Battle of the Alte Veste

1632 battle of the Thirty Years' War
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Battle of Alte Veste
Part of the Swedish intervention in the Thirty Years' War

Plan of Wallenstein's camp, made in 1634. West is up.
Date3–4 September 1632 (N.S.)
Location
Alte Veste, southwest of Nürnberg, Franconian Circle, Holy Roman Empire
(present-day Bavaria, Germany)
Result Imperial victory
Belligerents
 Holy Roman Empire
Catholic League		 Sweden Sweden
Commanders and leaders
Holy Roman Empire Albrecht von Wallenstein
Holy Roman Empire Johann von Aldringen		 Sweden Gustavus Adolphus
Sweden Wilhelm of Weimar
Sweden Bernard of Saxe-Weimar
Sweden Lennart Torstensson (POW)
Strength
43,500 men[1] 44,600 men
30,011 infantry in 37 regiments and 306 companies
15,419 cavalry in 39 regiments and 263+ companies[2]
Casualties and losses
900[3] 2,500[3]
Alte Veste, Zirndorf is located in Bavaria
Alte Veste, Zirndorf
Alte Veste, Zirndorf
class=notpageimage|
Location within Bavaria
Show map of Bavaria
Alte Veste, Zirndorf is located in Germany
Alte Veste, Zirndorf
Alte Veste, Zirndorf
Alte Veste, Zirndorf (Germany)
Show map of Germany
  • v
  • t
  • e
Thirty Years' War
Bohemian Revolt (1618–1620)
Palatinate campaign (1620–1623)
Transylvanian invasions of Hungary (1619–1621, 1623–1624, 1626)
Danish intervention (1625–1629)
Swedish intervention (1630–1635)
Swedish-French Period (1635–1648)
Naval battles
Treaties

The Battle of the Alte Veste was a significant battle of the Thirty Years' War in which Gustavus Adolphus' attacking forces were defeated by Wallenstein's entrenched troops.[4]

Background

In the late summer of 1632 the army of Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus met Albrecht von Wallenstein near Nürnberg. The earlier successes of Gustavus Adolphus over General Tilly, particularly at Breitenfeld, followed by Tilly's death during the Battle of Rain, forced Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II to recall Albrecht von Wallenstein into military service from retirement. Wallenstein was unmatched in his ability to raise troops, and within a few weeks he took to the field with a fresh army.

The Imperial Army's ranks swelled as Wallenstein moved to stop the Swedes' advance at Nuremberg. Repeatedly, Gustavus formed for battle and challenged Wallenstein to come out of his fortified camp, but was refused. As the supply situation continued to worsen, the impetuous King grew desperate.

Battle

Gustavus Adolphus attacked the Imperial camp at the Alte Veste (or "Old Fortress")—a derelict castle situated atop a wooded hill. Its ownership would then allow the Swedish guns to dominate the Imperial camp. The Imperials were prepared with trenches and an abatis that stymied the Swedish advance. When the vaunted brigades faltered, much of the cavalry was sent in dismounted. Wallenstein saw an opportunity to strike a blow and sallied his cavalry and cut down many of the exhausted troops. Only the final introduction of the Swedish cavalry reserve averted a complete disaster.

Alte Veste ruins from southwest in 2004

Result

The Swedes had been defeated. The Commander of the Swedish artillery, Lennart Torstenson, was taken prisoner and locked up for nearly a year at Ingolstadt. Several weeks later, lack of supplies led Wallenstein to break camp and move north, allowing the Swedes out of Nuremberg. The two armies met again two months later at the Battle of Lützen, where Gustavus was killed.

Citations

  1. ^ Clodfelter 2017, p. 40.
  2. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-04-12. Retrieved 2016-03-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ a b Wilson 2018, p. 34.
  4. ^ Clodfelter 2017, p. 37.

References

  • Clodfelter, M. (2017). Warfare and Armed Conflicts: A Statistical Encyclopedia of Casualty and Other Figures, 1492–2015 (4th ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 978-0786474707.
  • Wilson, Peter H. (2009). Europe's Tragedy: A History of the Thirty Years War. Allen Lane. ISBN 978-0-7139-9592-3.
  • Wilson, Peter H. (2018). Lützen: Great Battles Series. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199642540.

External links

  • Media related to Battle of the Alte Veste at Wikimedia Commons

49°27′11.5″N 10°57′54″E / 49.453194°N 10.96500°E / 49.453194; 10.96500