1757 Campaign in Northwest Germany
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The French advanced into Germany, with one army advancing against Hanover and another toward Saxony. A Hanoverian-Prussian-German army was formed to defend Hanover and northwest Germany. The Hanoverians refused to move forward to defend the Rhine, and the Prussian fortress of Wesel and the line of the Lippe River were abandoned to the French advance in April. The allied army, under the Duke of Cumberland, King George's son, concentrated at Bielfeld. After a brief stand at Brackwede, Cumberland withdrew, crossing the Weser south of Minden. The French now sent a detachment north and captured Emden on the North Sea on July 3rd, severing the main link between Europe and Britain. A detachment sent south took Kassel on July 15th. While Cumberland concentrated near Hameln, D'Estrees and his French army crossed the Weser south of there near Hoxter. The French advanced north along the Weser and met Cumberland's army at Hastenbeck. On July 24th, Cumberland was decisively defeated. His position was protected by rough terrain, but a French attack shielded by the terrain on his left shattered his army. An allied detachment nearly saved the day, but Cumberland was unaware and ordered retreat to Verden. The French, now under Richelieu, captured the forts along the Weser River and took Brunswick and the city of Hanover, forcing the government to evacuate to Stade. Cumberland held the Aller River line to protect Bremen. Richelieu feared a British landing at Emden or Stade. Because of this, and the fear of being flanked, he failed to take Halberstadt and advance on Saxony with the other French army. Instead, he advanced on Bremen, taking the city and Harburg across the river from Hamburg, forcing Cumberland into the peninsula formed by the Elbe and the Weser, at the tip of which is Stade. Although the French offensive stalled, Cumberland signed the humiliating Convention of Klosterzeven, ending their war in Germany.