During the Second Silesian War (1744-1745), Frederick invaded Bohemia with 60,000 men and caught the Austrian army under Prince Charles (80,000 strong) camped near the town of Hohenfriedberg.
Striking at dawn, the Prussian generals Du Moulin, Rothenberg and Leopold , made short work of the Austrian army's left flank. Composed almost entirely of Saxon troops, whom the Prussian king regarded as traitors, Prussian morale was ignited by Frederick's "no quarter" order, an order that was followed with zeal.
Having disposed of the Saxons in about an hour, Frederick turned his attention to the rest of the Austrian army, just now beginning to stir, too late to help the Saxons. This part of the battle opened with an attack on the Austrian right wing cavalry by the newly-arrived Prussian cavalry while the infantry formed up to meet the main body of the Austrian army. Heavy artillery fire, and a stiffer than expected infantry defense left the issue in doubt, until the ten-squadron strong regiment of Beyreuth Dragoons intervened. Noticing the shaken Austrian infantry to their front, the dragoons charged through a gap in the Prussian line and effectively ended the battle by destroying or putting to flight all but 3 Austrian regiments who remained to cover the retreat. It was 9 a.m. Prussian cavalry had come a long way from Mollwitz, and their infantry was the envy of the world.
