Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly (; ; ; February 1559 – 30 April 1632) was a field marshal who commanded the
Catholic League's forces in the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
. From 1620 to 1631, he won an unmatched and demoralizing string of important victories against the Protestants, including
White Mountain,
Wimpfen,
Höchst,
Stadtlohn and the
Conquest of the Palatinate. He destroyed a Danish army at
Lutter and
sacked the Protestant city of Magdeburg, which caused the deaths of some 20,000 of the city's inhabitants, both defenders and non-combatants, out of a total population of 25,000.
However, Tilly's army was eventually crushed at
Breitenfeld in 1631 by the
Swedish army of King
Gustavus Adolphus. A bullet from a Swedish
arquebus mortally wounded him at the
Battle of Rain on 15 April 1632, and he died two weeks later in
Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt (; Austro-Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian: ) is an Independent city#Germany, independent city on the Danube, in Upper Bavaria, with 142,308 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2023). Around half a million people live in the metropolitan ...
on 30 April 1632, at the age of 73. Along with Duke
Albrecht von Wallenstein of
Friedland and
Mecklenburg, he was one of two chief commanders of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
's forces during the first half of the Thirty Years' War.
Early years
Johann Tserclaes was born on February 1559 in
Castle Tilly,
Walloon Brabant, in the
Spanish Netherlands, in what is now
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
, to a devoutly
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
Brabantine family. After receiving a
Jesuit
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
education in
Cologne
Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
, he joined the
Spanish Army at the age of fifteen and fought under
Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma in his campaign against the rebellious Dutch forces during the
Eighty Years' War
The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish Empire, Spanish government. The Origins of the Eighty Years' War, causes of the w ...
, participating in the successful
Siege of Antwerp in 1585. After this he joined the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
's campaign against the
Ottoman Turks in
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
and the
Transylvania
Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
as a
mercenary during the
Long Turkish War in 1600, and through rapid promotion became a
field marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
in only five years. When the Turkish War ended in 1606, he remained in the service of
Rudolf II in
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
until he was appointed commander of the
Catholic League forces by
Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
under
Maximilian I, Duke of Bavaria in 1610.
File:Tilly Feldherrnhalle Munich.jpg, Bronze statue of Count Tilly in the Feldherrnhalle on Odeonsplatz in Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
File:Altoetting Tilly.JPG, Statue of Tilly in Altötting
File:AT 7797 Heeresgeschichtliches Museum Feldherrenhalle - Statuen-0286 7 8 9.jpg, Statue of Tilly in the hall of fame of the Museum of Military History, Vienna
File:Nicolaas van der Horst - Portrait of Johan 't Serclaes, Count of Tilly.jpg, ''Portrait of Johann Tserclaes'' after Nicolaas van der Horst
Campaign in Bohemia
As commander of the forces of the Catholic League, Tilly fought against the
Bohemian rebels following the
Defenestration of Prague, by which time he had trained his soldiers in the Spanish ''
Tercio'' system, which featured
musketeers supported by deep ranks of
pikemen. A force of 25,000 soldiers, including troops of both the Catholic League and the Emperor scored an important victory against
Christian of Anhalt and
Count Thurn at the decisive
Battle of White Mountain west of
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
on 8 November 1620. Half of the enemy forces were killed or captured, while the Catholic League lost only 700 men. This victory was vital in crushing resistance to the Emperor in Bohemia, as it allowed Prague to be captured several days later.
Campaign in Germany
Next, Tilly turned west and marched through
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, but was defeated at the
Battle of Mingolsheim on 27 April 1622. He then joined with the Spanish general Duke
Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba – not to be confused with the famous Spanish general of the same name from the Italian Wars in Italy at the end of the 15th century – and was victorious at the
Battle of Wimpfen against
George Fredrick,
Margrave of Baden-Durlach on 6 May; this victory occurred after the enemies' ammunition
tumbril was hit by cannon fire and exploded.
