The Battle of Soltau (german: Schlacht bei Soltau) took place on 28 June 1519 and was the military climax of the
Hildesheim Diocesan Feud
The Hildesheim Diocesan Feud (german: Hildesheimer Stiftsfehde) or Great Diocesan Feud, sometimes referred to as a "chapter feud", was a conflict that broke out in 1519 between the Prince-Bishopric of Hildesheim (''Hochstift Hildesheim'') and the p ...
which lasted from 1519–1523.
[Felleckner 2009] Some sources describe it as "the last knights' battle" (''Die letzte Ritterschlacht'').
It is also often described as the "last medieval
feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...
".
The feud had all the hallmarks of a typical dispute between noble families of that time. At its heart was the division of revenue and territorial claims, mainly on the land of the
Bishopric of Hildesheim
The Prince-Bishopric of Hildesheim (german: Hochstift Hildesheim, Fürstbistum Hildesheim, Bistum Hildesheim) was an Hochstift, ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire from the Middle Ages until its dissolution in 1803. The Prince-Bis ...
. Two aspects, however, made it rather different. Firstly, the main protagonists on both sides were members of the princely
House of Welf
The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconia, Franconian family from ...
family and secondly, the warring parties simultaneously supported different pretenders to the imperial elections of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
. The
Brunswick-
Calenberg
The Calenberg is a hill in central Germany in the Leine depression near Pattensen in the municipality of Schulenburg. It lies 13 km west of the city of Hildesheim in south Lower Saxony on the edge of the Central Uplands. It is made from a ...
party, with dukes
Henry II of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Henry may refer to:
People
*Henry (given name)
* Henry (surname)
* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...
and
Eric I of Calenberg at its head, favoured the
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
Charles (later Emperor
Charles V Charles V may refer to:
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558)
* Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain
* Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise
* Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690)
* Infan ...
), the Lüneburg-
Hildesheim
Hildesheim (; nds, Hilmessen, Hilmssen; la, Hildesia) is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany with 101,693 inhabitants. It is in the district of Hildesheim, about southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste River, a small tributary of the Lei ...
coalition under Duke
Henry the Middle and
Bishop John IV supported the election of
Francis I of France
Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once ...
as the new emperor.
[Stiftsfehde ''Kleiner Exkurs zur Hildesheimer Stiftsfehde (1519–1523)'' at www.folker-hett.de. Retrieved on 3 Apr 2010.](_blank)
/ref>
Despite their convincing victory at the Battle of Soltau, the Lüneburg-Hildesheim alliance eventually lost the war against Brunswick and Calenberg, when Emperor Charles V banned both Henry, Duke of Lüneburg, and Prince-Bishop John.
Background
The forces of Brunswick numbered about 7,000 foot soldiers
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
(of which 4,000 were feudal levies
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
and 3,000 were professional ''Landsknecht
The (singular: , ), also rendered as Landsknechts or Lansquenets, were Germanic mercenaries used in pike and shot formations during the early modern period. Consisting predominantly of pikemen and supporting foot soldiers, their front line wa ...
e'') and 700 armoured cavalry (''Reisige''). The Lüneburgers also had purportedly over 7,000 infantrymen, but their cavalry force, of about 1,500 horse, was considerably stronger. The Brunswickians took 24 cannon and a large baggage train
''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...
with them; the strength of the Lüneburg artillery is unknown. As it happened, only the lighter guns could be deployed for the battle itself. The professional infantry fought in compact squares
In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90-degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length adj ...
(''Gevierthaufen''). Following Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
*Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
*Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internation ...
practice, the first three to five ranks carried pikes up to six metres long, whilst the rear ranks were mainly equipped with the shorter halberd
A halberd (also called halbard, halbert or Swiss voulge) is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. The word ''halberd'' is cognate with the German word ''Hellebarde'', deriving from ...
s or similar. Occasionally two-handed swords and matchlock
A matchlock or firelock is a historical type of firearm wherein the gunpowder is ignited by a burning piece of rope that is touched to the gunpowder by a mechanism that the musketeer activates by pulling a lever or trigger with his finger. Before ...
