Battle of Höchst facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Höchst |
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| Part of the Palatinate phase of the Thirty Years' War | |||||||
 Battle near Höchst, engraving by Merian. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Electoral Palatinate |
 Spanish Empire |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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| Strength | |||||||
| 17,000 | 26,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2,000 | 100 | ||||||
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The Battle of Höchst took place on June 20, 1622. It was a major fight during the Thirty Years' War. This battle was fought near the town of Höchst, which is now part of Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
The battle was between the Catholic League army and a Protestant army. Count Johan Tzerclaes, Count of Tilly led the Catholic forces. The Protestant army was commanded by Christian the Younger, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. The Catholic League won a clear victory in this battle.
Why the Battle Happened
The War's Setting in 1622
The Battle of Höchst was part of the Thirty Years' War. This was a long and complex conflict in Europe. It involved many different countries and groups. The main reasons for the war were religious differences. There were also political power struggles.
Armies Prepare for Conflict
In April 1622, the Catholic League's leader, Tilly, lost a battle. This was the Battle of Mingolsheim. He lost to a Protestant general named Ernst von Mansfeld. However, Tilly quickly won another big battle in May. This was the Battle of Wimpfen. In that fight, Tilly defeated Georg Friedrich, Margrave of Baden-Durlach. Most of Georg Friedrich's army was destroyed.
This left only Christian of Brunswick and Ernst von Mansfeld leading the Protestant forces. Tilly's army also grew stronger. He gained new troops from General Tommaso Caracciolo and Count Johann Jakob.
Christian's Plan to Join Forces
Christian of Brunswick wanted to strike a big blow against the Catholic League. He had about 12,000 foot soldiers and 5,000 cavalry. He also had three cannons. Christian marched his army from Westphalia. His goal was to meet up with Mansfeld's army. They planned to join forces near Darmstadt.
The Catholic forces knew about Christian's plan. They wanted to stop him from meeting Mansfeld. On June 20, they reached the Main River at Höchst. Christian's army was already trying to cross the river there.
The Battle of Höchst
Fighting for the Town
On June 15, Christian's army reached the area of Archbishopric of Mainz. This was near Oberursel. Christian sent Colonel Dodo zu Innhausen und Knyphausen ahead. Knyphausen had 1,500 men. Their job was to quickly capture Höchst. They needed to secure the river crossing point.
But the local soldiers in Höchst fought back well. They stopped Knyphausen's first attack. Two days later, on June 16, Knyphausen's troops finally stormed the town. They took Höchst and looted it.
Building a Bridge and Catholic Arrival
After taking Höchst, the Protestants started building a bridge. This was a pontoon bridge across the Main River. A pontoon bridge is made of floating sections. Meanwhile, Christian moved his main army towards Höchst. His troops destroyed nearby villages like Oberursel and Eschborn.
At the same time, the Catholic army was marching fast. They came from Würzburg. They had 20,000 foot soldiers, 6,000 cavalry, and 18 cannons. By the night of June 19, they reached the Nidda River. This was between Nied and Sossenheim.
The River Crossing Disaster
The pontoon bridge was finished on the morning of June 20. Christian's baggage wagons started to cross the river. Tilly, the Catholic commander, had a plan. He wanted to push Christian's troops back against the Höchst walls and the Main River. This would trap them.
Christian saw the danger. He ordered his troops to retreat. They were to cross the pontoon bridge towards Kelsterbach. But the Catholic cannons started firing. The retreat quickly turned into a panicked rush. The bridge broke under the weight. This happened after only about 3,000 men had crossed. Many of Christian's soldiers and horses drowned in the Main River.
The Outcome of the Battle
By 10 p.m., Höchst castle was captured by the Catholics. Christian had already lost a third of his army. He had to retreat. Mansfeld, who was acting as a rearguard, lost another 2,000 troops. Christian's entire baggage train and all his cannons were captured by the Catholics.
The Catholic League lost only about 100 soldiers. Christian's army lost nearly 2,000 soldiers. However, Christian himself managed to escape. He got away with 3,000 cavalry and 8,000 foot soldiers. He also saved his war chest (money). He eventually met up with Mansfeld's army. Later studies showed Christian lost most of his valuable items.
What Happened Next
Impact on the Protestant Forces
Tilly called the battle a big victory. His army had very few losses. Christian of Brunswick did manage to join Mansfeld's army. This was his main goal. However, his troops were very discouraged after the battle. They had also lost most of their equipment. This made them less helpful to Mansfeld's army.
The Battle of Höchst was a turning point in the 1622 campaign. It marked the end for "Winter King" Frederick V. He was the leader of the Protestant side.
The Palatinate Campaign Continues
Soon after the battle, the combined Protestant forces had 26,000 soldiers. They moved to the western bank of the Rhine river. They stopped trying to fight the Catholic invasion of the Palatinate region.
Frederick V ended his agreement with Christian and Mansfeld. The Dutch Republic then hired them. Their new mission was to help lift the siege of Bergen-op-Zoom. On their way, they were stopped by Córdoba's troops. This led to the Battle of Fleurus on August 29. The Protestants lost more soldiers, but they still managed to defeat Córdoba strategically.
Fall of Protestant Strongholds
Meanwhile, Heidelberg came under attack. It held out for 11 weeks but fell on September 15. With this news, the English forces left Mannheim. Mannheim fell on November 2. The English moved to the fortress of Frankenthal. This was the last place the Protestants held in the area. It fell the next year. Duke Maximilian now controlled half of the Lower Palatinate. He put Heinrich von Metternich in charge.
Images for kids
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Engraving of Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba.
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A contemporary pamphlet about the battle (1625).
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Höchst para niños
