The New International Encyclopædia/Seven Weeks’ War

​SEVEN WEEKS’ WAR. The name given to the brief war in 1866 between Prussia and Italy on the one side and Austria and her German allies on the other. Bavaria, Württemberg, Baden, Saxony, Hesse, Hesse-Cassel, Hanover, and Nassau were on the side of Austria. The war was the culmination of Bismarck’s plan for forcing Austria out of the German Confederation and making way for a new Germany under Prussian leadership. For an account of the preliminary events which led up to the struggle, see Bismarck; Germany; Prussia; and Schleswig-Holstein.

On April 8, 1866, Prussia had concluded a secret alliance with Italy, and the issue of a federal execution by the Diet against Prussia on June 14th was followed by the declaration of war against Austria, Saxony, Hanover, and HesseCassel. The invasion of Bohemia was immediately begun. The central (First) Prussian army, under Prince Frederick Charles (q.v.), entered from Eastern Saxony, crossing the frontier range of the Erzgebirge toward Reichenberg; the western or Elbe (Third) army, under General Herwarth von Bittenfeld, started from Dresden, and entered Bohemia by Neustadt and Schluckenau; while the eastern or Silesian (Second) army, under the Crown Prince, Frederick William (later the German Emperor Frederick III.) (q.v.), entered Bohemia from Silesia by the Trautenau and Nachod passes. As the Austrians expected the attack from Silesia, by far the greater portion of their army was ​stationed behind the Riesengebirge; so that when Von Bittenfeld and Prince Frederick Charles crossed the Erzgebirge (June 24th), they found themselves opposed by only the outlying brigades of Clam-Gallas, which they forced to retire toward Turnau and Münchengrätz, after defeating them in some insignificant combats and in a severe struggle at Podol. The First Prussian Army and the Elbe Army, now united, advanced leisurely, driving the enemy before them toward Münchengrätz, where Clam-Gallas was attacked on June 28th, and, after a brief but severe contest forced to retreat in haste. By several routes, the combined armies continued their onward march, routing the detached corps of Austrians and Saxons which attempted to bar their progress; and after a severe contest (June 29th) took possession of Gitschin and established communications with the Crown Prince. Clam-Gallas retired to join the main body under Benedek.

The army of the Crown Prince advanced in two divisions, the right wing by Landshut, toward Trautenau; the left by Glatz, toward Nachod and Skalitz; while the centre entered Bohemia by Braunau, all crossing the frontier on June 26th and 27th. The passes were traversed without opposition, but the Austrian forces under Gablenz opposed a determined resistance when the invaders emerged from them. Both sides were strongly reinforced, but victory remained with the Prussians in the encounters at Nachod, Skalitz, and Schweinschädel. The three Prussian columns, having effected a firm lodgment in Bohemia, moved steadily forward in lines converging to a point north of the Austrian army, which was concentrated between Josephstadt and Königgrätz; and King William I. of Prussia, who had arrived (July 2d) at the headquarters of the First and Third armies, hearing of Benedek’s intention of attacking before the Crown Prince’s army could come up, resolved to anticipate him, and ordered an attack on the Austrian position at 8 A. M. on July 3d, at the same time sending an urgent appeal to hasten the arrival of the Crown Prince. (See Sadowa, Battle of.) The Austrians and their Saxon allies were utterly routed and only saved from annihilation by their admirable cavalry. All hope, however, of staying the advance of the Prussians with the army of Benedek was at an end; a truce was asked for, but refused; and the victorious Prussians pushed forward toward Vienna, whither Benedek had drawn his beaten forces. At the same time the southern Austrian army, which had been employed against the Italians, was summoned to the defense of Vienna, when, through the agency of the Emperor of the French, a truce was agreed to (July 26th), at Nikolsburg, which afterwards led to a treaty of peace.

A few days before this campaign began, the Italians, who had entered into an alliance with Prussia in order to secure the liberation of Venetia, assembled an army of 200.000 men, one-half of which, under General La Marmora (q.v.) was to cross the Mincio between Peschiera and Mantua, while the other half was stationed round Bologna to operate on the lower Po. To oppose this force, the Archduke Albert, the commander-in-chief of the Austrian forces in Italy, had about 90,000 men near Verona, besides the garrisons of the Quadrilateral and Venice, which were not available for field service. On June 23d La Marmora’s army crossed the Mincio, unopposed by the Austrians. The Archduke, however, succeeded in drawing his opponent into an unfavorable position and attacked him (June 24th) at Custozza with his whole force. The Austrians achieved a decisive victory. The Italians fell back, in fair order, toward the Mincio, unpursued by their exhausted opponents.

While the Italian generals were deliberating on the renewal of the campaign, news came of the great defeat which the Austrians had sustained in the north, and of the cession of Venetia, by the Emperor of Austria, to the Emperor Napoleon. On July 20th the Italian fleet, under Persano, suffered a great defeat at Lissa at the hands of Admiral Tegetthoff, the Austrian commander.

In spite of her disasters, Italy was very loath to agree to the armistice signed by the two belligerent German Powers at Nikolsburg, on July 26th, and attempted to insist upon the surrender by Austria to her of the Trentino. Prussia, however, would not support this demand, and Victor Emmanuel gave way reluctantly, and agreed to the armistice, August 12th. The Peace of Prague was signed August 23d.

A third contest was, about the same time, in progress between Prussia and those States of Germany which had engaged in the struggle on the side of Austria. The Hanoverian army was compelled to surrender at Langensalza, June 28th. The operations against the forces of the South-German States (Bavaria, Württemberg, Baden, and the Grand Duchy of Hesse) in the valley of the Main and in the Lower Franconia (Kissengen) were speedily brought to a successful issue by Vogel von Falckenstein and other Prussian generals. For results of the war, see Germany; Prussia; Italy.

Consult: Hozier, The Seven Weeks’ War (London, 1867); Lecomte, Guerre de la Prusse et de l’Italie contre l’Autriche et la confédération germanique (Paris, 1868); Fontane, Der deutsche Krieg von 1866 (2d ed., Berlin, 1867); Knorr, Der Feldzug des Jahres 1866 in West- und Süddeutschland (Hamburg, 1867); also the official accounts of the general staffs.

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