-arquebus
An arquebus ( ) is a form of long gun that appeared in Europe and the Ottoman Empire during the 15th century. An infantryman armed with an arquebus is called an arquebusier.
Although the term ''arquebus'', derived from the Dutch word ''Haakbus ...
es were carried, but they played a secondary role. Nothing is known of the weapons carried by the levies.
Both armies marched in the usual order for that period. At the head was a 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 fr ...
(''Vortrab'') also known as the ''Verlorener Haufen'' or 'forlorn hope
A forlorn hope is a band of soldiers or other combatants chosen to take the vanguard in a military operation, such as a suicidal assault through the kill zone of a defended position, or the first men to climb a scaling ladder against a defende ...
', which in the case of the Brunswick force numbered some 1,500 ''Landsknechte
The (singular: , ), also rendered as Landsknechts or Lansquenets, were Germanic mercenaries used in pike and shot formations during the early modern period. Consisting predominantly of pikemen and supporting foot soldiers, their front line wa ...
'', accompanied by 300 cavalry and a section of artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
(probably the field guns). This was followed by the main body of 4,500 men (500 ''Landsknechte'', accompanied by the rest of the cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
) and a rearguard
A rearguard is a part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or withdrawal. The term can also be used to describe forces protecting lines, such as communication lines, behind an army. Even more ...
(''Nachhut'') of 1,000 ''Landsknechte''. The baggage train would have been at least as large as the army itself, especially on the Brunswick side, which took with it a large quantity of treasure and its war chest. Nothing is known about the order of march of the Lüneburg army, but it was probably similar to that of Brunswick. However, for reasons that are not explained anywhere, the Lüneburgers had allowed their foot soldiers to fall behind, so that on 28 June only their cavalry initially stood in the way of the Brunswickians.[Havemann 1837, p. 302.]
Prelude
After a long, at times parallel, pursuit both armies met around midday on the 28 June 1519 northwest of Soltau
Soltau () is a mid-sized town in the Lüneburg Heath in the district of Heidekreis, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It has around 22,000 inhabitants. The city is centrally located in the Lüneburg Heath and is known nationwide especially for its touri ...
between the villages of Vahlzen and Langeloh. The weather was warm, but cloudy. Both parties occupied a rise, between which there was a piece of marshy terrain about 700 metres wide. The Brunswickians facing south had secured their flanks on two bogs, the Vahlzen Moor (''Vahlzener Moor'') to the west and the ''Dickmoor'' to the east (the latter appears to have been much wetter and marshier).
Precise information on the positioning of the two forces does not exist. However, it is known that the Lüneburgers had divided their cavalry into five ''Fähnlein The ''Fähnlein'' (in Swedish: fänika) was an infantry unit approximately equivalent to the company or battalion which was used in parts of Europe during the Middle Ages. The size of the unit varied; originally a Fähnlein could consist of as many ...
'', four of 225 each and one of 600 horsemen. It is reckoned that the Brunswickians had largely remained in their march formation and only assembled their 700 horsemen alongside their vanguard. If it were possible they would also have brought their field pieces into position at the edge of the hill they had now occupied. However it is likely that the two dukes in command were not agreed about the action to be taken in the face of the enemy.
Battle
Opening clash
Oddly the battle was started by the Lüneburgers, although to begin with they only had their (albeit superior) cavalry at hand. According to the report by Henry the Middle three of his small ''Fähnlein'' of cavalry launched a frontal attack on the Brunswick horse. The fourth Lüneburg ''Fähnlein'' out-flanked the opposing body of cavalry and put it to flight headlong into the nearby Vahlzen Moor, where many of the routed horsemen lost their lives. The large ''Fähnlein'' (600 horse) had not been engaged in the battle to that point. What the Brunswick vanguard (of 1,500 ''Landsknechte'') did during the cavalry battle is unclear. It must have been so far from its own cavalry that they could be out-flanked.
