Swedish invasion of Saxony

The Swedish invasion of Saxony took place in 1706 during the Great Northern War, which began in 1700 when Russia, Denmark–Norway, and Saxony attacked Sweden and its ally, Holstein-Gottorp. To force Augustus II the Strong out of the war, who was the electorate of Saxony and king in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Charles XII of Sweden launched an invasion of the Commonwealth; Augustus was dethroned in 1704, and, after having suffered a devastating defeat at Fraustadt in 1706, Charles turned his victorious army towards Saxony.

The supreme commander, Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg, had about 16,000 troops in Saxony. To halt the 20,000 Swedes, he deployed the bulk of his forces in Lower Lusatia. Charles XII, however, surprised his foe by marching the army into Upper Lusatia on 6 September; Schulenburg's forces withdrew as a result. Augustus, with no hope of successfully resisting the Swedes, began suing for peace. Meanwhile, Charles pressed on through Saxony, bypassing the strongly fortified Dresden to capture Leipzig; several smaller engagements were fought, always ending in favour of the Swedish army. Leipzig was captured on 19 September, and the field army under Schulenburg was driven out of Saxony in the engagements at Ilmenau and Frauenwald on 22 September. As Charles initiated a blockade of Dresden, the Saxons were compelled to sign the confidential Treaty of Altranstädt (1706) on 24 September; Augustus had to renounce all his claims to the Polish throne and recognize Stanisław Leszczyński as king.

With Augustus out of the war, Charles XII replenished his army in Saxony while waiting for the Grand Alliance, concurrently fighting the War of the Spanish Succession against France, to recognize the peace. A dispute between the Holy Roman Emperor, Joseph I, and Charles arose during this time which brought the two rulers to the brink of war; the matter was settled in the Treaty of Altranstädt (1707) on 1 September 1707, as Joseph's allies persuaded him into making concessions. Charles marched his army out of Saxony the same day, to begin the invasion against his last enemy, Peter I of Russia.

Background

In 1700, the Great Northern War began when the anti-Swedish coalition, consisting of Frederick IV of Denmark, Peter I of Russia, and Augustus of Saxony and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, attacked Sweden and her ally Holstein-Gottorp. Denmark–Norway, besieging Tönning at the time, was quickly forced to sign a peace treaty following a Swedish landing at Humlebæk, combined with an offensive over the Bille. Russia's attack on Swedish Ingria and Swedish Estonia was subsequently checked in the Battle of Narva. The following year, Saxony's attempt at capturing Riga, in Swedish Livonia, ended with the successful Swedish Crossing of the Düna. As the Saxons retreated, Charles XII of Sweden launched an invasion of the Commonwealth to have Augustus II dethroned.

In 1704, Augustus was dethroned in favour of Stanisław Leszczyński, who was illegally installed by the Swedes; his coronation followed in 1705, after which a treaty between Sweden and Poland was signed. Augustus, however, continued to resist the Swedes as the Elector of Saxony—Charles XII had refrained from invading Saxony to avoid provoking the Grand Alliance (fighting in the concurring War of the Spanish Succession), who were guarantors of its integrity. Tsar Peter I, who had thus far committed most of his troops in the Swedish Baltic provinces, sent his main army into the Commonwealth in support of Augustus.

A grand campaign commenced, which culminated in 1706 with the decisive defeat of the Saxon main army at Fraustadt (Wschowa), while the Russians were starved out and defeated at Grodno. With the Russian army battered, and the Saxon army destroyed, Charles XII seized the opportunity to invade the severely weakened Saxony before the Grand Alliance could intervene; his position in Poland would deteriorate if the French setbacks at Ramillies and Turin resulted in peace—by conquering Saxony, he would gain a position of power against the Alliance and a place to replenish his army before an inevitable Russian campaign.

