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history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第17部分

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y: half a mile northeastward of Slatislunz; the mal…odorous Inn。 A conical height of perhaps a hundred and fifty feet; rises rather suddenly from the still…sloping ground; checking the slope there; on which the Austrian populations have built some memorial lately; notable to Tourists。 Here Friedrich 〃stood during the Battle;〃 say they; and the Prussians 〃had a battery there。〃 Which remains uncertain to me; at least the battery part of it: that Friedrich himself was there; now and then; can be believed; but not that he kept 〃standing there〃 for long together。 Friedrich's…Berg does command some view of the Kreczor scene; which at times was cardinal; at others not: but Friedrich did not stand anywhere: 〃oftenest in the thick of the fire;〃 say those who saw。

Friedrich; from his Inn near Planian; seeing how Daun deploys himself; considers him impregnable on the left wing; impregnable; too; in front: not so on the Kreczor side; right flank and rear; but capable of being rolled together; if well struck at there。 Thither therefore; that is his vulnerable point。 March along his front: quietly parallel in due Order of Battle; till we can bend round; and plunge in upon that。 The Van; which consists of Ziethen's Horse and Hulsen's Infantry; Van; having faced to right at the proper moment and so become Left Wing; will attack Kreczor; probably carry it; each Division following will in like manner face to right when it arrives there; and fall on in regular succession in support of Hulsen (at Hulsen's right flank; if Hulsen be found prospering): our Right Wing is to refuse itself; and be as a Reserve;no fighting on the road; you others; but steady towards Hulsen; in continual succession; all you; no facing round; no fighting anywhere; till we get thither:〃March!〃

The word is given about 2 P。M。; and all; on the instant; is in motion; rolls steadily eastward; in two columns; which will become First Line and Second。 One along the Highway; the second at due distance leftward on the green ground; no hedge or other obstacle obstructing in that part of the world。 Daun's batteries; on the right; spit at them in passing; to no purpose; sputters of Pandour musketry; from coverts; there may be: Prussians finely disregarding; pass along; flowing tide…like towards THEIR goal and place of choice。 An impressive phenomenon in the sunny afternoon; with Daun expectant of them; and the Czech populations well hidden underground!

Ziethen; vanmost of all; finds Nadasti and his Austrian squadrons drawn across the Highway; hitherward of the Kreczor latitude: Ziethen dashes on Nadasti; tumbles his squadrons and him away; clears the Road; and Kreczor neighborhood; of Nadasti: drives him quite into the hollow of Radowesnitz; where he stood inactive for the rest of the day。 Hulsen now at the level of Kreczor (in the latitude of Kreczor; as we phrased it); halts; faces to right; stiffly presses up; opens his cannon…thunders; his bayonet…charges and platoon…fires upon Kreczor。 Stiffly pressing up; in spite of the violent counter…thunders; Hulsen does manage Kreczor without very much delay; completely enough; and like a workman; takes the battery; two batteries; overturns the Infantry;in a word; has seized Kreczor; and; as new tenant; swept the old; and their litter; quite out。 Of all which Ziethen has now the chase; and by no means will neglect that duty。 Ziethen; driving the rout before him; has driven it in some minutes past the little Oak…wood above mentioned; and; or rather BUT;what is much to be noted;is there taken in flank with cannon…shot and musketry; Daun having put batteries and Croat parties in the Oak…wood; and is forced to draw bridle; and get out of range again。

Hulsen; advancing towards this little Oak…wood; is surprised to discover; not the wood alone; but a strong Austrian force; foot and horse; to rear of it;such had been Daun's and Nadasti's precaution; on view of those Friedrich phenomena; flowing on from Planian; guessed to be hitherward。 At sight of which Wood and foot… party; Hulsen; no new Battalion having yet arrived to second him; pauses; merely cannonading from the distance; till new Battalions shall arrive。 Unhappily they did not arrive; or not in due quantity at the set time;for what reason; by what strange mistake? men still ask themselves。 Probably by more mistakes than one。 Enough; Hulsen struggling here all day; with reinforcements never adequate; did take the Wood; and then lose it; did take and lose this and that;but was unable to make more of it than keep his ground thereabouts。 A resolute man; says Retzow; but without invention of his own; or head to mend the mistakes of others。 In and about Kreczor; Hulsen did maintain himself with more and more tenacity; till the general avalanche; fruit of sad mistakes swept HIM; quite spasmodically struggling at that period; off to the edge of it; and all the others clean away! Mistakes have been to rightwards; one or even two; the fruit of which; small at first; suffices to turn the balance; and ends in an avalanche; or precipitous descent of ruin on the Prussian side

