Battle Of Lützen, 1632, In The Thirty Years’ War

By André Geraque Kiffer

The Thirty Years War from 1618 to 1648 is considered one of the most destructive wars in European history. It is estimated that between 4.5 and 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a direct result, while some areas of Germany suffered population declines of more than 50%, also from hunger and disease. The war was part of the German religious struggle that was started by the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. Lützen, November 6 or 16, 1632 (Julian or Gregorian calendar), in many ways, had greater repercussions than Breitenfeld. It was certainly a turning point in this phase of the Thirty Years War. Ostensibly the battle was a Swedish victory, as Wallenstein conceded the field, but if it was a victory it was certainly a “Pyrrhic” one. In the battle simulation, I will try to correct the flaws presented in the historical analysis, testing improvements in the maneuvers. And then we will prove which maneuver will prevail, both being instructed with the best and maximum effort.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clube de Autores
• Release date: Feb 5, 2024

Book preview

Battle  of  Lützen,  1632, in  the  Thirty  Years’  War A  historical  simulation

André  Geraque  Kiffer

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---  Kiffer,  André  Geraque.

Battle  of  Lützen,  1632,  in  the  Thirty  Years’  War.  A historical  simulation.  André  Geraque  Kiffer.

Author’s  Edition,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  2024. Bibliography:  127  p.  79  il.  21  cm..

1.  History.  2.  Art  of  War.  3.  Science  of  War.  4.  War Games.  I.  Author.  II.  Title.

ISBN  978-65-00-91975-2

HISTORICAL  FACT...................................................  5

5 HISTORICAL  ANALYSIS.........................................  1

1  6 6

HISTORICAL  SIMULATION....................................  4

4  9 9

REFERENCES.......................................................  1

1  2

2  6 6

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As  a  Military  Historian  I  rely  on  a  summary  of  the historical  fact,  I  analyze  and  highlight  the  decisive  factors, before  simulating  hypotheses  what  if…  hypotheses through  a  board  game.  In  the  simulation,  all  possibilities of  the  purpose  of  the  study  are  completed,  when  the  past of  history  is  analyzed  based  on  the  theory  of  the  present and  projected  for  similar  situations  in  the  future.  Since 2010  I  have  published  the  following  series  of  simulations: I.  Historical  Simulation  of  the  Wars  of  the  First  Empires; II.  Historical  Simulation  of  the  Wars  in  Classical  Greece; III.  Historical  Simulation  of  the  Roman  Wars;  IV.  Historical Simulation  of  Wars  in  the  Medieval  Era;  V.  Historical Simulation  of  Wars  in  the  Modern  Era  (1453  to  1774);  VI. Historical  Simulation  of  Wars  in  the  Age  of  Revolutions (1775  to  1860);  VII.  Historical  Simulation  of  Wars  in  the Industrial  Age  (1861  to  1913);  VIII.  Historical  Simulation of  the  First  World  War;  IX.  Historical  Simulation  of  World War  II;  X.  Historical  Simulation  of  the  Cold  War  (1917  to 1991);  and  XI.  Historical  Simulation  of  Contemporary Wars  (1991  to  ...). Keywords:  History.  Art  of  War.  Science  of  War.  War

Games.

Battle  of  Lützen,  1632.  A  historical  simulation  by  André  Geraque  Kiffer

HISTORICAL  FACT

Swedish  intervention  in  the  30  Years'  War

Im  1:  Thirty  Years’  War.

I  suggest  that  the  reader  who  wants  to  have  more knowledge  about  the  war  of  which  this  battle  is  a  part, acquires  my  book  A  Historical  Simulation  of  the Thirty  Years'  War,  1618  to  1648  ,  published  in  2020. The  Swedish  king,  Gustav  Adolphus,  had  spent  the previous  years  reorganizing  and  modernizing  his  armies

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Battle  of  Lützen,  1632.  A  historical  simulation  by  André  Geraque  Kiffer

during  Sweden's  war  with  Poland-Lithuania,  ruled  by  his Catholic  cousin  Sigismund,  who  was  a  pretender  to  the Swedish  throne,  supported  by  Imperial  auxiliary  troops.

Im  2:  Religion  divides.