Prelude

After the disastrous defeat at Fraustadt on 13 February 1706, Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg had only 1,800 Saxon cavalry, 3,800–3,900 Saxon infantry, as well as 1,500 Russian infantry available for the defence of the Electorate; he hoped to increase his Saxon infantry to 9,000–10,000 men before the expected Swedish invasion. Augustus, whose aim was to unite forces with Schulenburg, withdrew with 8,000 cavalry to Kraków after his defeat. When the victorious Swedes under Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld broke up from Poznań in early summer, Augustus, now with 10,000–15,000 men, retreated to Lithuania. On 17 July 1706, after having pursued the Russians from Grodno, Charles XII led his army from Jarosławiec towards Saxony; his march went through Horodło, over the Vistula (at Puławy), through Radom and into Greater Poland, where he met with Rehnskiöld at Piątek on August 5. Their combined forces counted 22,000–24,000 men. Charles ordered Arvid Axel Mardefelt to stay behind near Kalisz, to defend Greater Poland with 4,000 Swedes and most of the pro-Leszczyński forces, while he set off for Saxony with the rest of the army.

Invasion

At the time of the invasion, the Saxon defence consisted of 9,000 infantry (of which 4,000 were garrisoned in Dresden), 2,000 cavalry and dragoons, 5,000 land-militia, and a few thousand experienced hunters; in total, at least 16,000 men. Schulenburg, anticipating a Swedish march through Lower Lusatia, assembled his regular troops there while most of the militia and hunters were sent to the garrisons at Dresden, Wittenberg, Leipzig, Pleissenburg castle, and Königstein. After having despatched Mardefelt to Greater Poland, Charles XII had roughly 11,452 infantry, 5,052 cavalry, 2,530 dragoons, and up to 800 artillery gunners and 500 Wallachian-style cavalry available for the invasion; in total, about 20,000 men. Charles marched his army towards Upper Lusatia, much to the surprise of Schulenburg. The unusually dry season would contribute to a swift Swedish advance over the rivers.

On 1 September, the army broke into neutral Silesia (belonging to the Holy Roman Empire) in two columns, under Charles XII and Rehnskiöld. Charles rode in the vanguard, alongside his Drabant Corps. He marched from Rawicz, through Wąsosz (Herrnstadt) and Krzelów (Krehlau), where the columns converged, to the Oder river; an enemy outpost withdrew as Charles crossed it on early morning the next day, marching through Ścinawa (Steinau) to Dąbrowa Środkowa (Mittel Dammer). On 3 September, he marched through Lubin (Lüben), past Chojnów (Haynau), to Piotrowice (Petirsdorf). The following day, he went past Grodziec Castle (Gröditzberg) to Brunów (Braunau). On 5 September, he bypassed Lwówek Śląski (Löwenberg) to Oleszna Podgórska (Krummöls), near the Saxon border. The vanguard crossed it the same day.

Fruitless attempts were made by the ministers of Dresden to stop the Swedish advance by seeking the intervention of the Grand Alliance. Fearing pillaging, many Saxon inhabitants panicked at the news of the approaching Swedes. Charles XII, however, issued letters of protection from Oleszna Podgórska on 5 September, declaring that no pillaging would occur as long as the inhabitants contributed to the Swedish army. Following the Swedish movements, Augustus deemed the war as lost and began suing for peace. To save his Electorate from destruction, he encouraged his people to comply with Charles—most of the inhabitants would open their doors to the invaders as a result. On 6 September, Charles crossed the Saxon border at Gryfów Śląski (Greiffenberg) and went over the Kwisa river (Queis) to Sulików (Schönberg), into Upper Lusatia.

Combat of Rotkretscham

Upon realizing the direction of the invading Swedes, Schulenburg ordered major general Jordan into Upper Lusatia to observe the movements of the Swedish army and to overwhelm Charles XII and his vanguard if possible. His force consisted of Fürstenberg's and his own dragoon regiments, totalling 700 men. Against them, Charles sent Colonel Görtz, who had previously been in Saxon service, and 250 men from the Life Dragoon Regiment and the Scanian Estate Dragoons, as well as 50 Wallachians. Görtz was familiar with the countryside and found Jordan standing in an advantageous position behind a river, near , at the dawn of 8 September.

As the Saxons formed into battle, a squadron of the Swedish Life Regiment Dragoons swiftly charged over the bridge into the closest Saxon troops, causing disorder; Jordan tried to rally them but was recognized by Görtz, who chased after him among the fleeing troops and pierced him twice with his sword. Meanwhile, the rest of the Swedish force crossed the river and attacked, forcing the Saxons to retreat along the whole line; some fled to Bohemia, while most fled west over the Elbe river.

