Frederick The Great In Germany

Frederick The Great In Germany

The Battles in Saxony and Prussia

Military History and Battlefield Tours

27th September - 5th October 2024
(9 Days)

Expert Historian : Major General John Drewienkiewicz CB CMG

Tour price: £3,650

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Frederick The Great In Germany

The Battles in Saxony and Prussia

Military History and Battlefield Tours

Your Holiday Essentials

27th September - 5th October 2024
(9 Days)

Return flights from London, 4 star hotels, buffet breakfast, 3-course dinner with drinks each evening, all entrance fees and expert guide throughout.

Activity Level: 2

Expert Historian: Major General John Drewienkiewicz CB CMG

Prices:

Standard price: £3,375

Incl. travel from UK: £3,650
Room sole occupancy supplement: £345
Non-refundable deposit: £650

Booking open

click here to book

Interested in this tour but not ready to book? Register your interest using the link below and we will keep you updated on the progress of the tour.

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Tour Introduction

This final tour in our trilogy of Fredrick the Great tours takes us mostly to Saxony where we explore battlefields from both The Austrian War of Succession and The Seven Years War. Under the expert guidance of Major-General John Drewienkiewicz, a long time student of the Prussian Army, we examine the roots of that army’s organisation and operation. As we traverse the fields of many of his climactic battles, both victories and defeats, we will appreciate why Frederick the Great is considered one of history’s most influential military thinkers and tacticians, inspirational to generals of later years. Rossbach aside, these battlefields may be amongst Europe’s less well-known and visited, but they remain, in the best part, undisturbed to provide a perfect platform to demonstrate Frederick the Great’s tactical genius. We will be based out a number of most historic cities: Dresden, the one-time capital of Saxony where Frederick and Maria Theresa signed the treaty to end the Second Silesian War and whose centre has been meticulously rebuilt to its baroque and rococo grandeur; the historic fortress city of Torgau, where American and Soviets met in 1945, with its ancient castle and renaissance town hall; and finally the Berlin, home to the Charlottenburg Palace.

Background

Frederick had seized Silesia from Austria during The Austrian War of Succession and in the ensuing peace he ensured that it remained under Prussian hegemony. But a revengeful Austrian Empress, Maria Theresa, determined to win back those lands, went about recruiting allies to her cause. By 1756 Fredrick saw war as inevitable and so determined on a pre-emptive strike against the Austrians, invading neutral Saxony en-route to Bohemia and occupying Dresden and Leipzig in the process. Inevitably these actions brought Saxony into the coalition against him, but at Pirna he swiftly brought that country’s army to its knees, impressing most of those who surrendered in to his own army. Despite these early successes, the ensuing years would be bitter sweet for Frederick, especially in Saxony and Thuringia: at Rossbach he won his greatest victory and effectively removed France from the coalition; at Hochkirch he allowed himself to be surprised and virtually routed; whilst at Torgau, an over-complicated and poorly executed battle plan resulted in a Pyrrhic victory.

Highlights

  • Frederick’s greatest victory at Rossbach
  • The wonderful Baroque city of Dresden
  • The stunning fortress of Koenigstein
  • Dresden’s superb Bundeswehr Military Museum
  • The beautiful palaces of Sanssouci and Charlottenburg

"You can be more certain of gaining the advantage by the employment of deception and speed."

Frederick the Great, March 1764

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival.
Fly London to Berlin and drive to Osterfeld where we check-in to our hotel for 2 nights. Introductory talk before dinner. (D)

Day 2: Rossbach.
Despite being outnumbered nearly 2:1, in November 1757 Frederick won one of his greatest victories at Rossbach. We will see the ground used to hide his flanking manoeuvre and over which he rapidly moved in oblique order to achieve complete surprise. In the nearby village of Reichardtswerben there is a wonderful diorama of the battle itself. (B,D)

Day 3: Kesselsdorf.
At Kesselsdorf (December 1745), a victory at which Frederick was not present, we examine the weak position outside the town where the outnumbered Prussians were initially repulsed and we see where they finally triumphed over an impetuous Austrian counter-attack to capture this important town. This afternoon we visit to the Bundeswehr Military Museum, one of the finest in Europe and which showcases the evolution of German military technology. Check-in to our Dresden hotel for 4 nights. (B,D)

