Battle of Breitenfeld ( 1631 ) The Battle of Breitenfeld ( ; ) or First Battle of Breitenfeld ( sometimes First Breitenfeld and in older texts Battle of Leipzig ) , was fought at a crossroads near Breitenfeld approximately five miles north - west of the walled city of Leipzig on September 17 ( new style or Gregorian calendar ) , or September 7 ( Julian calendar , in wide use at the time ) , 1631 . It was the Protestants ’ first major victory of the Thirty Years War . The victory ensured that the German states would not be forcibly reconverted to Roman Catholicism . It confirmed Sweden ’ s Gustavus Adolphus of the House of Vasa as a great tactical leader and induced many Protestant German states to ally with Sweden against the German Catholic League , led by Maximilian I , Elector of Bavaria , and the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II of Austria . Prelude to the Swedish phase of the Thirty Years War . If the first phase of the Thirty Years War ( or Wars , as some historians call it ) hinged on the Palatine inheritance , this phase hinged on the liberties of various bishoprics in Lorraine and the autonomy of several Lutheran princes , including imperial Electors of Saxony and Brandenburg . The issue was not only about religion , although it manifested itself in the princely religious autonomy . At issue was the larger problem of imperial rule versus princely autonomy : at its most basic , the argument was over the nature of power and authority in the Holy Roman Empire . " Swedish phase " of the Thirty Years War . The Swedish phase of the Thirty Years War began with the Swedish landing at Peenemünde . The Swedish campaign in central Europe gained control of great deal of territory . There were three major battles : Breitenfeld , the Lech , and Lützen . On 23 January 1631 , French and Swedish negotiators concluded the Treaty of Bärwalde whereby France would subsidize the Swedish war effort . This marked a major shift away from a religious - based conflict , as the French were also Catholic . After the defeat at the Battle of Nördlingen , France actively joined the Thirty Years War . Therefore this phase is sometimes referred to as the " French phase " . However , the Swedish army recovered to defeat the Imperial army e . g . at the Battle of Wittstock and the Battle of Jankov . It is therefore more appropriate to label the subsequent phase a " Franco - Swedish phase " . Gustav ' s plan . When he had planned this invasion in 1629 , after peace with Poland , with money in his pocket and promises of French subsidy , Gustav ruled an orderly and loyal country ; he possessed reserves of war material ; and he had at his command an effective , well disciplined fighting force made up of recruits from Sweden and Finland and thus loyal to him . Gustav ' s efforts in Poland and Lithuania did not secure his Baltic possessions , nor did they solve his kingdom ’ s security issues ; Polish , Lithuanian and English ships continued to prey upon Swedish trade , and Gustav considered his engagement in the Protestant causes in the German states to be part and parcel to securing his own interests in the Baltic . Initially , Sweden ’ s entrance into the war was considered a minor annoyance to the Catholic League and its allies ; his only battles to this point had been inconclusive ones , or fought against generals of modest military ability , such as at Honigfeld , a minor affair in eastern Prussia against Imperial troops under Hans Georg von Arnim - Boitzenburg to aid Sigismund III of Poland - Lithuania , which ended in Fall 1629 with the Truce of Altmark . Consequently , when Gustav Adolph and his force of 13 , 000 landed at Peenemünde in 1630 , the Imperial Commander of the German Catholic League , Tilly , did not immediately respond , being engaged in what seemed to be more pressing matters in northern Italy . Gustav ' s sole ally was the city of Stralsund , and over the ensuing months , the situation did not improve . While he could claim the support from German princes , these were the “ dispossessed ” like Mecklenburg and Saxe - Weimar , the expectant like the claimants to Brunswick - Lüneburg , the occupied , like Magdeburg , and the threatened , like Hesse - Kassel . In terms of " real " support of money , men , supplies and arms , these alliances meant little . External alliances were little better : Russia offered duty free grain to be sold in Amsterdam , a scheme that raised only 78 , 000 " thalers " , and France hedged its bets . The difficulty in developing concrete alliances with German states was understandable . Unthreatened Lutheran princes saw the advantage in using the Swedish " menace " to wrest terms from Vienna , rather than commit what amounted to acts of treason . French reticence at entering an alliance was less understandable for , like Sweden , France had been engaged in several decades of fighting , so peace and demobilization offered significant advantages ; like Sweden , though , there were significant and concrete gains to be achieved in territory , influence , and prestige , " if " they were to be on the winning side of the renewal of fighting in northern Europe . In early 1631 , imperial forces captured Mantua , effectively ending the Mantuan war , and the ensuing peace treaty at Cherasco ( February 1631 ) insured that the large imperial army tied up in northern Italy was now free to expend its energy in the German states . Creating alliances . When the Protestant princes