Battle of Breitenfeld (1642) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Second Battle of Breitenfeld
Part of the Thirty Years' War
Contemporary engraving depicting the battle
Date 2 November 1642 (N.S.) Location Breitenfeld, Saxony (present-day Germany) Result Swedish victory
Belligerents
Sweden	Holy Roman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Lennart Torstensson Arvid Wittenberg Erik Slang   † Johan Lilliehöök   †	Archduke Leopold Wilhelm Ottavio Piccolomini Annibale Gonzaga Hans Christoph von Puchheim Ernst Roland von Suys  (POW)
Strength
20,000 10,000 infantry 10,000 cavalry 70 guns	26,000 10,000 infantry 16,000 cavalry 46 guns
Casualties and losses
4,000 2,000 killed 2,000 wounded	8,000–9,500 3,000–5,000 dead or wounded 4,500–5,000 captured 46 guns

The Second Battle of Breitenfeld was a major fight during the Thirty Years' War. It happened on November 2, 1642, near Leipzig in Germany. In this battle, the Swedish Army, led by Lennart Torstensson, won a big victory. They defeated the Imperial Army, which was commanded by Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria and Ottavio Piccolomini.

This victory allowed the Swedes to take over Leipzig. Leipzig was a very important city in Saxony, a region in Germany. Even though the Imperial Army was weakened, they managed to stop the Swedes from taking full advantage of their win. They also prevented John George I, Elector of Saxony, who was an ally of the Emperor, from making peace with Sweden.

Why the Battle Happened

In 1641, the Swedish army had a tough time. Their commander, Johan Banér, died. Luckily, Lennart Torstensson arrived with new soldiers and money. This saved the Swedish army from falling apart.

Torstensson then planned a big attack for 1642. He wanted to strike deep into the lands controlled by the Habsburgs. First, a small Swedish force raided west to distract the Imperial army. Then, Torstensson moved his main army east. He invaded a region called Silesia.

The Swedes captured Głogów, a strong fortress, in May. The Imperial commander in Silesia asked for help. Before more Imperial troops arrived, the Swedes defeated a smaller Imperial force. Torstensson then captured Olomouc in Moravia.

The Imperial army gathered more soldiers and pushed the Swedes back. The Swedes retreated into Silesia. The Imperial army tried to take back Głogów. But Torstensson's army was now strong enough to challenge them. The Imperials pulled back to the border and dug in. In October, Torstensson moved his army into Saxony. He began to attack Leipzig, a key city for the Emperor's ally, the Elector of Saxony.

The Battle Begins

Map of the battle.

The Imperial Army, led by Archduke Leopold Wilhelm and Piccolomini, quickly approached Leipzig. Because of this, Torstensson had to stop his attack on Leipzig on November 1. The Archduke thought the Swedes were retreating in a messy way. He decided to attack them, even though Piccolomini thought the Swedes were too strong. The Swedes moved to better positions near Breitenfeld and waited for the attack.

The Imperial army had about 26,000 soldiers and 46 cannons. The Swedish army had 20,000 soldiers and 70 cannons. Even though the Imperials had more men, the armies were quite equal. This was because many Imperial soldiers were irregular cavalry or older types of soldiers. The Swedish cavalry, however, was made up of strong, heavy cavalry. Both armies placed their cavalry on the sides and their infantry (foot soldiers) in the middle. A small forest split the Imperial lines into two groups.

The battle started early on November 2 with a cannon fight. The Swedish infantry commander, Johan Lilliehöök, was badly wounded and died. The Swedes crossed a small river. Their right side, led by Arvid Wittenberg, attacked the Imperial left side. The Imperial commander there had not fully prepared his troops. Some of his regiments ran away. The remaining Imperial soldiers fought hard, but the Swedes broke through.

On the other side of the battlefield, things were different. The Imperial right side, led by Annibale Gonzaga, pushed back most of the Swedish left side. They forced them back to their reserve troops. Torstensson then made a clever move. He split his winning right side. One part chased the fleeing Imperial soldiers. The other part, led by Wittenberg, moved behind the Imperial center. They attacked the Imperial right side from behind.

Caught from two sides, the Imperial army broke apart. Piccolomini and the Archduke used their best troops to cover their retreat. Some Imperial foot soldiers managed to escape. But the group south of the forest was surrounded by Swedish cavalry and had to give up.

The Imperial Army lost all 46 of its cannons. Between 3,000 and 5,000 Imperial soldiers were killed or wounded. Another 4,500 to 5,000 were captured. This included two Imperial generals. The Swedes lost about 4,000 soldiers killed or wounded. Two Swedish generals were killed, and another was seriously wounded.

What Happened Next

The Swedes failed to take Freiberg in early 1643

After the battle, Torstensson attacked Leipzig again. The city held out until December 7. Taking Leipzig gave the Swedes a safe base in Saxony. This was a big blow to the Elector of Saxony. Many Imperial prisoners who joined the Swedish army after the battle actually left during the siege of Leipzig.

A Swedish commander named Axel Lillie was put in charge of Leipzig. He demanded a large payment from the city. In December, another Swedish general captured Chemnitz. In early January, the Swedes tried to capture Freiberg. But the Saxon soldiers there fought very bravely. Piccolomini arrived with a rebuilt Imperial army in February. This forced the Swedes to stop their attack on Freiberg. This action might have stopped the Elector of Saxony from leaving the war.

The Archduke held a special military court in Prague. One Imperial regiment was punished very severely for running away during the battle. Every tenth soldier in that regiment was executed. This punishment was called "decimation."

The defeat also caused problems between German and Italian generals in the Imperial army. They blamed each other for the loss. The Archduke eventually resigned his command. He was replaced temporarily by Piccolomini, and then by Matthias Gallas. Gallas was chosen because both German and Italian generals accepted him. Many Italian generals left the Imperial army after this.

In April, the Swedes started another attack. Gallas tried to block their way. But Torstensson avoided Gallas's main army. He managed to cross a river and resupply Swedish forts in Moravia. Gallas followed him. The Imperial army used its fast cavalry to bother the Swedes with small fights. The Swedes stayed in Moravia until October. Then, they left Habsburg lands entirely. They went to attack Denmark in a war known as the Torstenson War.

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