The Battle of Lützen was one of the most decisive battles of the The victory of Gustavus Adolphus at the Battle of Breitenfeld (1631) The Thirty Years War was a conflict fought between the years 1618 and 1648, principally in the Central European territory of the Holy Roman Empire, but also involving most of the major continental powers. It occurred for a number... Thirty Years' War.

Description of the battle

On November 14th (in the The Gregorian calendar is the calendar currently used in the Western world. A modification of the Julian calendar, it was first proposed by the Neapolitan doctor Aloysius Lilius, and was decreed by Pope Gregory XIII, for whom it was named, on February 24, 1582 (Note: The papal bull Inter gravissimas... Gregorian calendar) Categories: 1583 births | 1634 deaths | Assassinated people ... Wallenstein decided to split his forces and retreat his main headquarters back towards Map of Germany showing Leipzig Leipzig [ˈlaiptsɪç] (Sorbian/Lusatian: Lipsk) is the largest city in the federal state (Bundesland) of Saxony in Germany. The name is derived from the Slavic word (see Sorbian) Lipsk (settlement where the linden trees stand). It is situated at the confluence of the... Leipzig. He expected no further move that year from the Protestant army, led by the Swedish king Gustav II Adolph Gustav II Adolph (December 9, 1594 - November 6, 1632) (also known as Gustav Adolph the Great, under the Latin name Gustavus Adolphus or the Swedish form Gustav II Adolf) was a King of Sweden. He was born in Stockholm, the son of Charles IX of the Vasa... Gustavus Adolphus, since unseasonably cold winter weather was making it difficult to camp in the open countryside. Gustavus Adolphus, however, planned otherwise. On the early morning of November 15 his army marched out of camp towards Wallenstein's last-known position and attempted to catch him by surprise. Unfortunately, when night fell the two armies were still separated by about 2-3 kilometres (1-2 miles).

Wallenstein had learned of the Swedish approach on the afternoon of November 15. Seeing the danger, he dispatched a note to General Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim (May 29, 1594 - November 17, 1632), imperial field marshal in the Thirty Years War, was born at the little town of Pappenheim on the Altmühl, in Bavaria, the seat of a free lordship of the empire, from which the... Pappenheim ordering him to return as quickly as possible with his army corps. Pappenheim received the note after midnight, and immediately set off to rejoin Wallenstein with most of his troops. During the night Wallenstein, conscious that he was badly outnumbered, deployed his army in a defensive position along the main Lutzen-Leipzig road which he reinforced with trenches. He anchored his right flank on a low hill, on which he placed his main artillery battery.

Morning mist delayed the Swedish army's advance, but by 9 AM the rival armies were in sight of each other. Because of the complex network of waterways it took until 11AM before the Protestant force was deployed and ready to launch its attack.

Initially the battle went well for the Protestants, who managed to surround Wallenstein's weak left wing. Just as disaster seemed imminent, Pappenheim arrived with 2,000-3,000 cavalry and drove the Swedes back. This made Wallenstein exclaim, "Thus I know my Pappenheim!". But during the charge Pappenheim was fatally wounded by a small-calibre Swedish cannonball. He died while being evacuated from the field in a coach.

Soon after midday Gustavus Adolphus was himself killed leading a cavalry charge. However, in the thick mix of gunsmoke and fog covering the field his fate remained unknown for some time. The infantry of his army continued to follow orders and attempted to assault the strongly entrenched Imperial centre, but were decimated by artillery and infantry fire and then cavalry charges. A panic began among the Protestant ranks, made worse as rumours spread of the king's death. Soon the Swedish army was in chaotic retreat. Thanks, however, to the cool-head of the Swedish third-in-command Dodo von Knijphausen, the Protestant forces were rallied. By about 3PM the Protestant second-in-command Bernhard, duke of Saxe-Weimar (1604 - July 18, 1639), a celebrated general in the Thirty Years War, was the eleventh son of John, duke of Saxe-Weimar. He received an unusually good education, and studied at Jena, but soon went to the court of the Saxon elector to engage in... Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar, having learned of the king's death, returned from the left wing and now assumed command over the entire army. It seems that contrary to popular myth he kept the secret of the king's death from the army as a whole, but vowed to personally avenge the king by winning the battle.

The final Swedish assault took place towards 4PM. It was a grim fight, with terrible casualties on both sides. Finally with dusk falling the Swedes captured the main Imperial artillery battery. The Imperial forces retired back out of its range, leaving the field to the Swedes.

At about 6PM Pappenheim's infantry, about 3,000-4,000 strong, arrived on the battlefield. Although night had fallen they wished to carry out a counter-attack on the Swedes. Wallenstein, however, believed the situation hopeless and instead ordered his army to withdraw to Map of Germany showing Leipzig Leipzig [ˈlaiptsɪç] (Sorbian/Lusatian: Lipsk) is the largest city in the federal state (Bundesland) of Saxony in Germany. The name is derived from the Slavic word (see Sorbian) Lipsk (settlement where the linden trees stand). It is situated at the confluence of the... Leipzig under cover of the fresh infantry.

