aangeduid 1), wat uiteraard onzin is, want aan persoonlijken
moed ontbrak het FRIEDRICH zeker niet. Maar aan zijn oner
varenheid was het te wijten, dat hij een toestand voor wanhopig
aanzag, welke een ervaren krijgsman als Schwerin hem in zijn
bezorgdheid voor 's Konings leven als onhoudbaar deed zien. Dat
het incident pijnlijk voor FRIEDRICH is geweest, dat hij den ouden
SCHWERIN nooit geheel heeft kunnen vergeven, dat deze hem
dien raad heeft gegeven, en dat FRIEDRICH, die toch gaarne en
veel schreef, over dit hatelijke voorval als een Pruis zwijgt, zijn
stellige feiten.
De verliezen bedroegen aan Oostenr. zijde 223 off., 4328 man,
1719 paarden, 17 standaarden en vaandels aan Pr. zijde 190 off.,,
4659 man.
Over zijn leger oordeelde FRIEDRICH als volgt„Unsere
„Infanterie Seyndt lauter Cesars und die oficirs davon lauter
„Helden aber die Cavallerie ist nicht wert dasz sie der Teufel
„holet
Overigens lijkt mij vooral Carlyle's oordeel over den Slag bij
Mollwitz en over FRIEDRICH zuiver gesteld
6
Carlyle, a.b., Vo. IV, p. 231. „This Mollwitz is a most deliberate,
regulated, ponderously impressive Feat of Arms, as the reader sees;
,',done all by Regulation methods, with orthodox exactitude; in a slow,
„almost pedantic, but highly irrefragable manner. It is the triumph
„of Prussian Discipline of military orthodoxy well put in practice
„the honest outcome of good natural stuff in those Brandenburgers,
„and of the supreme virtues of Drill. Neipperg and his Austrians had
„much despised Prussian soldiering„Keep our soup hot", cried they,
,,on running out this day to rank themselves „hot a little, till we drive
„these fellows to the Devil That was their opinion, about noon this
„day but that is an opinion they have renounced for all remaining
„days and years.
„It is a victory due properly to FRIEDRICH WILHELM and the
,,01d Dessauer, who are far away from it. FRIEDRICH WILHELM
'though dead, fights here, and the others only do his bidding on this,
„occasion. His Son, as yet, adds nothing of his own; though he will
„ever henceforth begin largely adding, right careful withal to lose
„nothing, for the FRIEDRICH WILHELM contribution is invaluable,
„and the basis of everything: but it is curious to see in what
„contrast this first Battle of FRIEDRICH's is with his latter and last
,,ones."
x) Macaulay, biz. 801. „Never did the career of a great commander open
in a more inauspicious manner. His army was victorious. Not only, however,
did he not establish his title to the character of an able general
but he was so unfortunate as to make it doubtful whether he possessed the
vulgar courage of a soldier. The cavalry, which he commanded in person,
(onjuist. SI.) was put to flight. Unaccustomed to the tumult and carnage of
a field of battle, he lost his self-possession, and listened too readily to those,
who urged him to save himself. His English grey carried him many miles from
the field, while Schwerin, though wounded in two places, manfully upheld
the day he owed his success to the valour of men who had fought
while he was flying."
