Lützen, Battle of

▪ European history [1632]

      (Nov. 16, 1632), military engagement of the Thirty Years' War in which Gustavus II Adolphus (Gustav II Adolf) of Sweden lost his life; it was fought by the Swedes to help their North German allies against the forces of the Holy Roman emperor Ferdinand II. Having received the information that Albrecht von Wallenstein, the imperial commander, had sent Gottfried Heinrich, Graf zu Pappenheim, with a portion of his army on a separate mission, Gustavus Adolphus, with Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar, offered Wallenstein battle outside Lützen in Saxony. Foggy weather delayed the Swedish attack, and though Pappenheim, returning with his cavalry, was mortally wounded, Wallenstein's forces were almost victorious. When the Swedish king was killed, however, Bernhard assumed command of his army, retrieved the situation along the line, and captured the entire imperial artillery. The arrival of Pappenheim's infantry allowed Wallenstein to retreat in good order.

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