Attack on the Brunswick forlorn hope
Whilst a portion of the victorious squadrons pursued their fleeing enemy, Lüneburg's large ''Fähnlein'' of knights now attacked the isolated vanguard of their opponents, evidently supported again by an effective flanking move by the four small ''Fähnleins'' who conducted themselves very skillfully throughout. The ''Landknechte'' buckled under the shock attack of the Lüneberger cavalry, the artillerymen were cut down.[Havemann 1837, p. 303.] As a result, the forlorn hope was shattered and routed into the ''Dickmoor''. Because this moor was more boggy than the Vahlzen Moor, a much larger number of the routed troops lost their lives there. Now only the Brunswick main body and its rearguard remained in the field, when Lüneburg's foot soldiers finally arrived on the scene.
Attack on the Brunswick main body
The 4,500 man strong main body of the Brunswick force had apparently not left its hill. Yet despite their attackers having to advance uphill to engage it, the main body put up little resistance. This would hardly have been surprising in view of the fate of their comrades and the fact that the greater part of the main body consisted of unprofessional soldiers. It appears not to have been supported by the rearguard which may have already fled. The main body of the Brunswick army was engaged frontally by the superior Lüneburg infantry whilst enemy horsemen swarmed around its flanks. It was beaten back and fled like the vanguard before it. Had the rearguard at this stage still been in the field it would surely have been carried away with the rout of those in front of it. With that the battle itself was over. Occasional skirmishes went on into the night, the seizure of the richly laden Brunswick baggage train and its war chest being the main objective.
Aftermath
The defeated Brunswick army probably lost around 3,000 to 3,500 killed,[Havemann 1837, p. 304, gives the number of dead left on the battlefield as "over 3,000".] most of them drowned in the marshes, as well as numerous prisoners (including Duke Eric I of Calenberg[Janicke 1877] and William, Count of Wunstorf and Regenstein). Some 136 noblemen and 400 knight's chargers were also captured, along with the silver, tableware, and garments of the Brunswick dukes and the war chest with 10,000 Gulden. The victors, by contrast, only suffered light casualties. Reports vary between 10 and 200 dead. The first figure (10) is hardly believable, even if the favourable circumstances for the Lüneburg forces are taken into account. No figures are given for the wounded, although these usually greatly exceeded the number killed. The report of 3,000 to 3,500 dead on the Brunswick side is clearly estimated and is probably based on the number of remaining troops that gathered again after the battle. The nobility of both sides complained about the high number of horses lost in the battle. This could be due to the fact that the cavalry at Soltau did most of the work (which in the case of the Lüneburgers at least affected the first half of the battle). It is also quite feasible that the miry terrain led to the demise of many of the horses.
Uncertainties
The course of the battle is difficult to fully reconcile from the few reports. For example, it is unclear why the Lüneburg infantry dropped behind on the march, what the role of the Brunswick artillery was, how the cavalry could play the deciding role on marshy terrain and, in particular, how the Lüneburg forces were able to so easily out-flank first the enemy cavalry and then its vanguard as well.
It remains striking that the tactical advantage was on the side of the Lüneburg army from the start. It must have been the decisions of the respective leaders that created this situation. Who made these decisions and when, remains unknown. The opening engagement of the cavalry can only have taken place in the manner described if the Brunswick horsemen had charged their opponents. Otherwise it remains puzzling how the forlorn hope lost contact with its own cavalry, a factor which in the end led to the downfall of both forces.
Consequences
Eric of Calenburg was captured, but later freed on payment of a considerable ransom to Bishop John and the surrender of various castles. Henry the Younger escaped to Rothenburg Castle.[Havemann 1837, p. 304.] Although Henry the Middle and Bishop John IV were able to take control of the regional situation for a time through their victory at Soltau, the wider political direction of the empire took a different turn. After Charles from the House of Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
had been elected as the new emperor, the defeated party made various attempts to show that the victors of Soltau had been in the wrong. Because the latter had supported Francis I of France
Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once ...
