The Art of War of the Imperial-Royal

* Cologne, 18 February. Windischgrätz has special ill luck. He might

Nr. 226, 19 February 1849

Neue Rheinische Zeitung

have become one of the greatest commanders of the century, had the most unexpected mishaps not constantly befallen him. Already Schwanbeck has proved that he would have performed incomparable heroic deeds, had the Hungarians only once stood their ground against him. But the worst thing that has happened to the great Windischgrätz is only now revealed by an imperial-royal semi-official correspondence of the A.A.Z. In the supplement to the said newspaper of 15 February of this year, it literally says as follows:

“In regard to the operations of Prince Windisch-Grätz in the month of January, I must recall that eight army columns in mid-December were destined to advance into the interior of Hungary and at that time were 10 to 12 days’ march from Buda-Pesth. This disposition of the field marshal was made on the assumption of a sensible conduct of the war. The Magyars have brought this assumption to naught, by posting a fabulous superior force everywhere, only not where it might have been able to give the favourable decision – if such a thing were possible at all. Of the columns to which Windisch-Grätz had given a rendezvous before the Hungarian capitals, only those of the Ban, of Field Marshal Lieutenant Wrbna, and the reserve corps under the command of the field marshal were able to fulfil the orders given; the Magyar superior force prevented the other troop divisions from obeying.”

Windischgrätz had reckoned that the Magyars would follow a “sensible conduct of the war”. Had they followed this sensible conduct of the war, Windischgrätz would have defeated them brilliantly. But now they post “a fabulous superior number everywhere,” “only not where” it could be of any use. And in consequence of this boundless unreason, all the dispositions of the great Windischgrätz come to naught.

Precisely because the Magyars committed blunder upon blunder, and because even gods struggle in vain against stupidity, even the most learned combinations of Windischgrätz have foundered on their strategic ignorance!

Did ever a man have such bad luck
As Mayor Tschech –
and Field Marshal Windischgrätz, who could not defeat his opponents simply because they were too stupid for him?!