The Second Battle of Breitenfeld, also known as the First Battle of Leipzig, took place during the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battl ...
on 2 November 1642 at
Breitenfeld, north-east of
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
. A
Swedish Army
The Swedish Army ( sv, svenska armén) is the land force of the Swedish Armed Forces.
History
Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1521, when the men of Dalarna chose 16 young able men as body guards for the insurgent nobleman Gusta ...
commanded by
Lennart Torstensson decisively defeated an
Imperial Army under
Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria and his deputy
Ottavio Piccolomini.
[The second battle was 11 years after the first battle at the crossroads village where the Swedish forces under ]Gustavus II Adolphus
Gustavus Adolphus (9 December N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December15946 November Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 16 November] 1632), also known in English as G ...
had handed Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly, Field Marshal Count Tilly his first major defeat on the same plain.
Victory allowed the Swedes to occupy and establish a secure base in Leipzig, the second most important town in the
Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony, also known as Electoral Saxony (German: or ), was a territory of the Holy Roman Empire from 1356–1806. It was centered around the cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz.
In the Golden Bull of 1356, Emperor Charl ...
. However, although significantly weakened by the defeat and forced onto the defensive, the Imperial Army prevented them from fully exploiting their victory and kept
John George I, Elector of Saxony from making peace with Sweden.
Prelude
During 1641, the Swedish army narrowly escaped the pursuit by Imperials and Bavarians after its failed attack on the
Imperial Diet in
Regensburg in January. Its commander
Johan Banér
Johan Banér (23 June 1596 – 10 May 1641) was a Swedish field marshal in the Thirty Years' War.
Early life
Johan Banér was born at Djursholm Castle in Uppland. As a four-year-old he was forced to witness how his father, the Privy Councillo ...
lost several thousand men at the battles of
Neunburg
Neunburg vorm Wald is a municipality in the district of Schwandorf, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 21 km east of Schwandorf on the river Schwarzach, a tributary of the Naab.
Mayor
The mayor is Martin Birner (CSU). He was elected in 2014 ...
and
Preßnitz
The Preßnitz ( cs, Přísečnice or ''Přísečný potok'') is a right-hand tributary of the River Zschopau in the state of Saxony in eastern Germany and in the Czech Republic. It rises in the Bohemian Ore Mountains near Horní Halže, north ...
until his untimely death at
Halberstadt
Halberstadt ( Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the capital of Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town center that was greatly destroyed by Allied bom ...
in May. With the help of their French and
Guelph
Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Well ...
allies, the remnant of the Swedes repelled the Imperials at
Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel (; nds, Wulfenbüddel) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel District. It is best known as the location of the internationally renowned Herzog August Library and for having the largest ...
but only the arrival of
Lennart Torstensson in November with fresh recruits and the outstanding pay saved them from mutiny. The Emperor's peace with the Guelphs in the Treaty of Goslar removed the strategic link between the Swedes and the French army under
Jean-Baptiste Budes de Guébriant, forcing the French to turn west where they defeated an Imperial army under
Guillaume de Lamboy at
Kempen in early 1642.
Because of Kempen, the Westphalian army under
Melchior von Hatzfeld and the Bavarians under
Franz von Mercy split up from the main Imperial force to contain Guébriant's advance. Both Imperials and Swedes moved to the east where the Swedes pitched winter quarters in
Brandenburg
Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 square ...
that had declared neutrality in 1641. Brandenburg' denial of military access to the Imperials prevented them from assaulting the Swedes in February 1642. Therefore, the Imperial commander
Archduke Leopold Wilhelm was compelled to retreat from
Genthin in the
Bishopric of Magdeburg to move into winter quarters in late February. While the Imperials were still obtaining quarters in April, the Swedes already started their campaign.
The new Swedish commander Torstensson planned a major offensive in 1642 to strike into the
Habsburg lands. While a mobile force under
Hans Christoff von Königsmarck raided westward towards
Quedlinburg as a distraction, Torstensson moved east to
Lusatia from where he invaded
Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is spli ...
. He took
Głogów, one of its strongest fortresses, by storm on 4 May. The Imperial commander in Silesia, Franz Albrecht of Saxe-Lauenburg, collected a small army of 7,500 men and called
Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria for aid. Before being reinforced by a detachment from the main Imperial Army under
Ottavio Piccolomini, Franz Albrecht tried to relieve the siege of
Schweidnitz. Tricked into attacking a much larger Swedish force on 31 May, his troops were overwhelmed and he himself mortally wounded.
