Prussia and its predecessor, Brandenburg-Prussia, were involved in numerous conflicts during their existence as nation-states. During their military engagements they often fulfilled the role of a supporting power, especially in the 17th century. In the 18th century Prussia began to adopt an independent role in the conflicts of that time; at the latest by the time of the Silesian Wars.
Prussia's Army won major victories like at Leuthen, Leipzig, Waterloo, Königgrätz and Sedan but also suffered devastating defeats such as at Kunersdorf and Jena-Auerstedt.
This article lists all the wars and battles in which Brandenburg-Prussia and the Kingdom of Prussia were militarily engaged in before the founding of the German Empire, covering the period from 1618 to 1871.
The First Northern War (also Second or Little Northern War) was a conflict that took place from 1655 to 1661 between Poland, Sweden and Russia for supremacy in the Baltic states. Brandenburg fought initially on the side of Sweden against Poland, but changed sides, after Poland granted its prince-elector sovereignty over the Duchy of Prussia in the Treaty of Wehlau on 19 September 1657. Brandenburg succeeded in gaining ultimate sovereignty over the Duchy of Prussia and proved itself during the war as an important military and political power.
| Battle | Date | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Warsaw | 28–30 July 1656 | Victory | |
| Battle of Prostki | 8 October 1656 | Loss | |
| Battle of Nyborg | 14 November 1659 | Victory |
The Swedish-Brandenburg War was part of the Franco-Dutch War, and was a conflict between the Electorate of Brandenburg and Kingdom of Sweden for the domination of Pomerania. In this war, Sweden was an ally of France, whilst Brandenburg-Prussia, together with Austria, Denmark and Spain, fought on the side of the Dutch. At the end of 1674, Swedish troops invaded Brandenburg, but were successfully repulsed by the Brandenburg army.
| Battle | Date | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Turckheim | 5 January 1675 | Loss | |
| Battle of Rathenow | 15 June 1675 | Victory | |
| Battle of Nauen | 17 June 1675 | Victory | |
| Battle of Fehrbellin | 18 June 1675 | Victory | |
| Siege of Wismar | 1 August – 14 December 1675 | Victory | |
| Siege of Wolgast | 1–10 November 1675 | Victory | |
| Bremen-Verden campaign | 15 September 1675 – 13 August 1676 | Victory | |
| Siege of Stettin | 16 September – 16 November 1676 | Loss | |
| Siege of Stettin | 25 June – 15 December 1677 | Victory | |
| Battle of Warksow | 18 January 1678 | Loss | |
| Invasion of Rügen | 22–24 September 1678 | Victory | |
| Siege of Stralsund | 20 September – 15 October 1678 | Victory | |
| Great Sleigh Drive | December 1678 – February 1679 | Victory |
| Battle | Date | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siege of Bonn | July 1689 – 12 October 1689 | Victory | |
| Siege of Namur | 2 July – 4 September 1695 | Victory |
In the Crown Treaty signed on 16 November 1700, Elector Frederick III had undertaken to provide a body of 8,000 men for the impending Spanish War of Succession for Emperor Leopold I. In return, the emperor promised that Frederick's future self-coronation as "King in Prussia" would be recognised across Europe and the Holy Roman Empire. The coronation took place on 18 January 1701 in Königsberg and from April 1701 the now entitled Royal Prussian Contingent deployed to the Lower Rhine at Wesel. In April 1702 it took part in hostilities for the first time at the Siege of Kaiserswerth.
| Battle | Date | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siege of Kaiserswerth | 18 April 1702 – 15 June 1702 | Victory | |
| First Battle of Höchstädt | 20 September 1703 | Loss | |
| Second Battle of Höchstädt | 13 August 1704 | Victory | |
| Battle of Cassano | 16 August 1705 | Loss | |
| Battle of Turin | 7 September 1706 | Victory | |
| Battle of Oudenaarde | 11 July 1708 | Victory | |
| Battle of Malplaquet | 11 September 1709 | Victory |
After the death of his father, King Frederick William I joined the coalition against the Swedish king, Charles XII, with the aim of capturing the Swedish territories in Pomerania. As a result, the Prussian occupied Stettin in 1713. In November 1714, when Charles XII took personal command of Swedish Pomerania, the Prussian Army, together with the Saxons and Danes, was able to force him back to Stralsund in 1715–16 during the Pomeranian campaign and besiege him there. After the end of the war Prussia gained Stettin, Usedom and all territories south of the Peene.