Strategically speaking the battle of Lutzen was a Protestant victory. Wallenstein was forced out of With an area of 18,400 sq. km. and a population of 4.6 million, the Free State of Saxony (German: Freistaat Sachsen) is the tenth largest in area but sixth in population among Germanys sixteen federal states. Created upon Germanys reunification in 1990, it occupies the approximate... Saxony where he had hoped to winter his troops at Saxon expense, and retreated to Bohemia is also a place in the State of United States of America: see Bohemia, New York. Bohemia (Čechy in Czech, Böhmen in German) is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western and middle thirds of the Czech Republic. With an area of 52,750 sq... Bohemia. However, contrary to myth, the Swedes lost far more troops winning the battle than did the Imperial army. Having been forced to assault an entrenched position they lost about 6,000 men including badly wounded and deserters. The Imperial army lost perhaps 3,000-3,500 men.

Aftermath

The Protestant army achieved its main goal of the campaign - to rescue With an area of 18,400 sq. km. and a population of 4.6 million, the Free State of Saxony (German: Freistaat Sachsen) is the tenth largest in area but sixth in population among Germanys sixteen federal states. Created upon Germanys reunification in 1990, it occupies the approximate... Saxony from the Imperial onslaught. A more long-lasting effect of the battle was the death of the legendary Swedish king Gustav II Adolph Gustav II Adolph (December 9, 1594 - November 6, 1632) (also known as Gustav Adolph the Great, under the Latin name Gustavus Adolphus or the Swedish form Gustav II Adolf) was a King of Sweden. He was born in Stockholm, the son of Charles IX of the Vasa... Gustavus Adolphus. Without him to unify the German Protestants, the war lost direction. The Catholic Habsburg (sometimes spelled Hapsburg, but never so in official use) was one of the major ruling houses of Europe. Their principal roles were as: Holy Roman Emperors for several centuries to 1806, and rulers of Austria (as dukes 1282–1453, archdukes 1453–1804, and emperors 1804–1918... Habsburgs had time to recoup their losses and regain their balance, and the war rumbled on for another 16 years until the The Ratification of the Treaty of Münster by Gerard Terborch (1648) The Peace of Westphalia, also known as the treaties of Münster and Osnabrück, is the series of treaties that ended the Thirty Years War and officially recognized the United Provinces and Swiss Confederation. The Spanish–... Peace of Westphalia in Events Peace treaty signed at Westphalia ends the Thirty Years War. The Dutch and the Spanish sign the Treaty of Munster, ending the Eighty Years War. The Spanish Empire recognizes the Dutch Republic of United Netherlands as a sovereign state, (governed by the House of Orange-Nassau and the Estates... 1648.

Date

At this time the Catholic The Holy Roman Empire ( German: Heiliges Römisches Reich) ( Italian: Sacro Romano Impero) ( Latin: Sacrum Romanum Imperium) ( Czech: Svatá říše římská) ( French: Saint Empire Romain Germanique) ( Polish: Święte Cesarstwo Rzymskie Narodu Niemieckiego) ( Dutch: Heilige Roomse Rijk) was a political... Holy Roman Empire used the The Gregorian calendar is the calendar currently used in the Western world. A modification of the Julian calendar, it was first proposed by the Neapolitan doctor Aloysius Lilius, and was decreed by Pope Gregory XIII, for whom it was named, on February 24, 1582 (Note: The papal bull Inter gravissimas... Gregorian calendar, but Protestant The Kingdom of Sweden ( Swedish: Konungariket Sverige  listen?) is a Nordic country in Scandinavia, in Northern Europe. It is bordered by Norway on the west, Finland on the northeast, the Skagerrak Strait and the Kattegat Strait on the southwest, and the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia on... Sweden still used the The Julian calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, taking force in 45 BC or 709 ab urbe condita. It was chosen after consultation with the Alexandrian astronomer Sosigenes and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year, known at least since Hipparchus. It has a regular year... Julian calendar. Hence the Battle of Lützen occurred on November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published. 1384 - Hedwig is crowned King of Poland, although she is a woman. 1532 - Francisco Pizarro and... November 16 for the Catholics but on November 6 is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 55 days remaining. From September 23, there are 88 days in a fall (autumn) season. We are considered halfway through fall (autumn) on November 6. Events 1528 - Shipwrecked Spanish conquistador Álvar N... November 6 for the Swedes.

Sources

Richard Brzezinski, Lützen 1632, London 2001. ISBN: 1-85532-552-7

See also

• Battle of Lützen (1813)