The Battle of Zorndorf.
On August 14 at 9 a.m., the Prussians attacked the right wing of the Russian army. The first blow was taken by the so-called “Observation Corps,” made up entirely of recruits. But it did not waver and held back the onslaught. Soon Russian cavalry drove the Prussians back. In turn, it was thrown into disorder by Prussian cavalry under the command of the famous General Seydlitz. Clouds of dust from the hooves and smoke from the gunfire were carried by the wind toward the Russian positions and made visibility difficult. Pursued by the Prussians, the Russian cavalry galloped toward its own infantry, but the infantry, unable to make out what was happening, opened fire on them. Soldiers of both armies became mixed together in the dust and smoke, and a slaughter began. After firing off their cartridges, the Russian infantry stood unshaken, fighting back with bayonets and cutlasses. However, while some fought heroically, others made it to the wine barrels. Drunk, they began beating their officers and disobeyed orders. Meanwhile, the Prussians attacked the Russian left wing but were repulsed and put to flight.
The brutal carnage continued until late in the evening. On both sides the soldiers ran out of powder, and they fought hand-to-hand with cold steel. Andrey Bolotov described the courage of his countrymen in the final moments of the Battle of Zorndorf as follows: “In groups, in small clusters, having fired their last cartridges, they remained firm as a rock. Many, pierced through, still stayed on their feet and fought; others, having lost a leg or an arm, already lying on the ground, tried to kill the enemy with their remaining hand.” Here is testimony from the opposite side, from the Prussian cavalry captain von Katte: “The Russians lay in rows, kissed their guns—while they themselves were being cut down with sabers—and did not abandon them.”
Exhausted, both armies spent the night on the battlefield. The Prussians lost more than 11,000 men at Zorndorf. Russian losses exceeded 16,000 men (the “Observation Corps” lost 80% of its strength). By the ratio of killed and wounded to the total number of troops engaged (32%), the Battle of Zorndorf ranks among the bloodiest battles of the 18th–19th centuries.
The next day Fermor was the first to withdraw. This gave Frederick grounds to claim the victory for himself. However, having suffered heavy losses, he did not dare pursue the Russians and led his battered army back to Küstrin. With the Battle of Zorndorf, Fermor effectively concluded the campaign. In the autumn he withdrew to winter quarters in Poland. After this battle, Frederick uttered a phrase that went down in history: “It is easier to kill the Russians than to defeat them.”
January 24 — the Russian army entered the capital of Prussia, Königsberg. The entire population of Prussia swore an oath of allegiance to their new fatherland, Russia.
December 25 — Johann Georg Palitzsch observed a comet for the first time, whose return had earlier been predicted by the outstanding English astronomer Edmond Halley, and which today bears his name.