, the reaction of Charles V was unsurprising. In the end the Lüneburg-Hildesheim party had to acquiesce to significant material forfeitures at the Quedlinburg Recess of 1523. The victor of Soltau, Henry the Middle, was placed under an imperial ban
The imperial ban (german: Reichsacht) was a form of outlawry in the Holy Roman Empire. At different times, it could be declared by the Holy Roman Emperor, by the Imperial Diet, or by courts like the League of the Holy Court (''Vehmgericht'') or th ...
[''Heinrich der Mittlere (1468–1532) Herzog zu Braunschweig – Lüneburg''](_blank)
at www.welfen.de. Retrieved on 3 Apr 10. and by 1520 had to seek exile
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
in France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. In 1530 Charles V lifted the ban and Duke Henry was able to spend his last years at Wienhausen
Wienhausen is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is known for Wienhausen Abbey
Wienhausen Abbey or Convent (german: Kloster Wienhausen) near Celle in Lower Saxony, Germany, is a community of Evangelical Luth ...
near Celle
Celle () is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the river Aller, a tributary of the Weser, and has a population of about 71,000. Celle is the southern gateway to the Lü ...
where he died in 1532. Bishop John was also banned and later resigned from office.
Notes
References
* Blau, F (1882). ''Die deutschen Landsknechte'', Görlitz.
* Boeheim, W (1890). ''Handbuch der Waffenkunde'', Leipzig.
* Daniels, E (1910-1913). ''Geschichte des Kriegswesens, Bde. I-VII'', Leipzig.
* Delbrück, H (1920). ''Geschichte der Kriegskunst'', Bde. 3, 4, Berlin.
* Felleckner, S (2009). ''Anmerkungen über den Ablauf der Schlacht von Soltau (28.6.1519)'', in: ''Gifhorner Kreiskalender 2010'', Gifhorn 2009, p. 102–112 (Substantial basis for the above account, interpretation of the Stanelle text).
* Gless, K (1989). ''Das Pferd in the Militärwesen'', Berlin (Ost).
* Havemann, Wilhelm (1837). ''Geschichte der Lande Braunschweig und Lüneburg.'', Vol. 1, Verlag von Herold und Wahlstab, Lüneburg.
* Janicke, Karl (1877), ''Erich I. (Herzog von Braunschweig-Lüneburg-Calenberg)'', Article in: ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'', published by the ''Historischen Kommission bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften'', Vol 6, p. 203–204. Online version a
Wikisource
* Roßmann, W and Doebner, RV (1908). ''Die Hildesheimer Stiftsfehde (1519–1523)'', Hildesheim.
* Schnath, Georg (1976). ''Vom Sachsenstamm zum Lande Niedersachsen, in Land Niedersachsen Hannover''.
* Stanelle, U (1982). ''Die Schlacht bei Soltau'', in: ''Niedersächsisches Jahrbuch for Landesgeschichte'', Vol. 54, p. 153–188 (the above-mentioned figures are derived from here).
* Varnové, E (1919). ''The Anfänge der Hildesheimer Stiftsfehde and die Chronisten H. Brandis and L Oldecop'', in: ''ZHistVNdSachs 84'', p. 181ff.
* Wiebeiltz, W (1959), ''Unser Kreisgebiet während der Hildesheimer Stiftsfehde 1519–1523'', in: ''Kreiskalender for Gifhorn-Isenhagen 1960'', Gifhorn, p. 32–37.
External links
''Fakten aus der Vergangenheit, die am 12., 13. and 14. Juni 2009 bei uns in Soltau eine Rolle spielen.'' In: "Soltower Kurier"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soltau, Battle of
Conflicts in 1519
Battles of the Early Modern period
Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Wars involving Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Soltau
1519 in Europe
1519 in the Holy Roman Empire