The worst day of Frederick the Great's life. Facing a combined Russian-Austrian army of 59,000 near Frankfurt an der Oder, Frederick attacked with 51,000 men. Initial Prussian success collapsed into catastrophe as Russian troops refused to break, absorbed devastating artillery fire, and then counterattacked. The Prussian army disintegrated. Frederick had three horses shot under him; his coat was pierced by bullets. He left the field with 3,000 men of the 48,000 he had brought. 'I believe all is lost,' he wrote to a minister. 'Save the court; the enemy will be in Berlin in a few days.'
The most catastrophic Prussian defeat of the war — and the moment that should have ended it. Only the mutual distrust between Russian General Saltykov and Austrian Field Marshal Daun prevented them from pursuing Frederick and finishing Prussia. They failed to advance on Berlin. Frederick called this delay a miracle and recovered within weeks, but Prussia's manpower reserve was nearly exhausted. The war could only continue because Russia's Empress Elizabeth fell mortally ill and the miracle of the House of Brandenburg awaited.
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The naval engagement at Manzanillo on Cuba's southern coast was one of several small actions fought as American naval forces systematically destroyed Spanish gunboats and coastal defenses around Cuba. American warships and converted yachts attacked the harbor at Manzanillo, engaging Spanish gunboats and shore batteries. The action took place on the same day the armistice protocol was signed in Washington, making it among the final combat actions of the war — though word of the ceasefire had not yet reached the combatants. Several Spanish gunboats were sunk or damaged.
Manzanillo illustrated how thoroughly American naval power had come to dominate Cuban waters by war's end. The destruction of Spain's remaining coastal naval forces left no avenue for resupply or reinforcement of Spanish forces anywhere on the island.
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