First Battle of Steinau

First battle of Steinau
Blatasar Marradas (the person in the image) lead the imperials in the battle
Date September 27,1633 Location Steinau on der Oder Result Swedish-Saxon Victory
Belligerents
Saxony Sweden Brandenburg-Prussia	Holy Roman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Hans Georg von Arnim-Boitzenburg Jacob Duwall	Baltasar von Marradas
Strength
12,000 Saxons 7,000 Swedes 2,000 Brandenburgers	20,000
Casualties and losses
light	6,000 killed or captured

The ‘’’First battle of Steinau’’’ took place on September 27 1633 during middle stages of the Swedish intervention in the Thirty Years’ War when a Saxon-Swedish-Brandenburger army invaded Silesia with 21,000 and a encountered an Imperial army of 20,000 at Ścinawa, the resulted battle was a major allied victory.

background

Following the victory at Breitenfeld The Saxons retook their territory and invaded Lusatia. The Swedish army took over large parts of Germany and won yet another victory at the Battle of Rain, this made Johann Georg , the elector of Saxony, invade Silesia with 12,000 Saxons, 7,000, and 2,000 Brandenburgers under command of Hans Georg von Arnim-Boitzenburg and the Swedish under command of Jacob Duwall, invaded Silesia. The Imperials under the command of the elderly, Spanish, marshal Baltasar von Marradas hurriedly gathered 20,000 men at Steinau on der Oder.

Battle

Marradas’s men entrenched on the Gallows Hill, south-east of Steinau, between it and the river, and posted calvary on the Sand Hill west of the town to watch the approach. Musketeers occupied the Geisendorf suburb to the and a new by churchyard. The advances gained of the allies under firebrand Duwall arrived at midday on August 29, and immediately engaged the imperial cavalry. After two hours of skirmishing the imperials retreated into the marshy Kalterbach Valley south of Steinau. Saxon artillery had now arrived on the Sand Hill and compelled the cavalry to retreat further into Marradas’s camp, exposing the musketeers. Duwall’s younger brother led 1,000 Swedish and musketeers who stormed the suburb and churchyard. The imperials set the town on fire to forestall further attack, virtually destroying it. Duwall wanted to press on, but Arnim was still negotiating with the enemy on the Gallows Hill.

Rather than assault the camp the next day, Arnim marched south to Dieban further upstream where he built, intending to cross and cut Marradas off from the other side. Maraddas belatedly attacked Dieban, but was repulsed on September 4 and retreated, having left a small detachment at Steinau bridge to delay pursuit. The allied losses were slight, but the imperial lost 6,000, mainly prisoners or men who fled the initial engagement.

aftermath

Following the battle Arnim pressed on and took Breslau and Schweidnitz where he reverted re-Catholicization measures. The imperialist were driven into the mountain. Arnim had conquered Silesia with fewer troops and greater odds than Fredrick II celebrated invasion in 1740.

Wallenstein decided to punch sh Saxony so he sent Holk with 10,000 men to ravage Saxony.

See also

• Siege of Nuremberg

Sources

• Wilson, Peter H. Europe’s Tragedy: A History of the Thirty Years War. Allen Lane. ISBN 978-0-9592-3. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help)