The Saxons left 94 or 96 men dead on the battlefield, with three banners and 36 men captured. Many more were killed during the pursuit which extended for several miles; according to a list of casualties from Dresden, the Saxons had one captain, five lieutenants and second lieutenants, and 223 dragoons, with 80 men wounded. Their commander, Jordan, died to his wounds the following day. The Swedes had two men killed and seven wounded, among them the captain of the Life Dragoons who was wounded. The Swedes gained several wagons of supplies and armaments which were meant for Dresden, as well as various fine horses. Schulenburg, having retreated west of the Elbe river, pulled his forces into the cities.

Capture of Leipzig

On 8 September, Charles XII marched past Görlitz to Markersdorf, in the direction of Dresden. He went through Reichenbach to Kubschütz the following day. On 11 September, he bypassed Bautzen to Bischofswerda, where Augustus' Privy councillor Imhoff and Privy referendary Pfingsten arrived from Dresden to negotiate. Charles left negotiations to his ministers, Carl Piper and Olof Hermelin, and went past Stolpen to Radeberg on 12 September. The next day, he sent Johan August Meijerfeldt southeast of Dresden, to Sonnenstein Castle at Pirna, while he bypassed the city to the north, now heading for Leipzig with its 1,600-man garrison. He arrived at Weinböhla on 14 September and crossed the Elbe river at Meissen the following day. The garrisons at Leipzig and Wittenberg evacuated, as Schulenburg was ordered by the Saxon ministry to retreat with the army. On 17 September, Charles marched through Lommatzsch, Mügeln, over the Mulde river, to Grimma, where he received reports that Schulenburg was nearby.

Charles XII ordered Görtz with 950 regular cavalry and 500 Wallachians to attack him as he followed closely behind, while the main army continued marching towards Leipzig. Schulenburg, retreating hastily towards Naumburg and Erfurt, was caught up in a rearguard action near Weissenfels against the Wallachians. After a sharp encounter, in which 20–30 Saxons were killed and 36 captured at the price of the Wallachian colonel, Charles broke off towards the main army while Görtz kept pursuing Schulenburg.

During Charles XII's absents, the Swedish main army marched through Naunhof to Taucha on 19 September, from where Axel Gyllenkrok with an escort of 50 dragoons continued to Leipzig. The city opened its gates, except for the Pleissenburg castle in which 200–300 militia refused to surrender; when a Saxon courier arrived from Dresden with orders to obey Charles' letters of protection, the garrison marched out and became prisoners of war. Charles arrived the following day and released the prisoners, after which he established headquarters at Altranstädt. To put pressure on the Saxon negotiators, he despatched orders for Meijerfeldt to initiate a proper blockade of Dresden. This compelled Imhoff and Pfingsten, who had deliberately stalled the negotiations in case of allied intervention, to sign the confidential Treaty of Altranstädt (1706) on 24 September. Two days later, a ceasefire was put into effect for 10 weeks. A Swedish force had been sent to seize Wittenberg, while Meijerfeldt was ordered to lift the blockade of Dresden.

Combat of Ilmenau–Frauenwald

After the skirmish near Weissenfels, Görtz sent the vanguard (the Life Dragoon Regiment and the Wallachians) to harass the retreating army. Many prisoners were taken in the pursuit. When Schulenburg arrived at Erfurt, the city refused to take his army, fearing Swedish reprisals. Instead, Schulenburg assembled his 4,000–5,000 men at Ilmenau, including 1,200 Russians. When Görtz arrived on 22 September, the Saxon cavalry was driven back into the Thuringian Forest (Thüringer Wald), which left the retreating infantry exposed. The Swedes cut into the Russians who were retreating towards the forest, scattered into several smaller groups. About 100 Russians were killed, while 30 Saxons had been captured.

In the forest, the Swedes ran into a breastwork from where Schulenburg attempted to cover the retreating infantry—some of which fled towards Franconia, others towards Coburg and Bayreuth, while the battered Russians fled towards the Bohemian Forest. Görtz dismounted his dragoons and frontally attacked the breastwork, forcing Schulenburg to withdraw. The Saxons felled trees over the roads to bog down the pursuing Swedes.

