Battle Of Freiburg, 1644, In The Thirty Years’ War

By André Geraque Kiffer

The Thirty Years War from 1618 to 1648 is considered one of the most destructive wars in European history. It is estimated that between 4.5 and 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a direct result, while some areas of Germany suffered population declines of more than 50%, also from hunger and disease. The Battle of Freiburg took place on 3, 5 and 9 August 1644. The defeat at Rocroi put the Spaniards in Flanders on the defensive. This freed the French army from Champagne. Enghien (Condé) left Metz on 20 July and joined Turenne on 2 August at Breisach and Freiburg (100 km). Freiburg was a style of battle very different from any other of the period due to terrain, form of attack and duration of combat. In the battle simulation, I will try to correct the flaws presented in the historical analysis, testing improvements in the maneuvers. And then we will prove which maneuver will prevail, both being instructed with the best and maximum effort.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clube de Autores
• Release date: Feb 5, 2024

Book preview

ANDRÉ  GERAQUE  KIFFER

Battle  of  Freiburg,  1644, in  the  Thirty  Years’  War. A  historical  simulation

Author’s  Edition Rio  de  Janeiro

2023

---  Kiffer,  André  Geraque.

Battle  of  Freiburg,  1644,  in  the  Thirty  Years’  War.  A historical  simulation.  André  Geraque  Kiffer.

Author’s  Edition,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  2023. Bibliography:  161  p.  47  im.  21  cm..

1.  History.  2.  Art  of  War.  3.  Science  of  War.  4.  War Games.  I.  Author.  II.  Title.

ISBN  978-65-00-82859-7

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3 PROLOGUE

As  a  Military  Historian  I  rely  on  a  summary  of  the historical  fact,  I  analyze  and  highlight  the  decisive factors,  before  simulating  hypotheses  what  if… hypotheses  through  a  board  game.  In  the simulation,  all  possibilities  of  the  purpose  of  the study  are  completed,  when  the  past  of  history  is analyzed  based  on  the  theory  of  the  present  and projected  for  similar  situations  in  the  future.  Since 2010  I  have  published  the  following  series  of simulations:  I.  Historical  Simulation  of  the  Wars  of the  First  Empires;  II.  Historical  Simulation  of  the Wars  in  Classical  Greece;  III.  Historical  Simulation of  the  Roman  Wars;  IV.  Historical  Simulation  of Wars  in  the  Medieval  Era;  V.  Historical  Simulation of  Wars  in  the  Modern  Era  (1453  to  1774);  VI. Historical  Simulation  of  Wars  in  the  Age  of Revolutions  (1775  to  1860);  VII.  Historical Simulation  of  Wars  in  the  Industrial  Age  (1861  to 1913);  "VIII.  Historical  Simulation  of  the  First  World

War;  IX.  Historical  Simulation  of  World  War  II;  X.

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Historical  Simulation  of  the  Cold  War  (1917  to 1991);  and  XI.  Historical  Simulation  of Contemporary  Wars  (1991  to  ...)". Keywords:  History.  Art  of  War.  Science  of  War.  War

Games.

5 SUMMARY

HISTORICAL  FACT.…………..…….….……………6 HISTORICALANALYSIS….……………..…………12 HISTORICAL  SIMULATION.….……………………43 ANNEXES........…………………………………….141

REFERENCES....………………………………….160

6 HISTORICAL  FACT

I  suggest  that  the  reader  who  wants  to  have more  knowledge  about  the  war  of  which  this  battle is  a  part,  acquires  my  book  A  historical simulation  of  the  Thirty  Years'  War,  1618  to 1648  .

Im  1:  Thirty  Years’  War.

French  intervention  in  the  30  Years'  War

Bourbon  France,  although  with  its  majority

Catholic  population,  was  a  major  rival  to  the  Holy

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Roman  Empire  and  Habsburg  Spain.  Cardinal Richelieu,  chief  minister  of  King  Louis  XIII  of France,  considered  them  very  powerful  as  they occupied  several  territories  on  France's  eastern  and northern  borders,  including  parts  of  the  Low Countries.

Im  2:  French  phase.

France  declared  war  on  Spain  in  May  1635  and on  the  Holy  Roman  Empire  in  August  1636,  opening offensives  against  the  Habsburgs  in  Germany  and

the  Low  Countries.  She  aligned  her  strategy  with

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the  Swedes  at  Wismar  (1636)  and  Hamburg  (1638). Holy  Emperor  Ferdinand  II  died  in  1637  and  was succeeded  by  his  son  Ferdinand  III,  who  was strongly  inclined  to  end  the  war  through negotiations.

French  military  efforts  initially  failed  and  the Spanish  counterattacked,  invading  their  territory, devastating  the  provinces  of  Champagne,  Burgundy (the  duchy)  and  Picardy,  even  threatening  Paris  in 1636.

