expected from
France, whose efforts this year were centred on the Flanders campaign. In
effect, on the 10th of May, before Frederick took the field, Louis XV. and
Saxe had besieged Tournay, and inflicted upon the relieving army of the
duke of Cumberland the great defeat of Fontenoy (_q.v._). In Silesia the
customary small war had been going on for some time, and the concentration
of the Prussian army was not effected without severe fighting. At the end
of May, Frederick, with about 65,000 men, lay in the camp of Frankenstein,
between Glatz and Neisse, while behind the Riesengebirge about Landshut
Prince Charles had 85,000 Austrians and Saxons. On the 4th of June was
fought the battle of Hohenfriedberg (_q.v._) or Striegau, the greatest
victory as yet of Frederick's career, and, of all his battles, excelled
perhaps by Leuthen and Rossbach only. Prince Charles suffered a complete
defeat and withdrew through the mountains as he had come. Frederick's
pursuit was methodical, for the country was difficult and barren, and he
did not know the extent to which the enemy was demoralized. The manoeuvres
of both leaders on the upper Elbe occupied all the summer, while the
political questions of the imperial election and of an understanding
between Prussia and England were pending. The chief efforts of Austria were
directed towards the valleys of the Main and Lahn and Frankfort, where the
French and Austrian armies manoeuvred for a position from which to overawe
the electoral body. Marshal Traun was successful, and the grand-duke became
the emperor Francis I. on the 13th of September. Frederick agreed with
England to recognize the election a few days later, but Maria Theresa would
not conform to the treaty of Breslau without a further appeal to the
fortune of war. Saxony joined in this last attempt. A new advance of Prince
Charles quickly brought on the battle of Soor, fought on ground destined to
be famous in the war of 1866. Frederick was at first in a position of great
peril, but his army changed front in the face of the advancing enemy and by
its boldness and tenacity won a remarkable victory (September 30). But the
campaign was not ended. An Austrian contingent from the Main joined the
Saxons under Marshal Rutowski, and a combined movement was made in the
direction of Berlin by Rutowski from Saxony and Prince Charles from
Bohemia. The danger was very great. Frederick hurried up his forces from
Silesia and marched as rapidly as pos