showed little interest in attaching themselves to the Swedish cause , Gustavus opted for “ rough wooing . ” His troops moved south into Brandenburg , taking and sacking the towns of Küstin and Frankfurt an der Oder . It was too late and too far to save one of Gustav ’ s “ occupied ” allies , Magdeburg , from a horrific sack by Imperial troops , beginning on May 20 , in which a major portion of the population was murdered and the city burned . The Swedes turned the sack of Magdeburg to good use : broadsides and pamphlets distributed throughout Europe assured that prince and pauper alike understood how the Emperor , or at least his troops , treated his Protestant subjects . Over the next few months , Gustav consolidated his bridgehead and expanded across northern Germany , attracting support from German princes and building his army from mercenary forces along the way . By the time he reached the Saxon border , his force had grown to over 23 , 000 men . Strategic importance of Saxony . In order for Swedes to attack the Imperial troops in the south , they needed to pass through Saxony . In order for Tilly ’ s forces , now freed from northern Italy , to attack Gustav ' s army , they too needed to pass through Saxony . The Electorate of Saxony had not been affected by war and had large quantities of resources that each army could utilise . In midsummer , General Tilly asked John George I for permission to pass through the territory ; the elector declined permission , noting that Saxony had not been ravaged by war yet . Later Tilly invaded the Electorate of Saxony due to the fact that it was the shortest distance between his army and Gustav ' s and it possibly nulled the chance of a potential alliance between Saxony and the Swedes . His plan was to avoid contact with the Swedes , and ultimately the Saxons , until his troops could unite with the units near Jena ( about 5000 seasoned professionals ) , and the larger force of Count Otto von Fugger , " en route " from Hesse . Gustav and John George united their forces , planning to meet Tilly somewhere near Leipzig . 17th Century forces . This period of warfare had three basic branches in land forces : infantry , cavalry , and artillery . They had a relative balance , with the cavalry having much greater strength offensively than defensively and the infantry the opposite . Mostly , artillery was a supporting branch , delivering a slow rate of fire at very long range , and highly immobile . Infantry . Infantry had two basic types , light and heavy , from the ancient classical period until the late 17th century . Light troops used primarily ranged weapons while heavy infantry specialized in melee combat . Generally , light troops had less armor than heavy troops , but the types are not classified by armor . Some units of mixed type employed ranged or close weapons depending on the tactical situation , but they were a minority . There were dozens of specific types in use in every period . Most nations or regions commonly specialized in fielding specific variations , differing in specific weapons , armor , and tactics used . The forces employed at Breitenfeld on both sides used mostly one type of light infantry , musketeers armed with matchlock muskets . Matchlock muskets of the period were still a heavy weapon , not the lighter flintlock variety that would eventually evolve , typically with barrels about four feet long and propelling a ball weighing about 2 ounces ( ˜55 grams ) , the gun itself weighing between 15 and 17 lbs . The rate of fire was comparatively slow , typically around one round per minute , and musketeers were typically deployed in six or more ranks to allow for a continuous stream of fire . Musketeers typically lacked any form of protection , although some might have worn light helmets and buff coat s ; they carried cheap swords as sidearms , although the butt stock of a reversed musket was often more effective in close combat situations . The Swedes and the imperials also used mostly the same type of heavy infantry , pikemen . Pikemen of the period employed ˜16 – 18 foot pikes and wore heavy half armor , ideally consisting of a breast and backplate with thigh - protecting tasset s and a light helmet , and also a short sword for close combat . Combined together these mixed infantry units were very strong defensively against any form of cavalry attacks . The musketeers had a greater range and rate of fire than a mounted man with a wheellock pistol , while pikes have greater reach compared to cavalry sword s and lance s ( in later times , this advantage would be eliminated by the use of hollow lances by cavalry ) . Historically most infantry were organized with units of a single type , but in this case , both sides fielded units with a mixture of light and heavy troops . The imperials deployed their infantry in modified Spanish tercios . These units were rectangular , about 1500 men , with a dense center of pikemen and four " sleeves " of musketeers deployed on each sides or corners . Such a formation had very powerful all around defenses against cavalry , but was very slow moving and lacked firepower since at best only half of the available muskets could be brought to bear . The Swedes deployed the infantry in brigades , a concept developed by Gustavus Adolphus . Swedish infantry were deployed with six ranks of musketeers to the front and five ranks of pikemen behind . The Swedish musketeers had also perfected the salvo firing technique , in