Lutzen

Great Battles

by Peter H. Wilson

The Thirty Years' War (1618-48) was Europe's most destructive conflict prior to the two world wars. Two of European history's greatest generals faced each other at Lutzen in November 1632, mid-way through this terrible war. Neither achieved his objective. Albrecht von Wallenstein withdrew his battered imperial army at nightfall, unaware that his opponent, King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, had died a few hours earlier.

The indecisive military outcome found an immediate echo in image and print, and became the object of political and historical disputes. Swedish propaganda swiftly fostered the lasting image of the king's sacrifice for the Protestant cause against the spectre of Catholic Habsburg 'universal monarchy'. The standard assumption that the king had 'met his death in the hour of victory' became integral to how Gustavus Adolphus's contribution to modern warfare has been remembered, even celebrated, while the study of Lutzen's wider legacy shows how such events are constantly rewritten as elements of propaganda, religious and national identity, and professional military culture. The battle's religious and political associations also led to its adoption as a symbol by those advocating German unification under Prussian leadership. The battlefield remains a place of pilgrimage to this day and a site for the celebration of Protestant German and Nordic culture.

This book is the first to combine analysis of the battle itself with an assessment of its cultural, political and military legacy, and the first to incorporate recent archaeological research within a reappraisal of the events and their significance. It challenges the accepted view that Lutzen is a milestone in military development, arguing instead that its impact was more significant on the cultural and political level.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military History, Military Fiction

248 pages, Hardcover

First published April 22, 2018

About the author

Peter Hamish Wilson is a British historian. Since 2015, he has held the Chichele Professor of the History of War chair at All Souls College, University of Oxford.

Reviews

[Jonas Short · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, but incomplete, account of the battle’s consequences and impacts on modern Europe that unfortunately glosses over much of the 300 years between the 30 years war and the 20th century. Was interesting to learn how to battle’s myths have evolved however.

[Shrike58 · Rating 4 out of 5]

My expectations for this monograph were, shall we say, indeterminate. I've seen very good books published in this series. I've seen books that are best described as "meh." This is one of the very good ones, in that Wilson packs in a great deal of data and insight, describing the strategic state of play, analyzing the battle itself, and considering how the meaning of the battle evolved over time, down to the present day. The short version is that Lutzen was probably a tactical "Imperialist" victory, but since both armies had been badly smashed up, and the Swedes were allowed to retain the field of battle, it went down as a Protestant victory. The last is the key point, in that a big chunk of the book is devoted to how Gustavus Adolphus was transformed into an exemplary hero for those of the Lutheran persuasion. Much of this might be old news to those who have already read Wilson's books about the Holy Roman Empire and the Thirty Years War, but I'm now inclined to move those books way up in priority on my reading list.

[Shyue Chou Chuang · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an academic study of the Battle of Lützen in 1632. It examines the context of the battle within the Thirty Years' War, the battle proper, the aftermath and finally the impact, cultural and political afterwards. The study provides a critical insight into the hagiography surrounding Gustavus Adolphus, Protestant and Catholic propaganda with respect to the battle.

A detailed order of battle is provided. Much of the research here relies on primary source material.

This is not popular history. If one were to read it expecting a breathless blow by blow account of a battle, one would be advised to look elsewhere.