If the Prussians favoured Sadowa, why is my Prussian 3rd July 1866 medal inscribed 'Koniggratz' ?

Quote from: cameronian on 03 January 2014, 03:23:38 PM
If the Prussians favoured Sadowa, why is my Prussian 3rd July 1866 medal inscribed 'Koniggratz' ?

Because they didn't?  I had always assumed, for no good reason, that Sadowa was what the French called it. French Wikipedia says "La Bataille de Sadowa (ou bataille de Koniggratz dans les pays de langue allemande)".

Mollinary

I always knew it as Sadowa from school and IIRC that was how it was known to the French, ditto Koniggratz to the Prussians.

Always known it as Koniggratz even though Sadowa is actually on the battlefield.

I think harldy anyone in Germany remembers Königgrätz as "Sadowa". Didn't know myself that this title for the battle exists. I Actually thought of a a kind of "Borodonio vs. Waterloo" topic when reading the thread title. The more you know

Quote from: cameronian on 03 January 2014, 03:23:38 PM
If the Prussians favoured Sadowa, why is my Prussian 3rd July 1866 medal inscribed 'Koniggratz' ?

How were you awarded a Prussian medal? 

I was told by a Czech expert that this is to do with nationalism. Königgrätz is the German name for the Czech town of Hradec Králové - both mean King's Castle but Königgrätz is clearly German. Where as Sadowa (the German version of the villages name) and Sadová (the Czech name) are essentially the same, pronounced the same and is a Czech name.

Incidentally Czech's call it the battle of Chlum just to add to the confusion

Sadowa=Königgrätz but the latter is harder to speak if you are French and want to instigate the Austrians to join on your side in the Franco Prussian War. 

Quote from: mollinary on 03 January 2014, 03:33:17 PM
Because they didn't?  I had always assumed, for no good reason, that Sadowa was what the French called it. French Wikipedia says "La Bataille de Sadowa (ou bataille de Koniggratz dans les pays de langue allemande)".

Mollinary

Hmm, think I read it in Craig or Wawro, but then again why would the Konigratzer March becalled the ...

Quote from: cameronian on 05 January 2014, 01:07:23 PM

Quote from: mollinary on 03 January 2014, 03:33:17 PM
Because they didn't?  I had always assumed, for no good reason, that Sadowa was what the French called it. French Wikipedia says "La Bataille de Sadowa (ou bataille de Koniggratz dans les pays de langue allemande)".

Mollinary

Hmm, think I read it in Craig or Wawro, but then again why would the Konigratzer March becalled the ...

Hear the wise words of Craig!  Footnote 4 in the introduction to his book "The Battle of Koniggratz!"  "French writers in 1866 and since have generally preferred the name "Sadowa" to that of "Koniggratz", calling the battle after the village on the Bistritz where the first fighting took place on the morning of July 3. Other writers have pointed out that the most appropriate name would be "Chlum", since the capture of Chlum heights by the Prussian Guards was the decisive factor in the victory. But battles are named by the victors, and the name chosen by King William on the evening of his greatest success was "Koniggratz", although the fortress of that name lay some miles behind the Bistritz, and did not figure in the fighting."

Mollinary

Quote from: mollinary on 05 January 2014, 01:29:25 PM
Hear the wise words of Craig!  Footnote 4 in the introduction to his book "The Battle of Koniggratz!"  "French writers in 1866 and since have generally preferred the name "Sadowa" to that of "Koniggratz", calling the battle after the village on the Bistritz where the first fighting took place on the morning of July 3. Other writers have pointed out that the most appropriate name would be "Chlum", since the capture of Chlum heights by the Prussian Guards was the decisive factor in the victory. But battles are named by the victors, and the name chosen by King William on the evening of his greatest success was "Koniggratz", although the fortress of that name lay some miles behind the Bistritz, and did not figure in the fighting."

Mollinary

I'm definitely losing it!

... but still the question why Cameronian was awarded a medal in 1866? Has he got a 10mm Tardis?

TARDIS in a 10mm game a little while ago ...

Quote from: cameronian on 05 January 2014, 03:00:45 PM
I'm definitely losing it!

Most of us never had it to begin with...