On 15 June, 1866 the Kingdom of Prussia declared war upon the Kingdom of Hanover. This came as little surprise to the Hanoveran government, who had long been aware of Prussia's covetous intentions towards the kingdom. Nevertheless, the news caught the army in a condition of what has been described as "that unfortunate state known as a peace-time footing."

Hanover was one of the middle-sized German states, along with Saxony, Hesse and Wurttemburg. They, with the larger Bavaria, were supporters of Austria in her struggle against Prussia for leadership of the German nations. Hanover also sat astride Berlin's line of communications to the Prussian Rhine Provinces, and had recently refused permission for a plan to build a federated German railway that linked the Prussian North Sea port of Minden with her Baltic possessions. Finally, any advance south made by Prussia' armies against Austria and her allies would leave Berlin open to attack from the west, and an advancing Hanoveran army could cross the sandy plain of Brandenburg and occupy the capital in four days.

Manifestly, Berlin had many reasons to invade Hanover, and the government of King George IV was painfully aware of them. Hanover's dilemma was that her army couldn't mobilise without drawing down the wrath of Prussia, before the Federal VIII Corps under Archduke Charles, which was forming around Frankfurt, was able to intervene.

Fortunately for Hanover, her army was embarking upon summer maneuvers when the declaration of war arrived. This allowed them some small measure of reactability, for while they had none of the supplies necessary for the prosecution of a campaign, at least the bulk of the army was concentrated in one place, and therefore better able to respond to the will of the king.

George Guelph, by Grace of God, King of Hanover was elderly and blind, but was nonetheless mindful, as were his chief ministers, of the precarious position he and his kingdom were in: Hanover was caught between three converging Prussian columns. From the northeast, from Hamburg came General Manteuffel with 19,000 men. From the west from Westphalia, came General Falckenstein with two divisions. From the southwest, from the Rhine Provinces, came General Goeben.

The choice was obvious, but difficult just the same: to preserve the army, the country must be abandoned. The Hanoveran General Von Ahrenschildt, was ordered to move the army as quickly as possible to the southern province of Gottingen, thereby to march south, out of the kingdom, and link up with the Bavarians of the 40,000 strong Federal VII Corps forming in the environs of Wurzberg and Bamburg.

Advance to Gottingen

The main flight south was accomplished by use of the railway, with Hanoveran pioneers (and railway troops) tearing up the tracks, demolishing the rails, and burning the ties as the last of the troop trains passed. The bulk of the infantry, approximately 15,000, were safely transported, but at the expense of many essentials, such as reserve supplies of ammunition and field dispensaries. Artillery horses were in short supply, and one battery would eventually go into battle using mounts from the Royal Stables. On the morning of the 16th, while Prussian troops were entering the capital, King George arrived to greet his troops at Gottingen. Work commenced to sort out supplies and integrate the reservists, and preparations for the move into Bavaria began. In all, an army of 19,000 effectives was forming on Prussia's line of communications with her Rhenish Provinces.

The Net Draws Tighter

While the Hanoveran army was sorting itself out, the Prussians occupied Hesse-Cassel on the 19th, further endangering the Hanoveran lines of retreat. At this time, the Duke of Coburg, who had declared in favour of Prussia, placed his troops at the service of Berlin and occupied Eisenach with two battalions. A battalion of the Fourth Regt of Prussian Guards, dispatched with great haste from Berlin, shortly joined him.

The Trap is Set

The Hanoveran army was fast running out of options, and neither allied Federal Corps had yet to make a move in their support. King George decided to make a roundabout march into Bavaria via the Thuringian Forest and Prussian Saxony.

On the 24th they reached Langensalza, and made preparations to assault Gotha. A Prussian officer arrived from Gotha, bearing a telegram from Von Moltke, and offering to negotiate a peaceful resolution. It is interesting to note that the Prussian Official Account remarks that "from the moment that the Hanoveran army commenced to enter into negotiations, it's fate was decided.

The King lost a precious two days, pursuing the Prussian "ruse d'guerre", which by an expert spinning out of telegrams and hints of armistice by Berlin, allowed the three battalions holding Coburg to be reinforced by troops of Generals von Fliess and Seckendorf.

The Hanoverans were also playing for time, and agreed to an armistice until 10:00 AM on the 26th, meanwhile sending urgent requests to Archduke Charles and his Bavarians for assistance. The Duke's only reply was that an army of nineteen thousand should be able to cut it's way through without aid. It was betrayal on a grand scale.

King George still believed that someone would eventually come to his aid, and faithfully rejected a Prussian offer of alliance. By the evening of the 25th, the Prussian divisions of Goeben and Beyer arrived at Eisenach, while von Fliess pushed his advance guard to Warza. By the morning of the 26th, forty-two thousand Prussians lay along the southern, western and northern line of Hanover's route to Bavaria. The trap had been sprung.

Battle of Langensalza: 26 June 1866

Introduction
Order of Battle
The Historical Battle
Large Map (slow: 170K)
Jumbo Map (extremely slow: 671K)
Wargaming Langensalza