| Battle | Date | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siege of Stralsund | 1 May – 24 December 1715 | Victory | |
| Battle of Stresow | 16 November 1715 | Victory |
In 1740, in the first year of his reign and shortly after his coronation Frederick II sent the Prussian Army to invade Austrian-ruled Silesia and so precipitated the First Silesian War and, in its broader sense, the Austrian War of Succession. Because Prussia allied itself with Bavaria, France, Saxony, the Electorate of Cologne, Spain, Sweden and Naples, whilst Prussia's main enemy, Austria allied itself with Great Britain, Sardinia, the Netherlands and Russia. For Prussia, the war was restricted to Silesia, and was able to capture the province after several victories.
| Battle | Date | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Baumgarten | 27 February 1741 | Loss | |
| Storming of Glogau | 9 March 1741 | Victory | |
| Battle of Mollwitz | 10 April 1741 | Victory | |
| Siege of Neisse | 18–31 October 1741 | Victory | |
| Capitulation of Olmütz | 27 December 1741 | Victory | |
| Siege of Glatz (1741) | 9 January – 26 April 1741 | Victory | |
| Battle of Lesch | 16 February 1742 | ||
| Battle of Chotusitz | 17 May 1742 | Victory |
The Second Silesian War was also part of the Austrian War of Succession, but also a war fought for supremacy in Silesia between Prussia and Austria. Frederick II had allied himself at that time with France. Austria formed an alliance with Saxony, Great Britain and the Netherlands. In August 1744, Prussia ambushed Bohemia with 80,000 soldiers and thereby opened the Second Silesian War. After several hard battles, it was agreed in the Treaty of Dresden that Silesia would always remain in Prussian hands.
| Battle | Date | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siege of Prague (1744) | 6–16 September 1744 | Victory | |
| Siege of Tabor | 20–23 October 1744 | Loss | |
| Storming of Budweis | 23 October 1744 | Loss | |
| Battle of Teltschitz | 19 November 1744 | Loss | |
| Battle of Pless | 27 November 1744 | Loss | |
| Battle of Ratibor | 9 February 1745 | Victory | |
| Battle of Habelschwerdt | 14 February 1745 | Victory | |
| Battle of Hohenfriedberg | 4 June 1745 | Victory | |
| Siege of Kosel | 27 August – 5 September 1745 | Victory | |
| Battle of Soor | 30 September 1745 | Victory | |
| Battle of Hennersdorf | 23 November 1745 | Victory | |
| Battle of Zittau | 27 November 1745 | ||
| Battle of Kesselsdorf | 15 December 1745 | Victory |
The Seven Years' War, fought between Prussia and Great Britain on one side and Austria, France, Sweden and Russia on the other, involved all the great European powers of the time. In the Third Silesian War (the Austrian-Prussian theatre), Austria's goal was the reconquest of Silesia, but Frederick II pre-empted his enemies, and on 29 August 1756 crossed the border of Saxony without a prior declaration of war. Military success alternated and the Prussian army faced defeat in the end, in spite of major victories. On 15 February 1763 the Peace of Hubertusburg was signed between Prussia and its opponents. The status quo ante was restored. The war established Prussia as the fifth major power in Europe, but Prussia lost 180,000 soldiers during the war.
