The Russians now abandoned the campaign in the open field and besieged Colberg on the Baltic coast. Frederick in Silesia manoeuvred for some weeks between Breslau, Schweidnitz and Glatz, but was suddenly recalled by the news of the capture of Berlin on Oct. 9 by Cossacks and portions of the Empire Army and Austrians from Saxony. On Oct. 11 the king was in full march, but the news of his approach was enough and the enemy dispersed, the Austrians and Empire Army making for Torgau. Daun, relieved of Frederick's pressure, now also moved to Torgau, leaving Loudon in Silesia, and had concentrated over 64,000 men at and around Torgau before Frederick had collected an attack ing force of 45,000.
The position held by the Austrians was an entrenched camp fronting in all directions, but it was too cramped for their numbers and difficult to leave for a counter-stroke. Frederick determined to attack it both front and rear, and leaving Zieten to act against the former, he marched off at 6.3o on Nov. 3 to attack it as soon as Zieten should have thoroughly attracted the enemy's attention. But for once Zieten failed; he allowed himself to be drawn off by the Austrian light troops, and Fred erick, in ignorance of the real state of affairs, launched his grena diers against a thoroughly intact enemy, strongly entrenched, with, it is said, 400 guns in position to sweep the approaches. The grenadiers were simply swept away by grape and case—only 600 out of 6,000 remained, and Prussian batteries hurrying up to their support were destroyed before they had time to load. The attack was, however, renewed by fresh brigades as they came to hand, and the Prussian artillery did something to diminish the intensity of the Austrian case fire. The action began at 2 P.M. At 4.3o, as the sun was setting, the king's last reserve of horse and foot at last succeeded in breaking the Austrian line and in the darkness there ensued a confused slaughter as at Zorndorf. The result was still in the balance when at length Zieten reached the field and attacked at once. For an hour or so the struggle still raged, but the Austrians were by now completely spent and withdrew gradually into the fortress and then across the river. Out of 44,000 the Prussians had lost 13,12o men (30%), out of 65,000 the Austrians only 11,260 (17.3%), but of these over 7,000 were prisoners. Both sides, however, were completely paralysed by the struggle, and the year ended without further serious fighting.
On the western theatre of war Prince Ferdinand after the vic tory of Warburg had pressed the French back to the Rhine and peace. On March 16 an armistice was agreed to, and shortly afterwards the treaty of St. Petersburg was signed, by which Pomerania was given back to Prussia and a contingent of 18,000 men placed at Frederick's disposal. The withdrawal of the Rus
sians led in turn to the withdrawal of the Swedes, and thus only France and Austria remained—the former bled white by the strain of her colonial disasters, the latter too weary to make further great exertions. Though the war dragged on for some months, and Prince Henry, assisted by Seydlitz, won the victory of Frei berg over the Empire Army (Oct. 29, 1762), no great battle was attempted, and although a revolution at St. Petersburg deprived Frederick of Russian assistance, in the autumn Ferdi nand drove the French back over the Rhine, and thereupon an armistice was agreed upon by all. Final terms of peace were adjusted on status quo ante basis at Hubertusburg on Feb. 15, 1763. (F. N. M.) besieged Wesel, but was compelled to raise the siege of ter suffering the defeat of Kloster-Kamp (Oct. 16) and to withdraw to Lipp stadt and Warburg.
Torgau proved to be Frederick's last great battle. All parties were now so completely exhausted that they no longer were able to face the risks of a decision on the field. In the west Prince Ferdinand was first in the field, and in February and March he drove the French southward as far as Fulda, but an attempt to capture Marburg failed and the gradual pressure of French numerical superiority, together with the reduc tion of the British contingent on the death of George II., com pelled him to retreat gradually until by the beginning of October both Brunswick and Wolfenbiittel fell into their hands. In the east the king had barely ioo,000 men against 300,00o Austrians and Russians. Leaving Prince Henry to observe Daun in Saxony he marched to join von der Goltz, who with 23,00o stood about. Schweidnitz. The Russians (50,00o) under Buturlin were ap proaching from Posen, and Loudon with 72,000 men starting from Glatz manoeuvred to join them. After two months' skir mishing and marching the Allies effected their junction between Liegnitz and Jauer, having completely severed Frederick's com munications with Prussia. But Frederick depended for his food and immediate supplies on Southern Silesia, and not caring to risk a battle with odds of three to one against him he withdrew into the entrenched camp of Bunzelwitz, where the Allies did not dare to attack him. Ultimately, as usual, the Russian commissariat broke down, and in September Buturlin withdrew the way he had come. Relieved of this antagonist, Frederick manoeuvred to draw Loudon out of his positions and compel him to fight in the open, but Loudon refused the challenge and after an attempt to surprise Schweidnitz, which failed, withdrew into winter quar ters. Prince Henry in Saxony held his own against Daun.