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14 April in military history: the Battle of Chemnitz, 1639

Military history · 14 April · Thirty Years' War · Full calendar

Location: Chemnitz, Saxony, Germany.
Location: Chemnitz, Saxony, Germany. Location map: © Echoes of Battle (data: Natural Earth, public domain)
Quick answer

The Swedes won at Chemnitz on 14 April 1639. Johan Banér routed a combined Saxon and Imperial army and then marched into Bohemia.

A rout

According to the Swedish national biography, the Svenskt biografiskt lexikon, Banér concentrated his troops and routed the combined Imperial and Saxon army at Chemnitz, then marched into Bohemia. The Imperial and Saxon troops, united under Field Marshal Morzin, had come out to meet him after he pursued the Saxon elector's army and besieged its fortresses. Reliable figures for the losses on either side were not found, so none are given here.1

What followed

Banér advanced into Bohemia to drive a wedge between Saxony and the Imperial forces, to shift the burden of war onto the Habsburg hereditary lands and to join hands with Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar, who was to advance from the Rhine.2

Frequently asked questions

When and where was the Battle of Chemnitz?

It was fought on 14 April 1639 near Chemnitz in Saxony, during the Thirty Years' War.

Who won the Battle of Chemnitz?

The Swedish army under Johan Banér defeated the Saxon and Imperial forces.

Where did Banér go next?

He marched into Bohemia, carrying the war into the Habsburg hereditary lands.

Notes

A number in the text points to a note; each note names the works that paragraph draws on, listed in full under Sources.

  1. Riksarkivet, “Johan Banér”. ↩
  2. Riksarkivet, “Johan Banér”. ↩

Sources

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