| Battle | Date | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siege of Pirna | 11 September – 14 October 1756 | Victory | |
| Battle of Lobositz | 1 October 1756 | Victory | |
| Battle of Reichenberg | 21 April 1757 | Victory | |
| Battle of Prague (1757) | 6 May 1757 | Victory | |
| Siege of Prague | May 1757 | Loss | |
| Battle of Kolín | 18 June 1757 | Loss | |
| Siege of Memel | 19-25 June 1757 | Loss | |
| Battle of Gross-Jägersdorf | 30 August 1757 | Loss | |
| Battle of Moys | 7 September 1757 | Loss | |
| 1757 raid on Berlin | 16 October 1757 | Loss | |
| Battle of Rossbach | 5 November 1757 | Victory | |
| Battle of Breslau (1757) | 22 November 1757 | Loss | |
| Battle of Leuthen | 5 December 1757 | Victory | |
| Siege of Breslau (1757) | 7–20 December 1757 | Victory | |
| Siege of Olomouc | 4 May – 2 July 1758 | Loss | |
| Battle of Rheinberg | 12 June 1758 | Inconclusive | |
| Battle of Krefeld | 23 June 1758 | Victory | |
| Battle of Domstadtl | 30 June 1758 | Loss | |
| Battle of Zorndorf | 25 August 1758 | Inconclusive | |
| Battle of Tornow | 26 September 1758 | Victory | |
| Battle of Fehrbellin (1758) | 28 September 1758 | Loss | |
| Battle of Hochkirch | 14 October 1758 | Loss | |
| Battle of Güstow | 18 November 1758 | Victory | |
| Battle of Peterswalde | 14–20 April 1759 | Victory | |
| Battle of Kay | 23 July 1759 | Loss | |
| Battle of Kunersdorf | 12 August 1759 | Loss | |
| Battle of Frisches Haff | 10 September 1759 | Loss | |
| Battle of Hoyerswerda | 25 September 1759 | Victory | |
| Siege of Kolberg | 4 October – 1 November 1759 | Victory | |
| Battle of Maxen | 20 November 1759 | Loss | |
| Battle of Meissen | 4 December 1759 | Loss | |
| Battle of Landeshut (1760) | 23 June 1760 | Loss | |
| Siege of Glatz | 7 June – 26 July 1760 | Loss | |
| Siege of Dresden | July 1760 | Loss | |
| Battle of Liegnitz (1760) | 15 August 1760 | Victory | |
| Battle of Strehla | 20 August 1760 | Victory | |
| Siege of Kolberg | September 1760 | Victory | |
| Battle of Pasewalk | 3 October 1760 | Loss | |
| Battle of Kloster Kampen | 15 October 1760 | Loss | |
| Raid on Berlin | October 1760 | Loss | |
| Battle of Torgau | 3 November 1760 | Victory | |
| Battle of Langensalza (1761) | 15 February 1761 | Victory | |
| Siege of Cassel (1761) | March 1761 | Loss | |
| Battle of Grünberg | 21 March 1761 | Loss | |
| Battle of Villinghausen | 15–16 July 1761 | Victory | |
| Siege of Kolberg | 22 August – 16 December 1761 | Loss | |
| Battle of Neuensund | 18 September 1761 | Loss | |
| Battle of Neukalen | 2 January 1762 | Loss | |
| Battle of Wilhelmsthal | 24 June 1762 | Victory | |
| Battle of Burkersdorf | 21 July 1762 | Victory | |
| Battle of Freiberg | 29 October 1762 | Victory |
Overall, Prussia gained 36,000 km2 and about 600,000 people. According to Jerzy Surdykowski Frederick the Great soon introduced German colonists on territories he conquered and engaged in Germanization of Polish territories.
The War of the Bavarian Succession was fought between Prussia, Saxony and Bavaria on one side and Austria on the other.
The Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars were a series of conflicts in the late 18th and early 19th centuries between Revolutionary France and later the French Empire and coalitions of various European states. Prussia was a member of three of the six anti-French coalitions.
The War of the First Coalition saw the monarchies of Europe, led by Austria, opposed to revolutionary France. It lasted from 1793 to 1797, though Prussia made peace in 1795.
| Battle | Date | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siege of Thionville | 24 August – 16 October 1792 | Loss | |
| Siege of Verdun | 29 August – 2 September 1792 | Victory | |
| Battle of Valmy | 20 September 1792 | Loss | |
| Siege of Mainz | 14 April – 23 July 1793 | Victory | |
| Siege of Landau | 20 August – 23 December 1793 | Loss | |
| Battle of Pirmasens | 14 September 1793 | Victory | |
| Battle of Biesingen | 17 November 1793 | Victory | |
| Battle of Kaiserslautern | 28–30 November 1793 | Victory | |
| Second Battle of Wissembourg | 26–29 December 1793 | Loss | |
| Battle of Kaiserslautern | 23 May 1794 | Victory | |
| Battle of Trippstadt | 13–17 July 1794 | Loss |
The War of the Fourth Coalition saw Prussia and her allies in conflict with France over concerns about the formation of the Confederation of the Rhine and the expansion of Napoleon's influence into Germany. It ended with the defeat of the coalition a year later.