Piccolomini withdrew to
Brno to join up with the Archduke, while on 14 June Torstensson captured
Olomouc
Olomouc (, , ; german: Olmütz; pl, Ołomuniec ; la, Olomucium or ''Iuliomontium'') is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 99,000 inhabitants, and its larger urban zone has a population of about 384,000 inhabitants (2019).
Located on th ...
in
Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
Th ...
after a short siege. After collecting superior forces, the Imperials forced the outnumbered Swedes back into Silesia pursued by the Archduke. Leaving a blockading corps at Olomouc, on 25 July his
vanguard
The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force.
History
The vanguard derives f ...
under
Raimondo Montecuccoli defeated a Swedish detachment at
Troppau which was screening the siege of
Brieg, forcing Torstensson to abandon it and retreat across the
Oder river. The Archduke laid siege to
Głogów on 10 August but abandoned it on 12 September when Torstensson offered him battle in front of the fortress. The Swedish army was now large enough to put the Imperials under pressure and they pulled back to the Bohemian border where they entrenched themselves and used their light cavalry to harass the Swedish supply lines. Withdrawing into Saxony in October, Torstensson laid siege to
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
, the second-largest city in Saxony and an important stronghold for
John George I, Elector of Saxony, an Imperial ally.
Battle
The fast approach of the Imperial Army under the Archduke and Piccolomini forced Torstensson to lift the siege of Leipzig on 1 November. Assuming the Swedes were in disorderly retreat, the Archduke and his war council decided to attack against the advice of Piccolomini who considered them too strong for a direct assault. The Swedes retreated to better positions outside Breitenfeld where they awaited an attack.
The Imperials had 26,000 men and 46 guns against 20,000 and 70 respectively for the Swedes. Despite the disparity in numbers, the two forces were roughly equivalent because the Imperial army included many irregular Croatian and Hungarian cavalry of questionable combat value, as well as some dragoons and old-fashioned
arquebusier regiments. In contrast, the Swedish cavalry was almost exclusively formed out of heavy cuirassiers. Both sides placed their cavalry on the wings, with the infantry in the centre, split into two subgroups because a small forest, the Linkelwald, bisected the Imperial lines.
Battle began in the early morning of 2 November with an artillery duel in which Swedish infantry commander Johan Lilliehöök was mortally wounded. The Swedes crossed the
Rietzschke river and their right wing under
Arvid Wittenberg
Arvid Wittenberg or Arvid Wirtenberg von Debern (1606 – 7 September 1657), Swedish count, field marshal and privy councillor. Born in Porvoo, Finland, died in prison in Zamość, Poland, 7 September 1657. Arvid Wittenberg preferred call himse ...
attacked the Imperial left. Its commander Hans Christoph von Puchheim had not yet fully deployed his troops and some of his regiments took flight, allegedly led by Madlo's regiment of arquebusiers in the front line, followed by a number of neighbouring units and most of the Saxon regiments holding the second line. The remainder were rallied by
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
Nicola who repulsed two Swedish attacks with the support of the reserve cavalry under Ernst Roland von Suys before a third assault broke through, killing Nicola and several other officers.
On the other side of the battlefield, the result was the opposite. The Imperial right under
Annibale Gonzaga and Count Bruay shattered most of the Swedish left under Erik Slang and pushed them back onto their reserve under Königsmarck which continued to resist. Torstensson now decided to split his victorious right; one part under
Torsten Stålhandske
Torsten Stålhandske ( Porvoo, Finland, 1 September 1593 – Haderslev, 21 April 1644) – Swedish for "Torsten Steelglove", sometimes written "Stålhansch" in the Swedish of the time and referred to in German literature as ''Torsten Staalhansc ...
pursued the fleeing Imperial left, while the rest under Wittenberg moved behind the Imperial centre to attack their right from behind. Under pressure from two sides, this broke while Piccolomini and the Archduke used their personal bodyguards along with the Alt- and Neu-Piccolomini, Mislik, Borneval and Luttke regiments as a rear guard to cover their retreat. Although the infantry north of the Linkelwald escaped, the group to the south was encircled by the Swedish cavalry and forced to surrender.