One mistake there was; miles westward on the right wing; due to Mannstein; our too impetuous Russian friend; Mannstein well to right; while marching forward according to order; has Croat musketry spitting upon him from amid the high corn; to an inconvenient extent: such was the common lot; which others had borne and disregarded: perhaps it was beyond the average on Mannstein; or Mannstein's patience was less infinite; any way it provoked Mannstein to boil over; and in an evil moment he said; 〃Extinguish me that Croat canaille; then!〃 Regiment Bornstedt faced to right; accordingly; took to extinguishing the Croat canaille; which of course fled at once; or squatted closer; but came back with reinforcements; drew Mannstein deeper in; fatally delayed Bornstedt; and proved widely ruinous。 For now he stopped the way to those following him: regiments marching on to rear of Mannstein see Mannstein halted; volleying with the Austrians; ask themselves 〃How? Is there new order come? Attack to be in this point?〃 And successively fall on to support Mannstein; as the one clear point in such dubiety。 So that the whole right wing from Regiment Bornstedt westward is storming up the difficult steeps; in hot conflict with the Austrians there; where success against them had been judged impracticable;and there is now no reserve force anywhere to be applied to in emergency; for Hulsen's behoof or another's; and the Plan of Battle from Mannstein westward has been fatally overturned。 Poor Mannstein; there is no doubt; committed this error; being too fiery a man。 Surely to him it was no luxury; and he paid the smart for it in skin and soul: 〃badly wounded in this business;〃 nay; in direct sequel; not many weeks after; killed by it; as we shall see!

To Mannstein's mistake; Friedrich himself; in his account of Kolin; mainly imputes the disaster that followed; and such; then and afterwards; was the universal judgment in military circles; loading the memory of too impetuous Mannstein with the whole。 'See Retzow; i。 135; Templehof; i。 214; 220。' Much talk there was in Prussian military circles; but there must also have been an admirable silence on the part of some。 To Three Persons it was known that another strange incident had happened far ahead; far eastward; of Mannstein's position: incident which did not by any means tend to alleviate; which could only strengthen and widen; the evil results of Mannstein; and which might have lifted part of the load from Mannstein's memory! Not till the present Century; after the lapse of almost fifty years; was this secret slowly dug out of silence; and submitted to modern curiosity。

The incident is this;never whispered of for near fifty years (so silent were the three); and endlessly tossed about since that; the sense of it not understood till almost now。 'See Retzow; i。 126; Berenhorst; &c。 &c。;then FINALLY Kutzen; pp。 99; 217。' The three parties were: King Friedrich; Moritz of Dessau; leading on the centre here; Moritz's young Nephew Franz; Heir of Dessau; a brisk lad of seventeen; learning War here as Aide…de…camp to Moritz: the exact spot is not known to me;probably the ground near that Inn of Slatislunz; or Golden…Sun; between the foot of Friedrich's…Berg and that:fact indubitable; though kept dark so long。 Moritz is marching with the centre; or main battle; that way; intending to wheel and turn hillwards; Kreczor…wise; as per order; certain furlongs ahead; when Friedrich (having; so I can conceive it; seen from his Hill…top; how Hulsen had done Kreczor; altogether prosperous there; and what endless capability there was of prospering to all lengths and speeding the general winning; were Hulsen but supported soon enough; were there any safe short…cut to Hulsen) dashed from his Hill…top in hot haste towards Prince Moritz; General of the centre; intending to direct him upon such short…cut; and hastily said; with Olympian brevity and fire; 〃Face to right HERE!〃 With Jove…like brevity; and in such blaze of Olympian fire as we may imagine。 Moritz himself is of brief; crabbed; fiery mind; brief in temper; and answers to the effect; 〃Impossible to attack the enemy here; your Majesty; postured as they are; and we with such orders gone abroad!〃〃Face to right; I tell you!〃 said the King; still more Olympian; and too emphatic for explaining。 Moritz; I hope; paused; but rather think he did not; before remonstrating the second time; neither perhaps was his voice so low as it should have been: it is certain Friedrich dashed quite up to Moritz at this second remonstrance; flashed out his sword (the only time he ever drew his sword in battle); and now; gone all to mere Olympian lightning and thundertone; asks in THIS attitude; 〃WILL ER (Will He) obey orders; then?〃Moritz; fallen silent of remonstrance; with gloomy rapidity obeys。

Prince Franz; the young Nephew of Moritz; alone witnessed this scene; scene to be locked in threefold silence。 In his old age; Franz had whispered it to Berenhorst; his bastard Half…Uncle; a famed military Critic;who is still in the highest repute that way (Berenhorst's KRIEGSKUNST; and other deep Books); and is recognizable; to LAY readers; for an abstruse strong judgment; with equal strength of abstr
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