Siege of Pirna 1756
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 11 September 1756 – 14 October 1756 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1756 | Wikidata P580 (start time) |
| Era | Early modern (1500–1799) | derived from year |
| Location | Germany | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Seven Years' War | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 50.9670, 13.9330 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Siege of Pirna, sometimes referred to as the Investment of Pirna, took place from 10 September to 14 October 1756 as part of the Prussian invasion of Saxony during the Third Silesian War (part of the Seven Years' War).
Following the occupation of Dresden by Frederick the Great on 9 September 1756, the Saxon army under Frederick von Rutowski had withdrawn southeast and taken up position at the fortified camp of Pirna. The position was tactically strong, as the steep terrain, fortresses, and defensive works added protection, leaving Frederick with no option but to isolate and starve the Saxon army into surrendering. As a result, Frederick encircled the camp and blocked outside support. The Saxons hoped to receive relief from the Austrian army, which was across the border in neighbouring Bohemia under Marshal Browne.
Following the Battle of Lobositz, the Austrians withdrew and tried to approach Pirna by a different route, but they failed to make contact with the defenders. Despite a Saxon attempt to escape by crossing the River Elbe, it soon became apparent that their position was hopeless. On 14 October, Rutowski concluded a capitulation with Frederick.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Siege of Pirna (revision 1370744464), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; shortened by selecting paragraphs and trimming at a sentence boundary; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Battle of Maxen 1759 · 10 km
- Battle of Dresden 1813 · 16 km
- Siege of Dresden (1813) 1813 · 16 km
- Siege of Dresden 1760 · 17 km
- Battle of Peterswalde 1759 · 20 km
- Battle of Kulm 1813 · 28 km
Other battles of the Seven Years' War
- Battle of Fort Beauséjour 1755
- Battle of Lake George 1755
- Battle of Petitcodiac 1755
- Battle of the Monongahela 1755
- Battle of Fort Bull 1756
- Battle of Fort Oswego 1756
- Battle of Lobositz 1756
- Battle of Minorca (1756) 1756
- Siege of Fort St Philip (1756) 1756
- Battle of Breslau (1757) 1757
All 102 battles of the Seven Years' War →
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