia so what happens to the House of Bourbon Parma?

I have given Parma to France, at least made it into a vassal. French claims to the Netherlands were blocked by other powers, cheifly Britain, France's main gains will be overseas. Austria will keep the Netherlands, at least for now, and take Silesia, as well as there other Italian territories.

Hmm, i guess if a defeated Prussia could save Poland to the partition....

Yeah there will be no official 'paritions of Poland'. The Poles will survive as ay least a medium power for longer than OTL, I've got some interesting plans for the Poles.



Revised Treaty of Dresden (1760): Saxony gains Prussian German territory and is enlarged to form a counter to future Prussian expansion. East Prussia is given to Poland who lose Courland and eastern territory to Russia. France gains a puppet state in Parma (Colonial gains will be shown in the next update). Sweden gains territory in Pommerania. Austria takes Silesia and keeps its Italian and Netherland territories. Prussia is forced to pay indemnities to the allies and is forced to limit its army. (I think this is a more realistic treaty, Prussia was never fully conquered so its gonna remain at least a decent power, but is now on a level with Saxony):

1758 Treaty of Dresden small.png
 
Well IMHO this is a better treaty, however Parma at this point was already ruled by the house of Bourbon-Parma.
I agree with Vitruvius and the 1757 treaty of Versailles is a good arrangement. Austria gains Silesia and Parma and the former duke of Parma (from a cadet branch of the Spanish Bourbons) is compensated with the former Austrian Netherlands as a French client state.
 
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