Battle of Lützen (1632)
Lützen, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
What happened
King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and Duke Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar fought the Imperial army of Albrecht von Wallenstein and Gottfried zu Pappenheim. Wallenstein's army had taken Leipzig, and when part of it was sent to Halle, Gustavus attacked. Morning mist slowed the Swedish advance until about 11 am. In the fighting Gustavus Adolphus fell, but his army pressed on, and just before nightfall its infantry overran the Imperial centre. Wallenstein withdrew in good order.
Why it matters
Result: Swedish victory. Why it matters: Sweden's army held the field, but it lost its king, the most famous general of the war.
What came next
Gustavus's six-year-old daughter Christina became queen, and Axel Oxenstierna, appointed chancellor, carried on the war. Wallenstein was killed in 1634.
Did you know?
The day after the battle, a granite boulder, the Schwedenstein, was placed near the spot where Gustavus Adolphus fell.
Timeline
- June 1630 CESweden enters the Thirty Years' War.
- 17 September 1631 CEGustavus wins at Breitenfeld.
- 16 November 1632 CEThe battle of Lützen is fought, and the Imperial army withdraws.
- January 1633 CEAxel Oxenstierna is appointed chancellor and continues the war.
- February 1634 CEWallenstein is killed at Eger.