1. Breitenfeld September 17, 1631
Strategic Context
In 1618, war breaks out when Ferdinand II, King of Bohemia, attempts to enforce strict Catholicism on Bohemia, a state of the Holy Roman Empire. What begins as a localized conflict between Protestants and Catholics within Bohemia, steadily widens into full-scale warfare across Europe as Ferdinand ascends to Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. By 1629, the Protestant forces of France, Holland, the Palatinate, and Hesse-Kessel confront the Catholic-Imperialist forces of the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Bavaria and Savoy. In 1630, Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, enters the war on the side of the Protestants and lands in northern Germany. The Imperialist commander in the region, Johann Tscerclaes, Count of Tilly, invades Saxony as a precautionary measure to ensure it does not ally with the Swedes. However, Johann Georg, Elector of Saxony, fears the Swedes more and quickly combines forces with them. The combined Swedish-Saxon army confronts the Imperialist army near Breitenfeld.
Stakes
+ A Swedish-Saxon victory would increase the legitimacy of the Protestant alliance, attracting more princes to its cause.
+ An Imperialist victory would crush the Swedish expedition and force Saxony to join the Catholic-Imperialist alliance.
By Jonathan Webb, 2012 ©

2. Breitenfeld, 1631 Strength Swedes & Saxons Well Imperialists Well
Gustavus Adolphus
Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly
27,800 infantry
21,400 infantry
13,200 cavalry
10,000 cavalry
75 guns
27 guns
By Jonathan Webb, 2012 ©

4. (Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly)
The battle opens with a two-hour artillery duel which the Imperialists definitively lose. The Swedish guns under the command of Torstensson are more numerous and, individually, fire three rounds for every Imperialist one due to technological prowess: the Swedish guns are lighter but highly effective and quick-firing. Not surprisingly, the Imperialists suffer disproportionate losses during this phase, raising Swedish morale.
Tilly deploys his cavalry on the wings with a single line of infantry between them. The infantry are in the standard tercio formation, which entails a large block of pikemen and musketeers at each corner to repel skirmishers; this formation operates as a slow-moving phalanx, virtually invulnerable to cavalry. The unenthusiastic Saxons deploy to the left of the Swedes, infantry at the center, cavalry on the wings. Gustavus deploys cavalry on his wings as well, with musketeers interspersed for firepower, and mostly infantry at the center in two lines; each sector holds back significant reserves to meet changing needs on the battlefield. The infantry are in the innovative T formation, which entails smaller blocks of pikemen mixed with lines of musketeers to provide mutual support; the T formation utilizes twice as many musketeers as the tercio.
A mix of Swedish-Saxon cavalry defeat Fürstenberg’s exhausted cavalry, while Swedish firepower blasts away at the wonderful targets of masses of Imperialist infantry. The Imperialist infantry waver and begin to withdraw slowly, unaware that Gustavus’ cavalry is turning their own guns against them. The Swedes fire the Imperialist guns into the retreating masses of infantry, further disordering them and inflicting casualties.
Tired of the murderous barrage, Pappenheim leads the Imperialist left wing forward in an attempt to outflank the Swedish right wing; Baner uses his local reserve to outflank Pappenheim in turn. Fürstenberg witnesses Pappenheim’s attack and interprets this as the signal to engage; he thus leads the Imperialist right wing forward against the Saxon line.
On the Swedish right, effective coordination between cavalry and musketeers help repel Pappenheim’s attack seven separate times. Meanwhile, Tilly notices the Saxons are faltering in the face of Fürstenberg’s hasty but aggressive charge, and so advances obliquely to the right with his infantry line to hit the Swedish left flank. Sure enough, the Saxon nobility flee, causing a general Saxon rout and exposing the Swedish left flank. However, the Imperialist tercios are slow to maneuve, giving Gustavus time to respond. Gustavus orders Horn to pull back his units to meet the anticipated Imperialist attack and reinforces him with two infantry brigades from the second line. Horn is also joined by two Saxon cavalry regiments who opt to stay and fight.
Tilly’s army makes a stand in front of a forest as Tortensson drags forward more Swedish guns to add to the barrage of the captured Imperialist guns. Imperialist resistance collapses against this firepower, and a rout ensues. Swedish cavalry pursues, capturing many prisoners.
Fürstenberg reigns in his pursuit to hit the Swedish rear as Tilly’s unwieldy infantry formations finally engage the waiting Swedish left. Horn meets the Imperialist infantry with local cavalry attacks to pin them down, making them easy targets for Swedish musketeers and guns. On the Swedish right, Pappenheim’s cavalry finally collapse against the combined arms tactics of the Swedish cavalry and musketeers, and are chased from the field. Gustavus leads the cavalry reserve to exploit the gap between the Imperialist left and center, and succeeds in seizing the Imperialist guns.
Swedes & Saxons
(Gustavus)
Swedes & Saxons
(Gustavus Adolphus)
27,800 infantry
13,200 cavalry
75 guns
Fürstenberg
Horn
Baner
Horn
Johann Georg
Teuffel
Teuffel
Torstensson
Gustavus
Imperialists
(Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly)
21,400 infantry
10,000 cavalry
27 guns
Schönburg
Pappenheim
Fürstenberg
Tilly
Imperialists
(Tilly)

5. Breitenfeld, 1631 Casualties & Aftermath
Swedes & Saxons:
Imperialists:
3,000 or 7%
13,000 or
41%
Gustavus pushed further south into Germany before going into winter quarters. The following year, he again faced Catholic forces in a major battle, this time under the command of Albrecht von Wallenstein at Lützen. Gustavus won the battle but was killed doing so. The Protestant victories drew more support, especially from France, which asserted itself soon after by committing more resources to defeating the Holy Roman Empire. The war ended in 1648 with the Peace of Westphalia, which significantly reduced the Holy Roman Empire’s influence in Europe.
By Jonathan Webb, 2012 ©

6. The Art of Battle: Animated Battle Maps
By Jonathan Webb, 2012 ©