The Saxons made a new stand at Frauenwald, against which the Swedes had to attack through a choke point, resulting in them being repulsed with many losses. Görtz, not wanting to risk another attack, left 200 dragoons in Shulenburg's front and led the rest in a sweeping movement to attack his rear. After merely an hour of marching, he encountered a retreating French battalion of 350 men (fighting in Saxon service). The Swedes immediately attacked, while the Frenchmen resisted bravely at first. When the Swedes launched a full-scale attack from both foot and on horse, the Frenchmen cried out for quarter. However, because their fire only seemed to escalate, or because their cries were mistaken for enemy reinforcements, the Swedes renewed their attack and surrounded them. After an hour of continued fighting, the Frenchmen threw down their arms and fled through the forest; at least 80 of them had been killed and 50 were captured.

Apart from their baggage, the allies had lost at least 180 killed and 100 captured at Ilmenau and Frauenwald. The Swedes had over 50 killed and wounded; the captain of the Life Dragoons, who was wounded at Rotkretscham, was killed in the fighting. Since Saxony had been cleared from enemies (apart from a few garrisons), the Swedes, not wanting to provoke any neutral countries, cancelled the pursuit.

Aftermath

Negotiations leading up to the Treaty of Altranstädt had been conducted in secret, according to the wishes of both rulers; Charles XII wanted to avoid foreign interference, while Augustus, remaining in the Commonwealth with his Russian allies, feared how they would react to such news. Accordingly, among other things, Augustus were to renounce all his claims to the Polish throne, recognize Leszczyński as king, and abandon the anti-Swedish coalition; James Louis Sobieski, the former pro-Swedish candidate to the throne, and his brother were to be freed from Saxon imprisonment; the Swedish traitor Johann Patkul and the Russians in Augustus' command were to be handed over to the Swedes; the Swedish army would be supplied with winter quarters in Saxony.

Occupation of Saxony

The estates in Saxony were forced to pay large contributions, while the Swedish regiments were spread out in several towns and cities all around Altranstädt. The army was replenished with new recruits, mainly from Sweden but also Silesia. On 20 October, Augustus despatched letters from Pietrykaw (Lithuania) in which he finally ratified the treaty. On 29 October, however, while trying to hide his intentions from the Russians, he was drawn into a battle against Mardefelt's Swedish–Polish corps at Kalisz, which was destroyed. Charles XII, furious over these news, published the treaty on 26 November and demanded the release of the Swedish prisoners. Augustus then rode to Saxony, where the two rulers met for the first time on 17 December, at Günthersdorf.

Augustus had fulfilled most of the significant peace terms by the end of March 1707, apart from handing over the Russians. Before leaving Saxony, Charles XII called upon the Grand Alliance to recognize both the treaty and Leszczyński as the new king of Poland. The occupation gave him a certain power position, since the Alliance had to commit troops to the Saxon border, which restrained their war efforts against France. In 1707, Prussia and Hannover, followed by the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph I and several minor German princes, recognized Leszczyński.

A dispute between Charles XII and Joseph I soon arose, mainly concerning the Russians who had fled into Joseph's territory; Charles demanded their hand-over, according to the Treaty of Altranstädt. To avoid provoking the Tsar, Joseph secretly gave the Russians passports and instructed them to flee, before staging a fruitless cavalry pursuit. Charles, not fooled by the stunt, expelled Joseph's ministers at Altranstädt in response. The growing disaffection between the two rulers brought them to the brink of war; Joseph attempted to create an anti-Swedish coalition, while Charles signed a defence pact with Frederick I of Prussia on 16 August.

The situation was resolved with the Treaty of Altranstädt (1707) on 1 September, as Joseph I's allies persuaded him into making concessions (to speed up Charles XII's departure from Saxony and to avoid another conflict); the Protestants in Silesia had their rights restored, according to the Peace of Westphalia—it was a compensation for Joseph's failure to hand over the Russians. Furthermore, Charles was promised that England and the Dutch Republic would recognize the previous treaty. He departed from Saxony the same day, with a well-rested army that was larger than ever before. Unfortunately for him, the Russian campaign ended with the destruction of his army in the Battle of Poltava and the following Surrender at Perevolochna.

Engagements

See also

* Swedish invasion of Poland (1701–1706)
* Swedish invasion of Russia

Notes

References

Sources

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Saxony 1706
Great Northern War
Wars involving Saxony
Wars involving Sweden
Invasions by Sweden
18th century in Saxony
Charles XII of Sweden