Imperial Masterpiece: The Battle of Nördlingen 1634 | Thirty Years' War

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It’s 5 a.m. on a cold and foggy morning on the 6th of September 1634. The Protestant army, mostly Germans and Swedes, stands at the foot of a hill close to the German city of Nördlingen. Everyone is waiting for the order to attack. Suddenly, the artillery breaks the silence with the cracking thunder of its bombardment. The protestant war cry “god with us” resounds along the frontline. It is mirrored on the other side by the Catholic “long live the house of Habsburgs” in German, Italian, Spanish and Flemish versions. The battle of Nördlingen has just begun.
In this video, we analyze the battle of Nördlingen with the aim of answering three questions: Firstly, what political, strategical and tactical constellation led to an immense battle of four different armies? Secondly, why did this battle change the course of the war and initiate the so-called ‘French phase’ of the Thirty Years War? And thirdly, does this battle really justify the assertion that the Spanish Tercio formation was just as effective as the Swedish Brigades as is commonly argued?

Bibliography:
Guthrie, William, Battles of the Thirty Years War: From White Mountain to Nordlingen, 1618-1635, 2001.
Höbelt, Lothar, Von Nördlingen bis Jankau. Kaiserliche Strategie und Kriegführung 1634–1645, 2016.
Wilson, Peter, The Thirty Years War: Europe’s Tragedy, 2009.
Ribas, Alberto Raul Esteban, The Battle of Nördlingen 1634. The Bloody Fight Between Tercios and Brigades, 2021.

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Despite focused on ancient history, it's a brilliant book for anybody who is interested in what history actually is. Is it a story? How does it work in practise? Can writing history be objective? Is it "scientific"? What makes it a proper discipline at university?

[SandRhomanHistory]

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[TheBlacOfficial]

19:43 about the spanish infantry, a swedish coronel wrote: "they advanced in a serene manner and in closed ranks, they were almost exclusively battle hardened veterans, without a doubt, the strongest infantry force we ever came across in the field"

[player]

Ferdinand of Austria is called like that not for being from Austria but for being a Habsburg whom are also know in Spain as Austrias

[googlenutzer]

As someone living in a city just between Nördlingen, Zusmarshausen and Blindheim (Blenheim in English), every of them in half an hour reach, I absolutely love your videos discovering our pretty unknown swabian province history 😅. Keep up the good work, it's very detailed and the sources are always given, I appreciate that :)

[albertomusolas]

The Tercio, as you rightly say, we’re more and administrative unit than a tactical one. Even as early as in the times of Duke of Alba campaigns, during the first Dutch revolt, arquebusiers and musketeers where used all together as separate tactical units (mangas or squadrons) when the situation asked for.

[MegaStara]

Next sunday, 6th Nov, will be 390 years from the battle of Lützen. Where Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus fell.

[cesarsalas]

We should not forget that actually a Tercio was only a military unit and not any particular battle formation, as it could be deployed in many different ways.

[Arbelot]

Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand: It's over Gustav, I have the high ground!

Gustav Horn: You underestimate my power!

Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand: Don't do it!

[VMvintageStory]

Your way of telling the stories of history is so informative and well put together. You're really good at keeping the audience (or at least me) interested. The middle character of your thumbnail is used a lot but still no r34 for him. If you want something done right, do it yourself I guess.

[deteon]

I am Swedish and I love history, with the thirty years' war as one of my favourite historical events to learn about. I think you very much nailed this video! Excellent analysis and fantastic Quality!
Your conclusion regarding the Swedish brigade and the Tercio seems sensible. The brigade was better suited for fire and movement warfare while a Tercio on a hill is effectively a castle, not so easily taken.
If you decide to take on the battle of Wittstock it would be incredible to hear what you have to say about Johan Banér. A brilliant and effective commander, but also a brutal, alcoholic villain of a man. He became known as "the cruel arsonist" for a reason after all…
I truly believe this is one of the best history channels on YouTube!

(Also, I love that Wallenstein has Gustav II Adolf on his wall at 6:28).

[EmisoraRadioPatio]

Good to see more Spanish history videos!

[jacobkonick]

Really appreciated the conclusion showing it's diplomatic consequences - what an inflection point. Among the very best video you've ever done.

[WelcomeToDERPLAND]

Thanks for the quality history videos mate.

[santiagopeligros]

Few things.
Albuch was defended by 2 regiments of germans troops commanded by salm and wurmser in the front, to the right was the italian tercio of Gaspar de Toralto and behind was the spanish tercio of idiaquez.
The germans regiments were the vanguard and who did dig the fortifications on albuch, spaniards refused to dig . And cardinal infant knew it .
Wurmser served the spanish king and thus was given the command of the front.
total spanish forces on the hill.
Germans: 4500.+1600 from regiments of leslie and fugger.
Italians:750(used to be 1200 but a outbreak cut the numebrs in half).
Spaniards:1800
Escobar wasnt captured on Heselberg, his orders were to held the forest while the germans fortify it, he had 400 musketers of the tercio del conde de fuenclara(count whitewell), He was captured on the forest.
Salm and wurmser died under the attack of the scottish and yellow regiment, at this point germans flee the albuch hill.They where not spaniards as u claim.
The swedes did not choose to retreat, they where charged by the spanish from albuch and flanked by Gallas and the croatian cavalry wich made their retreat impossible.

Albuch held 13 charges of the swedish troops, quite a feat for the age, ur video is great but u realy side to much on the swedish account and totaly ignore the spanish or german sources.

Final note
The tercio himself was a organic formation, what u call escuadron was the unit when adopted a battle formation, it was the role of escobar rank officers to form, and the classic square u see on most books was know as Cuadro de terreno or land field wich was the standard 15 century early one model, by the time of nordligen and after fighting the dutch for so many years the spaniards used thiner formations,

[conradnelson]

It is really interesting to see the evolution of infantry tactics at this time. It’s like world war one when it starts it’s infantry in line and when it finishes it’s tanks and assault platoons. Quite amazing.

[bojcio]

Love the little pointy hand pointing things on the map. Great addition to the animations!

[Catonius]

I really enjoy your videos, the quality is great and this era is a bit of a blind spot in my historical knowledge so I get the benefit of the elucidation and the enjoyment of the suspense to see who wins lol

[RkoOutOfNowhere]

would be interesting if you made a video about the spanish road, since you've mentioned it in so many videos by now ...😃

[clintmoor]

finally!!! some more thirty years' war! I've been waiting for this ever since your lützen video!

[sporkafife]

I love the focus this channel puts on an often undiscussed time of history