Battle of Breitenfeld

Overview

The Battle of Breitenfeld, 17 September 1631, took place during the Thirty Years' War outside Breitenfeld, Leipzig, in modern Saxony. In one of the most significant battles of the war, a combined Swedish-Saxon force defeated an army made up of Imperial and Catholic League troops.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Breitenfeld, fought on September 17, 1631, was a major engagement of the Thirty Years' War between a Swedish-led force under Gustavus Adolphus and the army of the Holy Roman Empire under the Count of Tilly. The Swedish side, which also included Johann George I and Hans Georg von Arnim among its commanders, fielded approximately 40,150 troops against an Imperial force of around 31,400. Imperial casualties of 7,600 against Swedish losses of 5,550 indicate a result favorable to the Swedish coalition. The engagement brought together several commanders who would shape subsequent Swedish operations in the war, including Gustav Horn, Johan Banér, and Lennart Torstensson. Pappenheim's presence on the Imperial side and Tilly's overall command reflect the full weight of Habsburg military leadership committed to the battle. Given the scale of the forces engaged and the disparity in losses, Breitenfeld represented a significant test of Swedish arms on German soil during the period of Sweden's active intervention in the Thirty Years' War.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (9)