| Battle | Date | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Schleiz | 9 October 1806 | Loss | |
| Battle of Saalfeld | 10 October 1806 | Loss | |
| Battle of Jena and Auerstedt | 14 October 1806 | Loss | |
| Capitulation of Erfurt | 16 October 1806 | Loss | |
| Battle of Halle | 17 October 1806 | Loss | |
| Siege of Magdeburg (1806) | 25 October – 8 November 1806 | Loss | |
| Fall of Berlin (1806) | 27 October 1806 | Loss | |
| Battle of Prenzlau | 28 October 1806 | Loss | |
| Capitulation of Pasewalk | 29 October 1806 | Loss | |
| Capitulation of Stettin | 29–30 October 1806 | Loss | |
| Battle of Waren-Nossentin | 1 November 1806 | Victory | |
| Greater Poland uprising (1806) | November 1806 | Loss | |
| Battle of Lübeck | 6 November 1806 | Loss | |
| Siege of Hamelin | 7–22 November 1806 | Loss | |
| Battle of Czarnowo | 23 December 1806 | Loss | |
| Siege of Graudenz | 22 January – 11 December 1807 | Inconclusive | |
| Battle of Mohrungen | 25 January 1807 | Loss | |
| Battle of Eylau | 7–8 February 1807 | Inconclusive | |
| Siege of Kolberg | 14 March – 2 July 1807 | Inconclusive | |
| Siege of Danzig | 19 March – 24 May 1807 | Loss | |
| Battle of Guttstadt-Deppen | 5–6 June 1807 | Victory | |
| Battle of Heilsberg | 10 June 1807 | Inconclusive |
The War of the Sixth Coalition saw a re-vitalized Prussia join the allies against the French in 1813, resulting in France's defeat in 1814. The German campaign covers all the military engagements that took place from 1813 to 1815 between the troops of Napoleonic France and the allies, consisting of Prussia, Austria, Russia, Sweden and Great Britain. After the liberation of the German nations, the winter campaign of 1814 ended with the abdication of Napoleon and the First Treaty of Paris.
| Battle | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Siege of Danzig (1813) | 16 January – 29 November 1813 | Victory |
| Battle of Möckern | 5 April 1813 | Victory |
| Battle of Lützen | 2 May 1813 | Loss |
| Battle of Bautzen | 20–21 May 1813 | Loss |
| Battle of Haynau | 26 May 1813 | Victory |
| Battle of Luckau | 4 June 1813 | Victory |
| Battle of Großbeeren | 23 August 1813 | Victory |
| Battle of Katzbach | 26 August 1813 | Victory |
| Battle of Dresden | 26–27 August 1813 | Loss |
| Battle of Hagelberg | 27 August 1813 | Victory |
| Battle of Kulm | 29–30 August 1813 | Victory |
| Battle of Dennewitz | 6 September 1813 | Victory |
| Battle of the Göhrde | 16 September 1813 | Victory |
| Battle of Altenburg | 28 September 1813 | Victory |
| Battle of Wartenburg | 3 October 1813 | Victory |
| Battle of Leipzig | 16–19 October 1813 | Victory |
| Battle of Arnhem (1813) | 30 November 1813 | Victory |
| Siege of Metz (1814) | 3 January – 10 April 1814 | Inconclusive |
| Battle of Hoogstraten | 11 January 1814 | Victory |
| Siege of Antwerp (1814) | 14 January – 4 May 1814 | Victory |
| Battle of Brienne | 29 January 1814 | Loss |
| Battle of La Rothière | 1 February 1814 | Victory |
| Battle of Montmirail | 11 February 1814 | Loss |
| Battle of Château Thierry | 12 February 1814 | Loss |
| Battle of Vauchamps | 14 February 1814 | Loss |
| Battle of Gué-à-Tresmes | 28 February – 1 March 1814 | Loss |
| Battle of Craonne | 7 March 1814 | Loss |
| Battle of Laon | 9–10 March 1814 | Victory |
| Battle of Reims (1814) | 12–13 March 1814 | Loss |
| Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube | 20–21 March 1814 | Victory |
| Battle of Fère-Champenoise | 25 March 1814 | Victory |
| Battle of Paris | 30–31 March 1814 | Victory |
| Battle of Courtrai (1814) | 31 March 1814 | Loss |
The War of the Seventh Coalition, also called the Hundred Days, occurred in the summer of 1815.Following the short-lived return of Napoleon, his reign was finally ended following his defeat against Great Britain and their Prussian allies in the Waterloo Campaign.
| Battle | Date | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Ligny | 16 June 1815 | Loss | |
| Battle of Waterloo | 18 June 1815 | Victory | |
| Battle of Wavre | 18–19 June 1815 | Tactical defeat, strategic victory | |
| Battle of Rocquencourt | 1 July 1815 | Loss | |
| Battle of Issy | 2–3 July 1815 | Victory |
The First Schleswig War was the first military conflict over the Schleswig-Holstein question, which was about who should rule over the Duchy of Schleswig. The warring parties were, on the one hand the German movement in the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein in conjunction with the majority of nations in the German Confederation (including Prussia), and on the other hand the State of Denmark. This war ended in a decisive Danish victory, but 13 years later the next war broke out.
