The Battle of Blumenau or Battle of Lamač was the last battle fought in the
Austro-Prussian War, on 22 July 1866 (on the day of the conclusion of peace), with the Austrians defending against the
Prussian
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...
army.
Overview
Prussian
scout patrols were in
Malacky
Malacky ( German: ''Malatzka'', Hungarian: ''Malacka'') is a town and municipality in western Slovakia around north from capital Bratislava. From the second half of the 10th century until 1918, it was part of the Kingdom of Hungary.
It is one ...
on 19 July 1866, and in two days the Prussian army occupied Stomfa (
Stupava). At that time it was evident that a
cease fire
A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...
would soon be negotiated, and so the Prussian General
Eduard von Fransecky
Eduard Friedrich Karl von Fransecky (16 November 1807 – 22 May 1890) was Prussian general who served in the Austro-Prussian War and the Franco-Prussian War.
Biography
Fransecky was born in 1807 in Gedern in a military family. In 1818 he ...
received the command to occupy Pressburg (
Bratislava). The road from Stomfa to Pressburg ran through a valley in the
Little Carpathians
The Little Carpathians (also: ''Lesser Carpathians'', sk, Malé Karpaty; german: Kleine Karpaten; hu, Kis-Kárpátok) are a low, about 100 km long, mountain range, part of the Carpathian Mountains. The mountains are situated in Western Slov ...
. High mountains rise alongside the road at this point, making it an easily defensible point.
The commander of the Austrian troops in Pressburg
Archduke Albrecht had located one brigade there under the command of
Colonel Mondela on 18 July. Colonel Mondela placed the right wing of the brigade between
Hrubý Pleš and
Leskara and the railway embankment, which protected the greater part of Mondela's brigade. The left wing was on the eastern and northeastern hillsides of
Devínska Kobyla
Devínska Kobyla (; hu, Dévényi-tető; german: Thebener Kogel) is the highest peak in the Devín Carpathians, part of the Little Carpathians mountain range, and the highest point of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It is located between t ...
. The Austrian
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
was located near Lamač and
Dúbravka, from which point it was able to control the road from Stomfa to Pressburg.
The brigade was reinforced on 19–21 July by the arrival of the 9th Austrian mountain regiment. On Sunday, the morning of 22 July, the Prussian army began the attack on Lamacs. The second part, under the command of Major-General
Bose, moved ahead through over
Kamzík hill to surround the Austrian defence and occupy Bratislava.
About half past six, the first shot was fired from the Austrian cannon. Prussian forces were warded off and around 8 o'clock they got General Eduard von Fransecky's message: a cease fire was in effect and would take effect at 12 o'clock, only five hours later. The Prussian General had mounted a large number of artillery pieces, so an artillery duel had already begun. The result was large fires in Lamač and Dúbravka. The Prussian forces were warded off, despite their superior numbers. The battle's success depended on a flanking manoeuvre of Major-General Bose. The brigade moved slowly over the difficult terrain and the ceasefire was already in effect when they arrived at Kamzík. By the setting of a line of demarcation, which overshot by
Záhorská Bystrica, the Austro-Prussian war terminated the fights for domination over Germany and
central Europe
Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...
.
See also
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Battles of the Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War, also by many variant names such as Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), (; "German war of brothers") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 186 ...
References
Citations
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Lamacs
Blumenau
Blumenau is a city in Vale do Itajaí, state of Santa Catarina (Brazil), Santa Catarina, in the South Region, Brazil, South Region of Brazil. It is away from the state capital of Florianópolis.
The city was founded by the German chemist an ...
Military history of Slovakia
History of Bratislava
1866 in the Austrian Empire
1866 in Hungary
July 1866 events