Zorndorf 1758

With maps and detailed explanation, this slim volume recounts Prussia's response to an unexpectedly strong Russian invasion. In January 1758 Count Wilhelm Fermor marched into East Prussia at the head of 45,000 Russians. Frederick the Great was dismissive of the Russian army and failed to take the threat seriously. With the Russians laying siege to the fortress of Cüstrin, Frederick crossed the River Oder and cut their supply lines. On 25 August the two armies met at Zorndorf. This book details the bitter day-long battle in which the Russian infantry refused to buckle. Casualties were horrific, the Russians losing almost half their army. As Simon Millar explores, Frederick had managed to stave off the Russian threat but his opinion of their army had changed dramatically.