However,  the  tide  began  to  turn  when  the Spanish  army  was  repelled  by  Bernard  of  Saxe- Weimar  at  the  Battle  of  Breisach  in  late  1638, driving  the  Habsburg  armies  away  from  France's borders.

At  the  same  time,  in  December  1640,  the Portuguese  rose  up  against  Spanish  rule,  with Richelieu  providing  aid  to  the  insurgents. The  subsequent  French  campaign  against  Spanish forces  in  Flanders  culminated  in  a  decisive  French

victory  at  the  Battle  of  Rocroi  on  19  May  1643.

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Im  3:  General  plan  of  the  battle.

Battle  of  Freiburg  im  Breisgau

August  3,  5  and  9,  1644.  The  defeat  at  Rocroi put  the  Spanish  in  Flanders  on  the  defensive, releasing  the  French  army  of  Champagne.  Enghien left  Metz  on  July  20th  and  joined  Turenne,  on August  2nd,  in  Breisach  and  Freiburg  (100  km march)  to  rescue  the  latter.

The  French  only  positioned  themselves  in  the late  afternoon  of  the  3rd.  Turenne  reached  the  first Bavarian  position,  a  line  of  abatises  manned  by

musketeers,  at  around  4  pm.  Not  long  afterwards,

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Enghien  began  his  attack  from  the  village  of Ebringen  towards  the  two  southernmost  strongholds on  the  Schönberg  hill,  a  place  called  Bohl.

Turenne's  attack  penetrated  the  initial  defensive positions,  but  the  Bavarian  army  commander, Mercy,  realized  the  threat  and  immediately  sent infantry  reinforcements  supported  by  cavalry.  The French  vanguard  was  repelled  and  the  narrow passage  made  any  maneuver  difficult,  so  Turenne reinforced  the  attack  with  an  infantry  brigade,  but  it was  also  repelled.

Meanwhile,  Enghien's  infantry  climbed  the rugged  hill  and  was  twice  repulsed  in  the  firing range  between  the  forts  on  the  Bohl.  Finally,  on  the third  attempt  with  Enghien  ahead,  Bohl  fell.  The Bavarians  withdrew,  under  cover  of  darkness,  to form  a  new  defensive  line  on  the  next  ridge  lines  to the  east.  Heavy  rain  prevented  any  French  pursuit, whose  army  had  also  suffered  twice  as  many casualties  as  the  Bavarian.

August  4th  was  for  reorganization  and

preparation  to  renew  the  offensive.  The  Bavarians

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improved  their  positions.  The  new  line  was supported  by  the  Schlierberg  hill,  with  the strongholds  of  Josephbergle,  Pfurdhof  and Wonnhalde  marking  the  defensive  line.

Enghien  believed  that  the  Bavarians  had suffered  heavily  on  the  3rd  and  that  an  attack  on that  position,  although  naturally  strong,  would  have a  good  chance.  The  plan  was  quite  complicated, with  Enghien's  infantry  attempting  to  pin  Mercy  to the  most  central  strongholds  with  a  series  of diversionary  attacks,  while  Turenne  carried  out  the main  attack  across  the  axis  through  Wonnhalde  to envelop  the  Bavarian  position.

On  the  5th,  Mercy  took  advantage  of  the enemy's  uncoordinated  attacks  and  decided  to counterattack.  Although  the  French  army  fought admirably,  they  lost  approximately  half  of  their  army. Mercy  still  had  the  city  under  Bavarian  control,  but had  lost  about  a  third  of  its  troops.

The  battle  was  halted  on  the  6th,  7th  and  8th  of August  as  both  armies  dealt  with  their  resupply.  The

9th  was  spent  between  French  attempts  to

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maneuver  to  cut  off  the  Bavarian  supply  axis,  and these  reacting  and  balancing  the  situation.

In  the  end,  with  many  casualties  on  both  sides, the  battle  was  inconclusive,  as  the  Bavarians retreated  more  due  to  the  threat  to  their  supplies and  the  numerical  superiority  of  the  French,  rather than  due  to  a  tactical  defeat,  and  Freiburg  remained Bavarian.

HISTORICAL  ANALYSIS

Freiburg  was  a  battle  style  very  different  from any  other  of  the  period  due  to  the  terrain  –  without being  a  plateau  chosen  beforehand  –,  attack formations  and  duration  of  the  fighting.  I  consider  it an  anticipation  of  19th  century  battles  without,  of course,  the  weapons  technology  of  that  time.

Armies  in  the  Thirty  Years'  War

An  army  from  the  Thirty  Years'  War  was commanded  by  a  field  marshal  or  a  general  officer. If  he