| Battle | Date | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Dybbøl (1848) | 5 June 1848 | Loss | |
| Battle of Kolding (1849) | 12 April 1849 | Victory | |
| Skirmish of Århus | 31 May 1849 | Loss |
The Second Schleswig War (also the German-Danish War) was a military conflict for the Duchy of Schleswig between the German Confederation and the Kingdom of Denmark. The war ended with the defeat of the Danes. The two victorious powers, Austria and Prussia, initially owned and ruled jointly over the duchies of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. The strained relationship between the two states worsened however in the period that followed, until finally the Austro-Prussian War broke out in 1866.
| Battle | Date | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Mysunde | 2 February 1864 | Loss | |
| Battle of Jasmund | 17 March 1864 | Loss | |
| Battle of Dybbøl | 18 April 1864 | Victory | |
| Battle of Heligoland | 9 May 1864 | Inconclusive | |
| Battle of Als | 29 June 1864 | Victory | |
| Battle of Lundby | 3 July 1864 | Victory |
The Austro-Prussian War was a military conflict between Austria and Prussia. The war was fought for supremacy in the German lands (aside from Switzerland). It ended with a victory for Prussia (and its allies) over Austria (and its allies) and the dissolution of the German Confederation. Prussia thereby assumed political supremacy over Austria amongst the German nations and founded the North German Confederation.
| Battle | Date | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Hühnerwasser | 26 June 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Podol | 26–27 June 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Trautenau | 27–28 June 1866 | Loss | |
| Battle of Nachod | 27 June 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Langensalza | 27 June 1866 | Loss | |
| Battle of Skalitz | 28 June 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Münchengrätz | 28 June 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Gitschin | 29 June 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Königinhof | 29 June 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Schweinschädel | 29 June 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Königgrätz | 3 July 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Dermbach | 4 July 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Kissingen | 10 July 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Frohnhofen | 13 July 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Aschaffenburg | 14 July 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Blumenau | 22 July 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Hundheim | 23 July 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Tauberbischofsheim | 24 July 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Werbach | 24 July 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Gerchsheim | 25 July 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Helmstadt | 25 July 1866 | Victory | |
| Battle of Roßbrunn | 26 July 1866 | Victory |
See main article: Franco-Prussian War.
| Battle | Date | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Saarbrücken | 2 August 1870 | Loss | |
| Battle of Wissembourg | 4 August 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Spicheren | 6 August 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Wörth | 6 August 1870 | Victory | |
| Siege of Bitche | 6 August 1870 – 26 March 1871 | Victory | |
| Siege of Lichtenberg | 9–10 August 1870 | Victory | |
| Siege of Phalsbourg | 10 August 1870 – 12 December 1870 | Victory | |
| Siege of Marsal | 13–14 August 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Colombey | 14 August 1870 | Inconclusive | |
| Siege of Strasbourg | 14 August 1870 – 28 September 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Mars-la-Tour | 16 August 1870 | Inconclusive | |
| Siege of Toul | 16 August 1870 – 23 September 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Gravelotte | 18 August 1870 | Victory | |
| Siege of Metz | 20 August – 27 October 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Buzancy | 27 August 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Beaumont | 30 August 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Noisseville | 31 August – 1 September 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Sedan | 1–2 September 1870 | Victory | |
| Siege of Paris | 19 September 1870 – 28 January 1871 | Victory | |
| Battle of Chevilly | 30 September 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Bellevue | 7 October 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Châtillon | 13 October 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Buzenval (1870) | 21 October 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Le Bourget | 27–30 October 1870 | Victory | |
| Siege of Belfort | 3 November 1870 – 18 February 1871 | Victory | |
| Battle of Havana | 9 November 1870 | Inconclusive | |
| Battle of Amiens | 27 November 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Beaune-la-Rolande | 28 November 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Villiers | 29 November – 3 December 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Loigny–Poupry | 2 December 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Beaugency | 8–10 December 1870 | Victory | |
| Battle of Hallue | 23–24 December 1870 | Inconclusive | |
| Battle of Bapaume | 3 January 1871 | Victory | |
| Battle of Villersexel | 9 January 1871 | Loss | |
| Battle of Le Mans | 10–12 January 1871 | Victory | |
| Battle of the Lisaine | 15–17 January 1871 | Victory | |
| Battle of St. Quentin | 19 January 1871 | Victory | |
| Battle of Buzenval | 19–20 January 1871 | Victory |