#hesse-kassel

[bantarleton]

Musketeer of the Hessian Regiment von Donop, 1776, by Don Troiani - prints available at W. Britain.

[paintingsandhistory]

Death of King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden at the Battle of Lützen

Artist: Carl Wahlbom (Swedish, 1810-1858)

Date: 1855

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden

Battle of Lützen (1632)

The Battle of Lützen, fought on 16 November 1632, is considered one of the most important battles of the Thirty Years' War. Led by the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus, an Allied army primarily composed of troops from Sweden, Saxony, and Hesse-Kassel, narrowly defeated an Imperial force under Albrecht von Wallenstein. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, with Gustavus himself among the dead.

Wallenstein deployed his men in defensive positions, and the battle began with a series of frontal attacks by the Allied infantry. These nearly succeeded in breaking through before being repulsed with severe losses by Imperial cavalry under Pappenheim. Gustavus was killed as they fell back, but re-formed by his subordinates, his infantry overran the Imperial centre just before nightfall, supported by close range artillery fire. Wallenstein withdrew his remaining troops in good order, but was forced to abandon his wounded, many of his guns, and most of his supply train.

Despite the loss of their king, the Swedes continued the war under the direction of Axel Oxenstierna. Backed by French subsidies, in April 1633 Sweden formed the Heilbronn League with their German allies, and shortly afterwards defeated an Imperial army at Oldendorf. In February 1634, rumours that Wallenstein was about to change sides resulted in his assassination by Imperial agents.

[princessvictoriamelita]

Princess Elisabeth of Hesse-Kassel, early 1880s.

First cousin of Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom and Princess Louise, Duchess of Conaught.

[wgabry]

Christian IX, King of Denmark and his wife Louise of Hesse-Kassel.

[bantarleton]

Hesse-Cassel artillerists during the American Revolution. While Hesse-Cassel didn't provide a dedicated artillery detachment to its American contingent (unlike Hesse-Hanau), it did assign two guns to each infantry battalion.

[bantarleton]

Delighted to announce that I'll be writing volume 2 of Osprey's "German Troops in the American Revolution," looking specifically at every German state involved that isn't Hesse-Cassel! Very much enjoying the work so far (cover is just a stand-in for now though).

[princessvictoriamelita]

Princess Elisabeth of Hesse-Kassel in 1868.

[princessvictoriamelita]

Baby Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse-Kassel in 1868.

He was the husband of Princess Margaret of Prussia.