Lützen Turning Points

The battlefield at Lützen was shrouded in heavy morning fog when Swedish king Gustav Adolf led his army into combat for the last time. As he rode his horse towards the center of his army, Adolf received a fatal wound, signaling the close of an era of major military innovation in Sweden. Though a Protestant victory, the Battle of Lützen on November 16, 1632, came at a great cost: the life of major Protestant defender and accomplished military leader Gustav Adolf. This battle was one of the major turning points in the Thirty Years War. The Thirty Years War was a religious conflict in Europe from 1618 to 1648 between warring Protestant and Catholic states and is often considered one of the longest and deadliest wars. Sweden, though a smaller country, managed to change the tide of
Lunde also effectively demonstrates how each battle and innovation contributed to Sweden’s rise in power. For example, Lunde explains how Gustav Adolf’s volley fire tactics became the basis for all European infantry. He also mentions how after Sweden began using the paper cartridge, it became the standard infantry equipment throughout Europe. Additionally, Lunde examines the major battles Sweden participated in in the Thirty Years War. On September 17, 1631, the Battle of Breitenfeld at Leipzig, Germany, became a major turning point for the war. The first major Protestant victory, this battle began to turn the tide of the war. Lunde describes the significance of this battle as proving the effectiveness of new tactics established by Gustav Adolf. This was the first contest between the traditional military system and Gustav Adolf’s more flexible tactics, inciting a new era of warfare and establishing Gustav Adolf as an influential and successful military tactic. Lunde also describes the impact of the Battle of