Day 4: Hochkirch.
To the east of Dresden just outside of the historic city of Bautzen we find the battlefield of Hochkirch (14 October 1758), considered one of Frederick’s greatest blunders. We explore the open fields, visit the distinctive church with extant cannonballs embedded into its walls and walk down the ‘Blutgasse’, the scene of bitter close quarter combat. (B,D)

Day 5: Maxen.
At Maxen (November 1759),where once again Frederick was not present, we see where an entire Prussian corps became isolated and forced into humiliating surrender. This afternoon you are free to explore Dresden and dine at your own expense. (B)

Day 6: The invasion of Saxony.
Drive out to Lobositz (1 October 1756), the opening battle of the Seven Years War, a narrow victory for Frederick force dubiously declared as a victory. Thence to the fortress of Pirna, successfully besieged by Frederick in 1756, resulting in the surrender of the Saxon army within a month. At the majestic and towering Saxon fortress at Konigstein, we take the lift to the inside of its walls where we find a wonderful museum with a fine display of military hardware, explore its many period buildings and gain magnificent views over the Elbe valley. We finish the day at the Lilienstein to discuss the Saxon surrender and enjoy stunning views of the Koenigstein fortress. (B,D)

Day 7: Torgau.
heck-out of the hotel and drive to the vital River Elbe bastion of Torgau where we explore much of its existing fortifications. Thence to the battlefield which, in November 1760, saw one of the bloodiest battles of the Third Silesian War. We consider Frederick’s turning movements, appreciate how the extant forest served to disorientate the Prussian forces and determine whether indeed Frederick’s plan was simply too ambitious. Check-in to our hotel for 1 night. (B,D)

Day 8: Potsdam and Charlottenburg.
This morning we visit Sanscouci Palace, home to the Hohenzollerns and favourite of Fredrick, where amidst its grand terraced gardens we find his simple grave to pay our respects. After lunch ist the wonderful Charlottenburg Palace and, in particular, the ‘New Wing’ which houses a permanent exhibition on the great monarch. Early evening we will take a stroll along Frederick’s Unter den Linten and admire his magnificent statue. (B,D)

Day 9: Disperse.
After a leisurely breakfast we make our way to Brandenburg airport for our return flight to London. (B)

Recommended Reading List

Major General John Drewienkiewicz CB CMG

Major General John Drewienkiewicz CB CMG

Major General John Drewienkiewicz CB CMG, or DZ, as he has been known for about 40 years, is a former Engineer in Chief of the Army who spent over five years in Bosnia and Kosovo between 1996 and 2006 in both military and civilian organisations. He has been studying and walking battlefields since attending Staff College in 1978. Initially focussing on the 1940 Flanders Campaign, he wrote his RCDS Thesis on the Territorial Army in 1939/40 and wrote a chapter of the BCMH France and Flanders - 60 years on.

Read more

Photo Gallery

  • A panorama view of the Zwinger Palace
  • Our group with re-enactors
  • Frederick the Great memorial
  • Admiring the view
  • Discussing Frederick the Great's strategy
  • The guide explains the Prussian Army's movements
  • Model of the army's movements
  • Our 2019 Tour Group
  • Sanssouci Palace
  • At Maxen

Your Holiday Essentials

27th September - 5th October 2024
(9 Days)

Return flights from London, 4 star hotels, buffet breakfast, 3-course dinner with drinks each evening, all entrance fees and expert guide throughout.

Activity Level: 2

Expert Historian: Major General John Drewienkiewicz CB CMG

Prices:

Standard price: £3,375

Incl. travel from UK: £3,650
Room sole occupancy supplement: £345
Non-refundable deposit: £650

Booking open

click here to book

Interested in this tour but not ready to book? Register your interest using the link below and we will keep you updated on the progress of the tour.

click here to register your interest

Tour Reviews

Take a look at some of the images taken on our most recent tour

Take a look at some independent reviews of this tour by previous participants here

Photo Gallery

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