He was successful again at the
Battle of Höchst on 20 June and was made a
count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
(''Graf'' in
German) for this victory. These three battles in two months allowed him to capture the city of
Heidelberg
Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...
following an eleven-week siege on 19 September.
Christian the Younger of Brunswick, whom he had already defeated at Höchst, raised another army, but again lost to him at the
Battle of Stadtlohn, where 13,000 out of his army of 15,000 were lost, including fifty of his high-ranking officers. Together with the complete surrender of Bohemia in 1623, this ended virtually all resistance in Germany. This caused King
Christian IV of Denmark to enter the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
in 1625 to protect
Protestantism
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
, and also in a bid to make himself the primary leader of
Northern Europe
The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other ge ...
. Count Tilly besieged and captured
Münden on 30 May 1626, whereupon local and refugee Protestant ministers were thrown into the river Werra, but could not lay a siege to
Kassel.
[Willigerod, Geschichte von Münden (Göttingen, 1808).]
Tilly fought the Danes at the
Battle of Lutter on 26–27 August 1626, in which his highly disciplined infantry charged the enemy lines four times, breaking through. This led him to win decisively, destroying more than half the fleeing Danish army, which was uncharacteristic of the warfare of the time. Denmark was forced to sue for peace at the
Treaty of Lübeck. This disrupted the balance of power in Europe resulting in
Swedish involvement in 1630 under their redoubtable leader, the brilliant King and field general
, who had been trying to dominate the
Baltic for the previous ten years in wars with
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
, then a continental
power of note.
Sack of Magdeburg
While Gustavus Adolphus landed his army in
Mecklenburg and was in
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, trying to make alliances with the leaders of Northern Germany, Tilly laid siege to the city of
Magdeburg on the
Elbe, which promised to support Sweden.
The siege began on 20 March 1631, and Tilly put his subordinate
Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim in command while he campaigned elsewhere. After two months of laying siege, and after the fall of
Frankfurt an der Oder to the Swedes, Pappenheim finally convinced Tilly, who had brought reinforcements, to storm the city on 20 May with 40,000 men under the personal command of Pappenheim. The assault was successful and the walls were breached, but the commanders supposedly lost control of their soldiers. A massacre of the populace ensued in which roughly 20,000 of the 25,000 inhabitants of the city perished by sword and the fire which destroyed most of the city, then one of the largest cities in Germany and about the size of
Cologne
Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
or
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
.
Many historians consider it unlikely that Tilly ordered the city to be torched. Magdeburg was a strategically vital city of the Elbe and was needed as a resupply center for the looming fight against the Swedes. Although extremely opposed to the Reformation movement, Tilly was an experienced commander and would have recognized the strategic importance of the city. Additionally, he sent a proposal of surrender to Magdeburg days before the final assault, after the capture of the Toll
redoubt
A redoubt (historically redout) is a Fortification, fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on Earthworks (engineering), earthworks, although some are constructed of ston ...
. However, the city's mayor rejected the offer, expecting a Swedish relief force to arrive soon. When the slaughter began, and no escape was possible, the children of the city were formed in procession and marched across the marketplace singing Luther's hymn ''
Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort'' whose opening verse translates as "Lord keep us steadfast in thy Word, Curb Pope and Turk who by the sword, would wrest the kingdom from thy Son, and set at naught all he hath done." The children were slain without mercy, but whether by order from Tilly or not remains debated in some quarters. Tilly afterwards reportedly wrote to the Emperor
Campaign against the Swedes and death
Following Magdeburg, Tilly engaged the army of Gustavus Adolphus at the
Battle of Breitenfeld on 17 September 1631, near the city of
Leipzig
Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...
, which he had reached after laying waste to
Saxony
Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...
