Battle of Lützen
1632 · Lützen, southwest of Leipzig (modern Germany) · World · Modern
In heavy fog the two sides fought back and forth; Gustavus was shot and killed in the melee, the imperial army eventually withdrew from the field, and the Swedish army nominally held the battlefield.
Belligerents
Swedish-Protestant coalition
- Commanders
- Gustavus Adolphus (killed in battle), Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar
- Strength
- About 19,000
Imperial army
- Commanders
- Wallenstein
- Strength
- About 18,000
Background
After resuming command of the imperial army, Wallenstein went on the offensive, trying to cut Gustavus's supply lines, and the two sides met at Lützen.
Course of the battle
- Encounter in thick fogMorning fog delayed the Swedish deployment, and the two sides joined battle hastily in very poor visibility.
- The king is killed in battleLeading a cavalry charge, Gustavus became separated from his troops in the confusion and was shot dead.
- Imperial army retreatsAfter nightfall Wallenstein ordered his whole army to withdraw; the Swedish army, despite heavy casualties, held the battlefield.
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1632 |
|---|---|
| Place | Lützen, southwest of Leipzig (present-day Germany) |
| Result | In heavy fog the two sides fought back and forth; Gustavus was shot and killed in the melee, the imperial army eventually withdrew from the field, and the Swedish army nominally held the battlefield. |
| Winner | No decision |
| Casualties | Combined losses exceeded 10,000 killed, and both armies were badly weakened. |
| Territorial change | The front did not materially change, but the Protestant camp lost its central commander, and the war sank into an even longer war of attrition. |
Impact
Gustavus's death was a heavy blow to the Protestant camp; Swedish war policy thereafter passed to the civilian chancellor Oxenstierna, and the war shifted further toward a contest among the great powers.
See the world in 1632 on the map →