The Imperial Army lost all 46 guns along with 3,000 to 5,000 dead or wounded plus another 4,500 or 5,000 taken prisoner, including generals Suys and Fernemont. Swedish casualties were 4,000 dead or wounded; Generals Lilliehöök and Slang were killed, while General Stålhandske, commander of the Finnish ''
Hakkapeliitta'' cavalry, was seriously wounded.
Aftermath
Rather than a renewed offensive, Torstensson renewed the siege of Leipzig which held out until 7 December. Its loss gave the Swedes a secure base in Saxony and was a serious blow to Elector John George, although most of the Imperial prisoners who joined the Swedish army after Breitenfeld deserted during the siege.
Axel Lillie was appointed commander of Leipzig and enforced a large contribution of 150,000 talers. On 29 December, Wittenberg captured
Chemnitz while Torstensson confered with the French commander Guébriant. In early January, the Swedes besieged
Freiberg, whose Saxon garrison resisted stubbornly and repelled a major assault on 13 January. Having rebuilt the Imperial Army in Bohemia, Piccolomini arrived outside Freiberg on 27 February, forcing the Swedes to abandon the siege, an action that may have stopped John George from leaving the war.
Archduke Leopold Wilhelm assembled a court-martial in
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
which sentenced the Madlo regiment to exemplary punishment at
Rokycany
Rokycany (; german: Rokitzan) is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 14,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.
Administrative parts
Rokycany is made up o ...
. Six regiments, which had distinguished themselves in the battle, were assembled fully armed and surrounded Madlo's regiment, which was severely rebuked for its cowardice and misconduct and ordered to lay down its arms, after which their
regimental colours were torn in pieces. In a process known as
decimation, lots were drawn and every 10th soldier of the regiment and 5 officers were executed next day.
Defeat ignited antagonism in the army between Germans and Italians, commonly called "Welsche" or "Walsche", who claimed it was due to the collapse of the mostly German left wing under Puchheim, who in turn argued the mostly Italian right under Gonzaga had failed to support them. The court-martial of Madlo's regiment seemed to confirm the guilt of the left wing but did not calm tempers. When the Archduke asked Hatzfeld, who had arrived with reinforcements in January 1643, to take over command while he travelled to Vienna, Hatzfeld refused saying he could not repair the mistakes of the Italians. Confronted with this insubordination, the Archduke resigned his command and in February was temporarily replaced by Piccolomini before he decided to enter Spanish service and stepped down in April. The returning Trentine general
Matthias Gallas took over command, largely because he was acceptable to both Germans and Italians. Most of the Italian generals like the Gonzagas or Montecuccoli chose to retire or depart for Italy to fight in the
First War of Castro. Only Bruay was persuaded by the Emperor to stay instead of following Piccolomini.
In April, the Swedes started their next offensive. Gallas anticipated their aim of resupplying Olomouc and tried to block their way with a strong defensive position at
Hradec Králové
Hradec Králové (; german: Königgrätz) is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 91,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected by law as a ...
and by refusing them any crossing of the
Elbe
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Rep ...
. Torstensson avoided Gallas' main force and feinted an attack at
Brandýs nad Labem Brandys or Brandýs may refer to:
*Brandys (surname) The surname Brandys may refer to:
* Anatoli Brandys, Hero of the Soviet Union
* Kazimierz Brandys (1916–2000), Polish essayist and screenwriter
* Marian Brandys (1912–1998), Polish writer
...
to distract the Imperials. In the meantime, he attained a crossing at
Mělník. He moved forward and reached northern Moravia prior to Gallas where he resupplied the Swedish garrisons. Gallas and the Imperials followed him over
Brno and again took a defensive position in front of the Swedes. The Imperials used their superior light cavalry to harass the Swedes in skirmishes. The Swedes held out until October when they retreated into Silesia and then left Habsburg territory entirely to attack Denmark in the
Torstenson War.
Notes
References
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{{Authority control
1642 in Europe
Breitenfeld 1642
Breitenfeld 1642
Breitenfeld 1642
Breitenfeld 1642
1642 in the Holy Roman Empire
17th century in Saxony
Breitenfeld 1642
History of Leipzig