Battle of Dömitz

The Swedish intervention in the Thirty Years' War began in June 1630 when nearly 18,000 troops under Gustavus Adolphus landed in the Duchy of Pomerania and entered the Holy Roman Empire. Backed by French subsidies, and supported by the Protestant states of Saxony and Brandenburg-Prussia, Gustavus won a series of victories over Imperial forces before he was killed at Lützen in November 1632. The war continued despite his death, Sweden and its German allies forming the Heilbronn League in April 1633.^[2]

However, after the Imperial army defeated the Swedes and their German allies at Nördlingen in 1634, Saxony made peace with Emperor Ferdinand II.^[3] At this point, the Swedish position in Germany seemed fatally compromised, their presence reduced to a few scattered garrisons in Saxony, and 26,000 mutinous troops under Johan Banér in Halberstadt and Magdeburg.^{[4] [a]}

In August 1635, the newly appointed Saxon commander, von Baudissin, concentrated his troops around Leipzig.^[6][b] His purpose was to prevent Banér crossing the River Elbe, and cut his supply lines with Stralsund and Stettin to the north, in Swedish Pomerania. On 28 September, Brandenburg-Prussia accepted the Peace of Prague, and Banér withdrew north, leaving a few regiments to hold Magdeburg.^[8]

Grabow

Dömitz

Gardelegen

Altmark

Halberstadt

Leipzig

Magdeburg

Stettin

Halle

Artlenburg

Stralsund

Dömitz campaign; key locations in text

By 15 October, Banér and his remaining troops had reached Artlenburg, and on 19th they began crossing the Elbe into Mecklenburg, despite Saxon attempts to prevent this. Another force led by Baudissin besieged the Swedish garrison of Dömitz, 50 kilometres to the south, who also sent a detachment to Gardelegen to block Swedish troops in the Altmark under Patrick Ruthven from intervening.^[9]

On 20 October, Baudissin sent the bulk of hs cavalry to Grabow, hoping to intercept Swedish units in the town. He retained 6,000 to 7,000 infantry to continue the siege, but their dispatch gave Ruthven an opportunity. Early on the morning of 22 October, he arrived outside Dömitz with 4,000 cavalry and 800 infantry, taking Baudissin by surprise.^[10]

The Saxon troops in the town came under heavy fire from the Swedes in the fortress, and withdrew outside the walls in disorder. Attacked by Ruthven in front, and the garrison under Lt-Colonel Jetzwitzny from behind, they disintegrated after three hours of fighting, losing 5,000 dead, wounded, or taken prisoner.^{[1] [c]} Baudissin escaped, but several senior officers were captured, including his deputy, Lt-Colonel Büna, along with the guns and baggage.^[11] A brief counterattack by Imperial cavalry was beaten off by Torsten Stålhandske.

Ruthven absorbed most of the prisoners into his regiments, although Dömitz was retaken by Saxony on 4 August 1637. Banér successfully crossed into Pomerania, while the September 1635 Treaty of Stuhmsdorf with Poland meant the Swedes no longer needed to guard against a possible Polish intervention.^[12] This allowed 9,700 recruits under Lennart Torstensson to be moved from Prussia to reinforce Banér, enabling the latter to relieve Magdeburg, and regain much of the territory previously lost. By spring 1636, the Saxons were back in Halle, close to Leipzig where their advance began in 1635.^[13]