A French victory at Sahay, combined with Prussia's win at Chotusitz, pressured Maria Theresa into ceding Silesia via the Treaty of Breslau.
Key Facts
- Date
- 24 May 1742
- Location
- Near Zahájí, ~15 km NW of České Budějovice
- Conflict
- War of the Austrian Succession
- French commander
- Duc de Broglie
- Austrian commander
- Lobkowicz
- Treaty following
- Treaty of Breslau, 11 June 1742
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The War of the Austrian Succession saw France and Prussia allied against Austria. Prussia's Frederick the Great had defeated the Austrians at Chotusitz just one week before Sahay, weakening Austrian military capacity and morale in Bohemia and creating an opening for coordinated Franco-Prussian pressure on Maria Theresa's forces in southern Bohemia.
On 24 May 1742, French forces under the Duc de Broglie engaged Austrian troops commanded by Lobkowicz near the village of Zahájí in southern Bohemia. The French won a small but politically significant victory, acting in concert with Prussian operations under Frederick the Great to apply combined pressure on Austria across the Bohemian theater.
The twin blows of Chotusitz and Sahay disposed Maria Theresa to negotiate, leading directly to the Treaty of Breslau on 11 June 1742, by which Austria ceded Silesia to Prussia. This effectively ended the First Silesian War and removed Prussia temporarily from the broader conflict, reshaping the balance of power in Central Europe.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Duc de Broglie.
Side B
1 belligerent
Lobkowicz.