The Battle of Lützen: 16 November 1632

It is rarely kings who die in battle. Notable exceptions to this rule include Harold II (Hastings), Richard III (Bosworth), and James IV (Flodden). And of all the many battles of the Thirty Years’ War, it’s perhaps Lützen that most deserves detailed analysis, as it added another name to this roll-call of reigning monarchs who got too near the action. One of the war’s most significant tussles, the Battle of Lützen, on 16 November 1632, was arguably a narrow Swedish victory. However, it came at considerable cost as the Swedish king, Gustavus Adolphus, was killed. It was otherwise a relatively even contest, with around 19,000 troops on either side, and similar numbers of casualties: