Tossup

This battle’s winning commander supposedly calmly picked the best cigar from his superior’s cigar case, thereby assuring him of victory. The so-called “Battery of the Dead” defended the village of Chlum (“kloom”) during this battle, whose losing (-5[1])commander vowed to keep fighting after misinterpreting a telegram asking, (-5[1])“Has a battle taken place?” (10[1])as mocking him. At this 19th-century battle, a commander pioneered his strategy of “cauldron warfare” that he later expounded upon in his Instructions for Large-Unit (-5[1])Commanders. This battle, which ended a war sparked by a country’s supposed violation of the Gastein (10[1])(“gah-STYNE”) Convention, (10[1])pitted over 200,000 (-5[1])soldiers reluctantly commanded by Ludwig von Benedek (-5[2])against an opposing army wielding Dreyse (“DRY-zuh”) needle guns. (-5[1])For 10 (-5[1])points, (10[2])Helmuth von Moltke (-5[1])the Elder won (-5[1])what (-5[1])decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian (-5[1])War? ■END■ (10[7]0[7])

ANSWER: Battle of Königgrätz (“KUR-nik-gretz”) [or Battle of Sadowa]
<European History>
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