Bernard's Upper Rhine Campaign was a successful military campaign by Bernard of Saxe-Weimar, who led an army hired by the French to fight against the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III. The campaign was fought between February and December 1638, the four engagements of the campaign were the Battles of Rheinfelden, Wittenweiher, Thann, and Breisach.
The campaign was first primarily fought for the forest towns in Baden-Württemberg, but then shifted to Breisach and Alsace. It was a decisive victory for the French and established their main base for their future German campaigns at Breisach, further consolidated French control over Alsace, and isolated the Spanish Franche-Comté from its Imperial Spanish allies.
Only months after the campaign, Bernard died of a fever, a complication of an ear infection. Bernard's death finally led to the incorporation of the Weimaran Army into the French Army of Germany. Many of the gains won in the campaign were lost following the Battle of Tuttlingen.
Background
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War began in 1618 when the largely Protestant Bohemian Estates offered the Bohemian Crown to the Calvinist Frederick V, instead of the radical Catholic Ferdinand II of Habsburg. Most members of the Holy Roman Empire remained neutral, and the Bohemian Revolt was suppressed after two years of fighting. Financed by Maximilian of Bavaria, a Liga-Spanish Army launched an invasion of Frederick's German territory, and drove Frederick into exile in the Dutch Republic.
Frederick's replacement by Maximilian as ruler elector of the Palatinate changed the nature of the war, drawing in Protestant states like Saxony, Hesse-Kassel, Brandenburg-Prussia, and Denmark-Norway. In 1630, Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden invaded Pomerania, partly to support his fellow Protestants, but also to control the Baltic trade, which provided much of Sweden's income.
Despite the death of Gustavus at Lützen in November 1632, Sweden remained in the war. Their objectives conflicted with both Imperial states like Saxony, and their regional rivals, Denmark. In 1634 Bernard of Saxe-Weimar and Gustav Horn, Count of Pori were crushed by the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand at Nördlingen.
Bernard's Middle Rhine Campaign
The shattering defeat at Nördlingen left the Swedish Army in a horrible state, he had lost 12,000–14,000 at the battle of out of 25,700, Bernard was powerless to stop Johann von Werth from sweeping West into Baden-Württemberg, Bernard abandoned Heilbronn and retreated to Mainz. Only Hohentwiel and Ulm held out in Swabia, Bernard's situation grew worse when an Imperial Army under Philipp von Mansfeld moved south, and another army under Matthias Gallas moved north. With little options Bernard offered his service to the French, the French agreed, and promised him his own personal Duchy in Alsace.
Bernard, with 12,000–16,000 men, linked up with Louis de La Valette, who had 10,000, but two-thirds of La Valette's Army deserted, Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim were taken by . The surrender of Mainz, made Bernard's situation even worse. He withdrew first to Alsace, then further through Basel and into Mömpelgard.
Campaign
Imperial Order of Battle
Rheinfelden
In early February 1638, having been prodded by the French government, Bernhard advanced his army of 6,000 men and 14 guns to the Rhine. Arriving at an important crossing point at the town of Rheinfelden, Bernhard prepared to invest the town from the south. Meanwhile, he would use the ferry at Beuggen to throw troops across the river to complete the investment from the north. The attack on the town was to be made on March 1. To prevent this, the Imperialists, under the Italian mercenary Count Federico Savelli and German general Johann von Werth, moved with 2,600 infantry and 4,500 cavalry through the Black Forest to attack Bernhard's army and relieve the town.
Rheinfelden held out stubbornly as Werth and Savelli moved closer. The Imperials appeared early on Sunday, February the 28th, outside of Beuggen, but were blocked by some of Bernard's dragoons. The Imperials were unable to deploy, they took another more difficult road parallel to the river and headed west to Rheinfelden. Bernard used the four hours it took for them to ferry over 600 musketeers and 8 light guns, as well as concentrating the cavalry already north of the river under Georg Christoph von Taupadel on the higher ground above the town. Taupadel charged as the Bavarian cavalry tried to deploy from the road at Karsau.
The Bavarians where through back, but left Rohan and Johann Phillip von Salm-Kyrburg, another Palatine veteran, Salm was mortally wounded, while Johann Ludwig von Erlach and Rohan were captured. Savelli and the Imperial Infantry now arrived and gained the heights. Bernard held his position until the night, then slipped past the enemy to retreat eastwards along the river to Säckingen, abandoning at least three of his guns and 150 men.
The absence of pursuit is unsurprising given Savelli and Werth had just force-marched their men through the mountains in winter on low rations. Bernard regrouped at Lauffenburg, 14km upstream, where he was joined by the rest of his army from the south bank of the river on March 2. He now undertook one of the risky maneuvers that made him famous, setting off early the next day back along the north bank to Beuggen, collecting 3 artillery pieces that Werth and Savelli had failed to find. Bernard was spotted by Imperial pickets around 7 am.
Werth and Savelli hastily deployed behind a ditch that had drained into the Rhine, but before he could get his troops together they were killed. The Berhardine infantry advances in good order, firing a salvo at half range, supported by their artillery. The cavalry on the flanks then charged, the Imperial infantry replied with a salvo but then fled, as the Bernhardinists moved across the ditch. Werth attempted to stand with the rest of the Bavarians until they were forced to surrendered. 500 Imperial-Bavarians were killed while 3,00 were captured including Savelli, Werth, Adrian von Enkevort, and Claus Dietrich von Sperreuth, Savelli managed to escape his captivity after the Battle. Werth and Enkevort where exchanged for Swedish Generals in 1641 and 1642 respectively, Sperreuter was held hostage in Hohentwiel and was exchanged for Taupadel.