As  only  a  few  Protestant  German  states,  such  as  Hesse- Cassel,  still  openly  opposed  the  consolidation  of  Catholic Imperial  power,  this  made  Sweden  the  most  obvious  ally of  Cardinal  Richelieu,  whose  stated  policy  was  to  halt  the course  of  Spanish  progress  on  France's  borders. With  the  majority  of  French  resources  fixed  in  Italy, Richelieu  worked  on  negotiating  the  Truce  of  Altmark  in September  1629  between  Sweden  and  Poland,  freeing Gustavus  to  enter  the  great  war.  Partly  out  of  a  genuine desire  to  support  his  Protestant  coreligionists,  such  as

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Battle  of  Lützen,  1632.  A  historical  simulation  by  André  Geraque  Kiffer

Christian,  king  of  Denmark,  Gustavus  also  wanted  to maximize  his  participation  in  the  Baltic  Sea  trade,  which provided  much  of  Sweden's  income. After  failed  negotiations  with  the  Holy  Emperor,  Gustavus landed  in  Pomerania  in  June  1630  with  around  18 thousand  soldiers.  Using  Stralsund  as  a  beachhead,  he marched  south  along  the  Oder  River  toward  Stettin  and coerced  Bogislaw  XIV,  Duke  of  Pomerania,  into  agreeing  to an  alliance  that  secured  his  interests  against  his  rival Sigismund.  As  a  result,  the  Poles  turned  their  attention  to Russia,  starting  the  Smolensk  War  (1632  to  1634). Despite  the  devastation  inflicted  on  their  territories  by Imperial  soldiers,  the  Protestant  German  states  of  Saxony and  Brandenburg  had  their  own  ambitions  in  Pomerania, which  clashed  with  those  of  Gustavus. Previous  experience  had  also  shown  that  requesting support  from  powers  outside  the  Empire  was  easier  than making  them  leave  afterwards.  Gustavus  responded  by moving  his  troops  south  against  Brandenburg,  sacking Küstrin  and  Frankfurt  an  der  Oder. Once  again  Richelieu  used  French  financial  power  to reconcile  differences  between  the  Swedes  and  the  German princes;  the  1631  Treaty  of  Bärwalde  provided  funds  for the  Swedes  and  their  Protestant  allies,  including  Saxony and  Brandenburg.  Gustavus  then  won  major  victories  at Breitenfeld  in  September  1631,  then  Rain  in  April  1632, where  Tilly  was  killed.

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Battle  of  Lützen,  1632.  A  historical  simulation  by  André  Geraque  Kiffer

Im  3:  Gustavus  Adolphus’  German  campaign.

After  Tilly's  death,  Holy  Emperor  Ferdinand  turned  once again  to  the  Bohemian  (Czech)  Wallenstein,  who  realized that  Gustavus  had  his  lines  extended,  so  he  established himself  in  Fürth,  from  where  he  could  threaten  the  supply lines.  of  the  Swedes.

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Battle  of  Lützen,  1632.  A  historical  simulation  by  André  Geraque  Kiffer

The  largest  battle  of  the  war,  Alte  Veste,  occurred  in  early September  1632,  when  a  Swedish  attack  on  the  Imperial camp  outside  the  city  was  repulsed,  arguably  the  biggest tactical  error  made  by  Gustavus  during  his  German campaign. Two  months  later,  the  Swedes  and  Imperials  met  at Lützen,  where  both  sides  suffered  heavy  casualties;  some Swedish  units  suffered  losses  of  over  60%,  while Wallenstein's  second-in-command,  the  Bavarian Pappenheim  and  Gustavus  himself  were  killed. After  Gustavus'  death,  Swedish  politics  was  directed  by  his chancellor  Axel  Oxenstierna;  In  April  1633,  the  Swedes and  their  German  allies  formed  the  Heilbronn  League  with French  funding.  In  July  the  Swedes  and  their  German allies  defeated  an  Imperial  army  commanded  by  the Bavarian  Bronckhorst-Gronsfeld  at  Oldendorf. Lützen  severely  affected  Wallenstein's  prestige,  which combined  with  rumors  that  he  was  preparing  to  switch sides,  caused  Emperor  Ferdinand  to  order  his  arrest, followed  by  his  murder  by  his  own  officers. However,  the  loss  of  the  experienced  and  competent Wallenstein  and  his  virtually  private  army  left  the  Holy Emperor  at  the  mercy  of  Spain  for  military  support.  This had  as  its  main  strategic  objective  to  reopen  the  so-called Spanish  Road,  an  important  logistical  axis  in  its  military campaign  against  the  Dutch  –  as  they  dominated  at  sea,

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Battle  of  Lützen,  1632.  A  historical  simulation  by  André  Geraque  Kiffer

with  English  support.  This  meant  that  the  focus  of  the  war shifted  to  the  Rhineland  and  Bavaria.

Im  4:  The  campaign  to  Lützen.

Cardinal  Infante  Ferdinand  of  Austria,  newly  appointed governor  of  the  Spanish  Netherlands,  raised  an  army  of 18,000  in  Italy,  which  met  with  an  Imperial  force  of 15,000  at  Donauwörth  on  2  September  1634.  Three  days later  they