ABSTRACT
Fighting began much earlier in 1761 than anyone had expectedthanks largely to Ferdinand of Brunswick’s resolve to eject the French from Hesse at the earliest opportunity. After the failure of his operations in November 1760, he began almost immediately to plan for a second attempt at a surprise winter offensive. Though initially hampered by supply problems and by poor weather conditions, the onset of the winter freezes in late January made movement possible again. Ferdinand’s main objective was to capture Kassel, but because Broglie’s defensive position there was so strong he hoped to force the latter to retreat by cutting his supply lines. He therefore ordered troops widely scattered in winter quarters to assemble for offensive operations in three separate corps on 9 February. A corps of 17,000 men on his right flank under the command of his nephew, the hereditary prince of Brunswick, would advance from the Diemel line in two columns. A weaker one of 5,000 men under the Hessian general, Ludwig Karl von Breitenbach, would advance from Brilon towards Marburg, while the remainder of the corps would move from Marsberg toward Fitzlar. On Ferdinand’s left a corps of 12,000 under General Spörcken was to assemble east of the Weser in the area south of Duderstadt and from there march in a south-westerly direction through Mühlhausen, cross the Werra River at Vacha, and then move on Fulda. For this wing Ferdinand requested cavalry reinforcements from Frederick, who accordingly dispatched 5,000 cuirassiers and hussars under Major General Otto Ludwig von Syburg to assist in the venture. The main army (some 18,000 men) under Ferdinand himself would advance directly on to Kassel.
