Battles & Campaigns · 1636
Battle of Wittstock
Wittstock, Brandenburg, Germany
What happened
The Swedes crossed the river Dosse by surprise and met the Imperial army on wooded hills near Wittstock. A Swedish force made a long detour around the Imperial flank and finally broke through. By dusk the Imperial army retreated, leaving all its guns.
Why it matters
It saved Sweden's last big field army in Germany and restored its reputation. It encouraged German Protestant princes to keep resisting the Emperor.
What came next
Even so, the Emperor's son Ferdinand was elected King of the Romans that December and soon became Emperor Ferdinand III.
Did you know?
The bishop's castle in Wittstock now holds a museum about the Thirty Years' War.
Timeline
- 4 Oct 1636Battle of Wittstock.
- 22 Dec 1636Ferdinand elected King of the Romans.
- 1637Ferdinand III becomes Emperor.