Battle of Breitenfeld (1631)

Battle of Breitenfeld
	Part of the Thirty Years' War
	; Gustavus Adolphus at Breitenfeld, by Johan Walther, c. 1632
Date	17 September 1631
Location	Breitenfeld, Leipzig, Saxony, Germany51°25′04″N 12°22′40″E / 51.41778°N 12.37778°E
Result	Swedish-Saxon victory
Belligerents
Sweden; Saxony;	Holy Roman Empire; Catholic League;
Commanders and leaders
Gustavus Adolphus; Gustav Horn; Johan Banér; Lennart Torstensson; John George I; Hans Georg von Arnim;	Count of Tilly (WIA); Gottfried zu Pappenheim (WIA); Egon von Fürstenberg;
Strength
40,150, 66 guns	31,400, 27 guns
Casualties and losses
5,550 killed or wounded	16,600 killed, wounded, or captured
	Breitenfeld Location within Saxony Breitenfeld Breitenfeld (Germany)

The Battle of Breitenfeld took place during the Thirty Years' War on 17 September 1631 near Breitenfeld, Leipzig, in modern Saxony. A combined Swedish-Saxon army led by Gustavus Adolphus and John George I, Elector of Saxony defeated an Imperial-Catholic League Army under Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly.

Swedish intervention in the Thirty Years' War began in June 1630 when nearly 18,000 troops under Gustavus Adolphus landed in Pomerania, financed by French subsidies. In early 1631, Tilly invaded Saxony after John George I made an alliance with Gustavus Adolphus. The combined Swedish-Saxon force of around 40,150 marched on Leipzig where Tilly's army of 31,400 was based.

At the start of the battle, the Saxons were routed by Tilly's cavalry, which then combined with his infantry in an attempt to envelop the Swedish army. The Swedes regrouped and launched a series of counterattacks, forcing Tilly to retreat with substantial losses. Victory allowed Gustavus Adolphus to launch a campaign into southern Germany.