. In the battle he was outmaneuvered by King Gustavus Adolphus and suffered 27,000 casualties. The Swedes' maneuvering and accurate, rapid artillery fire caused his troops to break and flee. He withdrew, and political rivalries prevented
Wallenstein from coming to his aid, so he turned to defence. He defeated the Swedes at
Bamberg
Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia district in Bavaria, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main (river), Main. Bamberg had 79,000 inhabitants in ...
on 9 March 1632. While attempting to prevent the Swedes from crossing into
Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
over the
Lech near
Rain am Lech, he was wounded early in the
Battle of Rain on 15 April by a 90-gram
arquebus bullet
[In his work ''Magnus Tillius Redivivus'' (1632), the Jesuit priest Jakob Balde incorrectly reported that a "one-pound cannon ball ..from a Swedish gun, a so-called ''Falken''", by which he means a culverin, caused the injury. However, in a letter dated 15 April 1632, Elector Maximilian I correctly stated that Tilly had his thigh "shot into two pieces with an arquebus." (Albert Beierlein: ''Die Schlacht bei Rain am Lech 14. und 15. April 1632'', page 50 in Reichenau (ed.): ''Schlachtfelder zwischen Alpen und Main'', Munich 1938). An examination of the skeleton during a Tilly exhibition in Altötting in 2007 confirmed the arquebus wounding. The ultimately deadly 90-gram bullet had been laid in the coffin with the corpse, but was apparently lost during the ]Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Cf. Marcus Junkelmann, Historical Association Alt-Tilly, et al. ''Der du gelehrt hast meine Hände den Krieg: Tilly – Heiliger oder Kriegsverbrecher?'', Altötting 2007 (publication accompanying the exhibition by the Historical Association Alt-Tilly and the Bavarian Army Museum in Altötting, 1 May to 30 July 2007) page 38; ''Bericht des Jesuitenpaters Jakob Balde'', page 96; commentary on Fig. 59 (photograph of the skeleton's shattered thigh) page 173. (not, as erroneously reported, by a
culverin cannon ball), which shattered his right thigh, and died of
osteomyelitis
Osteomyelitis (OM) is the infectious inflammation of bone marrow. Symptoms may include pain in a specific bone with overlying redness, fever, and weakness. The feet, spine, and hips are the most commonly involved bones in adults.
The cause is ...
(bone infection) fifteen days later in
Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt (; Austro-Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian: ) is an Independent city#Germany, independent city on the Danube, in Upper Bavaria, with 142,308 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2023). Around half a million people live in the metropolitan ...
at the age of 73 on 30 April 1632. His tomb is in
Altötting,
Upper Bavaria.
Descendants
Fraternal descendants include
Antonio Octavio Tserclaes de Tilly (1646–1715) and
Claude Frédéric t'Serclaes, Count of Tilly (1648-1723). Antonio was a general and nobleman in service of Spain, while his younger brother Claude fought in service of the
army of the Dutch Republic. A sister or daughter, Albertina, of this Prince Antonio Octavio, would be the first root for the Spanish ducal title, Dukes of Tserclaes, bestowed in July 1856 by Queen
Isabella II of Spain to members of the Pérez de Guzmán family, living in
Jerez and
Seville
Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...
, Spain.
Fictional appearances
* Tilly is mentioned in
Bertolt Brecht
Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known as Bertolt Brecht and Bert Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...
's ''
Mother Courage and Her Children'': in the scene in which his funeral is held,
Mother Courage famously says "I don't care if this funeral is a historical event, to me the mutilation of my daughter's face is a historical event."
* Tilly is depicted in First Breitenfeld and in the Battle of Rain in the novel
''1632''.
Notes
References
*
*
External links
*
German Wikipedia: Battle of Wiesloch
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tilly, Johann Tserclaes, Count Of
1559 births
1632 deaths
Field marshals of the Holy Roman Empire
Flemish nobility
Imperial Army personnel of the Thirty Years' War
People from the Duchy of Brabant
People from Villers-la-Ville
South Netherlandish people of the Thirty Years' War
Spanish generals
Johann
Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name '' Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Graciou ...