Rossbach was Frederick the Great's first battle after his defeat at Kolin, and became not just a victory but a perfect example of how to - and how not to - outflank your enemy. Frederick had always loved France for its culture and language (he rarely ever spoke German), and had fought on the side of the Franco-Bavarian axis for part of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-48). But political alegiances were fragile in the 18th century, and when Frederick invaded Saxony in 1756, a distrustful Paris finally broke off diplomatic relations. Frederick, isolated of friends on the continent, found himself facing seven years of war and pushed to his sole remaining (if previously uncertain) ally - his uncle, King George II of Britain.

But whilst Britain would come to perform miracles against France over the seas in Canada and India, its commitment on the continent was largely (as always) financial. There was a small Hanoverian army installed to defend George II's European territory, but defeat by the Duc de Richelieu at Hastenback forced its commander, the Duke of Cumberland, to disband his army at Klosterzeven. Frederick, suddenly finding himself facing the entire force of the French army, halted his westward march and turned east to face it. With Richelieu in the north, Frederick first found himself facing the combined forces of the French, under the Prince de Soubise, and the 'Reichsarmee' under the eccentric Prince von Saxe-Hildburghausen.

When the allies thought they saw Frederick hesitate, it was Hildburghausen who suggested a grand outflanking manouevre around the south of the Prussian army, which was to be tied down by a diversion. But with no cavalry screen or reconnaissance, the plan was suicide, and as one observer said: 'No general will permit himself to be taken in the flank with his eyes open; and the King of Prussia is the unlikliest you could try it with'.

Frederick immediately instigated his own flanking manouevre, redeploying his army eastwards, but masking this move behind the lie of the land. The result was one of the most complete victories of the war. The 22,000 Prussians had been outnumbered by more than two to one (36,000 French and 10-12,000 Imperial troops). The enemy had lost 3,000 killed and wounded and 5,000 prisoners, whilst Frederick suffered just 550 casualties. Both enemy armies retreated and Hildburghausen resigned his command, leaving the Prussian army free to take on the Austrians once again exactly one month later, at Leuthen. Most important of all, Frederick felt he could now 'die in peace because the reputation and honour of my nation had been saved'.