On 16 November 1632, the Battle of Lutzen was fought in Germany between the Swedes under Gustavus Adolphus and Duke Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar and the Imperialists under Albrecht Von Wallenstein and Gottfried Pappenheim during the Thirty Years War.
Why did it happen?
After his victory at the Battle of Breitenfeld, Gustavus Adolphus embarked on an “all or nothing” strategy against Count Tilly and Albrecht von Wallenstein. After Tilly was mortally wounded at the Battle of Rain on 15 April 1632, Gustavus and Wallenstein conducted a strategy of attrition throughout the summer of 1632. In November, with winter approaching, Wallenstein split his forces into two columns: One column under Gottfried Pappenheim would march to Halle while Wallenstein would march towards Leipzig. Anticipating this move, Gustavus marched his forces from Naumburg to Leipzig to catch Wallenstein’s forces scattered. Wallenstein, however, managed to gather his forces and occupy a strong position next to the town of Lutzen with a canal and marshes protecting his front. On 15 November, Gustavus Adolphus arrived with his army shrouded by dense fog while Wallenstein sent messengers to summon aid from Pappenheim, who would arrive the following day.
Who was involved?
The Swedish army at Lutzen numbered 12,800 infantry, 6,200 cavalry and 60 artillery. The Swedish infantry was positioned in two long lines in the centre with artillery in the vanguard while the cavalry was positioned on the wings with small detachments of musketeers to support them. The Imperialist army at Lutzen numbered 10,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry and 21 artillery. While most of the infantry were positioned in the centre next to the Windmill Knoll, a position of musketeers was positioned along a ditch extending from the town of Lutzen along the road to Leipzig. In addition, seven artillery were positioned in front of the infantry while 14 artillery were positioned in front of the windmills. Finally, the cavalry was deployed on both wings with the right wing’s flank being protected by the town of Lutzen.
What happened?
At 11 am, the Swedish right-wing opened the battle by charging towards a gap in the Imperialist left-wing and driving it back. After an hour of fighting, Pappenheim arrived with 3,000 troops to reinforce the Imperialists and check the Swedish attack. In the process, however, Pappenheim was mortally wounded and died the following day. Meanwhile, the Swedish infantry in the centre and the cavalry on the left-wing advanced against the Imperialist centre and right-wing under the cover of fog, only to suffer heavy casualties from Imperialist artillery and musket fire. Seeing the battle turning against him, Gustavus Adolphus led a cavalry charge on the Swedish right-wing, only to be shot and killed. As Bernhard, Duke of Saxe-Weimar took command of the Swedish army, the Imperialist cavalry on the right-wing counterattacked and pushed back the Swedish left wing. At 2 pm, Bernhard launched his own counterattack when he ordered his artillery to fire upon the Windmill Knoll followed by his infantry at 3 pm. Despite taking heavy casualties, the Swedes managed to capture the position along with the fourteen-artillery positioned on the hill by 5 pm. With his forces exhausted and demoralised, Wallenstein withdrew his army under the cover of darkness. Both sides had suffered heavy casualties with the Swedes losing an estimated 6,000 men and the Imperialists losing 8,000.
What changed as a result?
The Battle of Lutzen was a pyrrhic victory for the Swedes. Although they held the field, the death of Gustavus Adolphus damaged the Protestant cause, causing the Swedish army to lose its strategic direction. To make matters worse, the Catholic Imperialists became more united at this time when, after the dismissal of Wallenstein as commander, the Spanish and Austrian Habsburgs healed the rift between them. In 1634, the combined Spanish and Austrian army defeated the Swedes at the Battle of Nordlingen, where the Habsburgs inflicted 17,000 casualties on the Protestant army. Although a Catholic nation, France subsequently entered the Thirty Years War on the side of Sweden and Holland to thwart Habsburg ambitions to impose a universal monarchy on Europe.
Bibliography:
Butler, Rupert. 100 Battles: Decisive Conflicts That Shaped the World. Bath, Parragon, 2013.
Chandler, David G. The Art of Warfare on Land. Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 2000.
Grant, R.G. Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5,000 Years of Combat. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2005.
Great Battles of History. “The Battle of Lutzen: Overview and Animation.” YouTube video, 15:37. September 11, 2016. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BfPYUUO2-M