Battle of Dessau Bridge

Lutter - Dessau - Wolgast

In the Battle of Dessau 1626 Protestant forces met during the Thirty Years' War on 25 April under Count Mansfeld to an imperial army under Wallenstein and were beaten by this.

Prehistory

In order to prevent the army of Mansfeld or the army of the Danish King Christian IV, coming from Northern Germany, the Elbe exceed and would pull in the direction of Silesia or Bohemia, Wallenstein occupied in winter 1625/26 the bridge near Dessau. On the right bank Wallenstein had built a small fort and can build on the left bank further fortifications. For thousands of his mercenaries were used, but also pressed farmers in the area to service.

Course

Mansfeld broke in the spring of 1626 on his 12,000 -strong army of Brandenburg and pulled on the eastern bank of the river Elbe in Magdeburg. He appeared in early April with his army of twenty thousand men at the bridge and let his hand build canon stocked jumps and dig Approchen. Why Mansfeld decided to attack the bridges, is not completely clear, since it would have the same also can keep pushing south. On the one hand he wanted to certainly leave no enemy in his back when he marched in the direction of the Austrian hereditary lands and Bohemia. On the other hand, it should have gone to him about renew his withered glory.

The bridgehead was commanded by the General Wallenstein payment Commissioner John of Aldringens. Under him were two regiments of the Imperial troops. In number to the imperial troops of Mansfeld were hopelessly outnumbered. But Aldringens had the strong fortifications and 86 cannons, which supported his defense effectively. Moreover, the number of cannons appeared by their clever positioning in trenches and other field fortifications significantly lower than it actually was. Therefore Mansfeld arranged shortly after his arrival on a first assault on the Imperial positions, which failed completely. Aldringens held the place the next three weeks, and sent messengers to multiple Wallenstein with the request for reinforcements and support. Wallenstein was at that time the greatest part of his army in Aschersleben, where he was preparing an attack on the troops of the Danish king. Due to the situation in Dessau, however, he let fall the plan and moved with his whole army to the Elbe bridge, where he arrived on April 14.

On April 25, it came to the final battle. On the morning of the day Mansfeld decided to storm the defenders of the bridge. The battle lasted six hours and was so unusually long. All attacks of Mansfeld's troops to the imperial heavily fortified positions were dismissed. Under fire of the left wing of the Mansfeld troops by artillery, which was posted on the west bank of the Elbe, the imperial army broke out of the bridgehead and attacked. As Mansfeld had already ordered the retreat, the edge Mansfeld attacked the cuirassiers of Count Schlick in an ambush in a grove on out, which was degenerate orderly retreat into a rout. This regiment was in great silence pull the morning during a battle break over the bridge and can hide in the woods Wallenstein. Last flew even Mansfeld powder trolley into the air. As his troops believed therefore surrounded on all sides, the already existing chaos was still enlarged.

The battle cost about three to four thousand soldiers Mansfeld's life, including senior officers, colonels and captains. Approximately 1,500 men were captured and incorporated a little later in the army of Wallenstein by the military rules of time. Wallenstein pursued Mansfeld until evening to Zerbst, gave chase the next day but not again, but returned to Aschersleben. Approximately 5,000 men were only remained of the army Mansfeld.

Proudly reported Wallenstein in his letters to the Emperor:

Aftermath

The Battle of Dessau was the first military success in Wallenstein's Imperial Habsburg services; However, he was accused that he had not taken advantage of the success to defeat Mansfeld final. John of Aldringens was appointed for his services in the battle for baron.

Mansfeld rebounded in fact very quickly from the defeat and filled his troops by Scots, Danes and the army of Duke Johann Ernst of Weimar again. After only six weeks' stay in the Altmark Mansfeld's army had the same number of troops as before the battle.