Battle of Lützen

Overview

The Battle of Lützen, fought on 16 November 1632, was one of the most important of the Thirty Years' War. A Swedish army under Gustavus Adolphus, supported by troops from Saxony and Hesse-Kassel, narrowly defeated an Imperial force under Albrecht von Wallenstein. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, with Gustavus himself among the dead.

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

Significance

The Battle of Lützen, fought on November 16, 1632, was one of the major engagements of the Thirty Years' War, pitting Swedish Empire forces under Gustavus Adolphus and Bernard of Saxe-Weimar against the Imperial army commanded by Wallenstein, Pappenheim, and Heinrich Holk. The forces were closely matched in size, with the Holy Roman Empire fielding approximately 19,175 troops and the Swedish Empire 18,738. Casualties on both sides were severe, with Imperial losses recorded at around 5,160 and Swedish losses at approximately 6,000, indicating the intensity of the fighting. The engagement was notable for the presence of senior commanders on both sides and the scale of attrition it inflicted on the contending armies within the broader context of the German conflict.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (6)