Aftermath of Rheinfelden and Beginning of the siege of Breisach
The loss of some many experienced officers crippled the Bavarian Army, Johann von Götz was diverted from his offensive against Hesse-Kassel and moved south to the Upper Rhine. Rheinfelden held out for three weeks, even after pressing the prisoners into his service he still only numbered 12,000, he received 4,500 volunteers under Vicomte de Turenne, Jean-Baptiste Budes Comté de Guébriant, and François de L'Hôpital.
Rather than pushing along the Forest Town route, Bernard turned against Breisach, Freiburg was abandoned because it was too hard to defend on April 10. Bernard concentrated his artillery and infantry outside Breisach, Bernard left Taupadel and the cavalry east of the Black Forest to deter a relief force. Hans Heinrich IX, Baron of Reinach, the competent and skilled commander of the garrison, had received reinforcements of 3,000 men and 152 artillery pieces. Johann von Götz was given command of the relief force, Götz collected 13,500 men at Rottweil east of the Black Forest. He intended to coordinate a relief effort with Charles de Lorraine, who still held out with 5,000 men in the Franche-Comté against Henri d'Orléans-Longueville and his 13,000 strong French Army.
Götz climbed the mountains to appear north of Breisach on June 26. He slipped in supplies, but was too weak to attempt a relief directly and crossed over into Alsace hoping that taking French positions there that would force Bernard to lift his siege. The French garrisons proved too strong, Bernard now switched Taupadel's force west of the Rhine to counter Götz. Thwarted, Götz withdrew to Württemberg, leaving Savelli opposite Strasbourg. Having recuperated, Götz rejoined Savelli to give a combined army of 15,000 at Offenburg on August 7.
Imperial-Bavarian Army
Main Body: (about 2,900 horse and 1,900 foot),
Savelli (Imperial) Infantry Regiment, Zweyer (Imperial) Infantry Regiment, Waldstein (Imperial) Infantry Regiment Caretto (Imperial) Infantry Regiment, Bonneval (Imperial) Infantry Regiment, Enckhevoert (Imperial) Infantry Regiment (remnants), Henderson (Imperial) Infantry Regiment (remnants), Gallas (Imperial) Infantry Regiment, Suys (Imperial) Infantry Regiment, Det/Mercy (Imperial) Infantry Regiment Stephan Albrecht (Bavarian) Infantry Regiment, des Pours (Bavarian) Infantry Regiment, Combined Schetter & Torelli (Bavarian) Infantry Regiment, Lamboy (Imperial) Cuirassier Regiment, Metternich (Imperial) Cuirassier Regiment Draghi (Imperial) Cuirassier Regiment, Weiher (Imperial) Cuirassier Regiment, Senschal (Imperial) Cuirassier Regiment, Sperreuth (Imperial) Cuirassier Regiment Nicola (Imperial) Cuirassier Regiment Vernier (Imperial) Cuirassier Regiment, Gonzaga (Imperial) Cuirassier Regiment, Gallag (Imperial) Dragon Regiment, Nemarch & Corpes Combined Croatian Light Cavalry Regiment Meissel (Bavarian) Cuirassier Regiment, Limbach (Bavarian) Cuirassier Regiment, Neunnegg Cuirassier Regiment, Metternich Leibguardia Company attached, Württemberg Cuirassier Regiment, Neu-Werth Cuirassier. Regiment
Rearguard: (2,900 foot & 1,700 horse),
Gotz (Bavarian) Infantry Regiment, Hasslang (Bavarian) Infantry Regiment, Combined Metternich/Demont (Bavarian) Infantry Regiment, Combined Edelsteten & Vehlen (Bavarian) Infantry Regiment, M. Reinach (Bavarian) Infantry Regiment, Graf Göltz (Bavarian) Cuirassier Regiment, Horst (Bavarian) Cuirassier Regiment, Kolb (Bavarian) Cuirassier Regiment, Gayling (Bavarian) Cuirassier Regiment, Alt-Werth Cuirassier Regiment, Pürtmüller Cuirassier Regiment, Combined (Bavarian) Cuirassier Company, Redotti Cuirassier Regiment, Venlen Cuirassier Regiment, Haxthausen Cuirassier Regiment.
Wittenweiher
Götz attempted to send provisions to Breisach by using his entire army to escort supplies that were to be loaded onto barges at Rheinau. When Bernard realized he could never take Breisach while Götz remained in the field, he decided to force a battle. He drew 11,400 men from his siege lines and headed north through Kensingen and Lahr. It was not until scouts reported his approach on Sunday, August 8, that the imperial commanders realized Bernard was no longer at Breisach. The imperial cavalry in the vanguard were driven back into the village of Friesenheim, about 4km north of Lahr. Götz reacted quickly, placing infantry and artillery on a vine-covered hill at Schuttern, 2km west, while the rest of the army drew up behind a ditch between there and Friesenheim.
Bernard sent his French infantry to clear Friesenheim, Friesenheim was captured though the Imperials set fire to the village. Götz regrouped his troops on the hill, while Bernard moved his artillery into the vineyard opposite the hill. Bernard soon realized that the terrain was unsuitable for cavalry, which comprised about half of his troops, and so broke the action, falling back to the more favorable ground at Mahlberg having lost about 50 to Götz's 120. Götz, determined to get the supply convoy through, he gave Savelli 2/3 of the army and sent him early the next day towards Wittenweiher to reach Rheinau.