Battle of Dessau Bridge

Battle of Dessau Bridge
Part of the Thirty Years' War
Date April 25, 1626 Location Dessau (present-day Germany) Result Catholic victory
Belligerents
German Protestants	Holy Roman Empire Catholic League
Commanders and leaders
Ernst von Mansfeld	Albrecht von Wallenstein Torquato Conti
Strength
12,000	20,000
Casualties and losses
4,000 dead, wounded or captured	2,000

The Battle of Dessau Bridge (German: Schlacht bei Dessau) was a battle of the Thirty Years' War near Dessau on April 25, 1626. The Imperial Roman Catholic forces of Albrecht von Wallenstein defeated the Protestant forces of Ernst von Mansfeld in the battle.

With the entrance of King Christian IV of Denmark into the Thirty Years' War in 1625, Protestant forces that had been dealt one defeat after another were suddenly infused with fresh hope as Denmark became the first major European nation to formally enter the war since the Austrian defeat in the early years. With the new alliance came ambitious plans involving Christian of Brunswick, despite Brunswicks's defeats at Fleurus and Höchst in 1622, and his decisive defeat at the Battle of Stadtlohn in 1623 that had left him without an army. The projected campaign assigned Christian to assault the forces of Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly in the Rhineland, and for Mansfeld to challenge Wallenstein in the Archbishopric of Magdeburg.

Moving first, Mansfeld began his march towards Dessau in early spring, 1625. Wallenstein learned of his movements though, and hurried his troops, some 20,000 strong, to Dessau as well and established a bridgehead on the eastern side of the Elbe River. The two sides met soon after and, on April 25, Mansfeld began the battle against the inexperienced Wallenstein. With his infantry and artillery skilled to give illusion that his army was smaller than the Catholics, Mansfeld attempted to use the sheer weight of the number of his men to push across the river. This proved a great mistake as when the full extent of Wallenstein's forces was exposed, the assault quickly proved to be a deathtrap for Mansfeld. Before he managed to retreat, Mansfeld's casualties numbered at some 4,000 men, a third of his army. He hastily retreated up the Oder River into Silesia, and began a march for the Dalmatian coast to offer his army and its services to the Republic of Venice. En route, he died and his army disbanded. Wallenstein, who at this point was pursuing Mansfeld, sent 8,000 troops to assist Tilly who was stationed near Brunswick.