which three ranks of musketeers fired simultaneously , with the front rank kneeling , the second rank crouching and the third rank standing . The massive disruption caused by such a wall of lead slamming into the enemy was capable of stopping cavalry charges without the aid of pikes on many occasions , and allowed the Swedish pikemen or cavalry to immediately gain advantage over their opponent in the subsequent close combat . The tactical preferences of the two armies resulted from different operational philosophies : the imperial infantry were typically more static and defensive in battle , while the Swedish were more capable of offense but more vulnerable to flanking attacks . Most of the Saxon units were various heavy types deployed in unmixed squares ; with only a few companies of musketeers . Cavalry . There were many different types of cavalry in the period . Similarly to the infantry , they differed in the weapons , armor and tactics employed . With cavalry , especially , unit names such as " heavy cavalry " are often misleading . The cavalry of both sides at Breitenfield were mostly units of cuirassier s . This was a heavy type of cavalry armed with wheel - lock pistols and broadsword s and ideally clad in heavy three - quarter armor with a bulletproof cuirass . The second type of cavalry commonly used in Western Europe at the time was the harquebusier ; a light , firearm - equipped cavalryman named after the long firearm they used . Theoretically , in battle the harquebusiers would provide supporting fire for the cuirassiers ' charge , and their role was otherwise confined to skirmishing , scouting and other irregular operations . The cuirassiers themselves typically employed caracole tactics , advancing to the charge at a trot , often in a dense formation six or ten ranks deep . At about ten paces from the opposing formation the troopers would discharge their pistols and wheel around to reload , allowing the next rank to also fire . Only after an enemy had been substantially weakened or disordered would they draw their swords and charge . Practical realities faced by the Swedish , however , resulted in their cavalry being uniquely different . Sweden ' s lack of manufacturing capability at the time resulted in her cavalry lacking in armor and wheellock pistols ; the Swedish cuirassiers were only armored up to the standard of the typical imperial harquebusier , except for a few units raised in Livonia and recruited among the German mercenaries , while their Finnish light horse were often completely unarmored . Initially they were also largely outnumbered by their imperial counterparts , and thus often were forced to form up only two or three ranks deep to avoid being outflanked . The Swedes also had plenty of experience fighting against the vaunted Polish cavalry , which taught them the value of a full gallop charge using cold steel only . Also , to compensate for the lesser quality and quantity of his cavalry against the Poles , Gustavus started using detached companies of musketeers to provide fire support for his horsemen . These tactical developments would prove extremely effective , and while not Swedish by invention were brought into renown by them and would shape Western military doctrine until the early 19th century . Artillery . The artillery of the period used no explosive projectiles . Cannon generally fired directly at low angle with solid metal or stone shot . Artillery was mostly used for siege operations as it was very slow to maneuver . Used against opposing troops , a common tactic was the " grazing shot " , aimed to skip off the ground in front of the enemy and bounce upward through the massed troops , causing many more casualties than level fire could . The Swedes had developed more modern models for their siege artillery that were easier to maneuver and load , using only three different weight of ordnance : 24 , 6 and 3 pounders . Additionally the Swedes had some of their lighter pieces integrated into their infantry formations at brigade and regimental level . These 3pound pieces ( 3 assigned to a brigade ) were much smaller , lighter and less powerful than the siege guns . The 3 pound pieces could maneuver with the infantry to a limited degree . 3 pounders could also be reloaded much more quickly than siege pieces and had greater range and firing rate than the infantry ' s muskets , greatly increasing the Swedish infantry ' s firepower . Tactical Overview . The Battle of Breitenfeld I ( 1631 ) was overall a meeting engagement with both combatants agreeing to battle on the field . The forces all had different structural organization . The level of technology was roughly equivalent , with newer , lighter cannon and matchlocks giving the Swedes a slight advantage . Both Armies were well supplied , and the terrain gave neither a distinct advantage . Key differences between Imperial forces and the Swedes and their allies were in the training and structure of infantry , and in the Swedish innovations of deploying infantry with cavalry and , more importantly , to deploy the infantry in brigades that were thinner and more agile than the tercio . Forces Deployed . The forces deployed were roughly equal in strength . The Protestant coalition , including the Swedes and Germans , fielded about 42 , 000 troops ( 18 , 000 of them German ) , and the Imperial army about 35 , 000 . The Protestants had a considerable edge in cavalry numbers , about 13 , 000 ( 5 , 000 from Allies ) to 9 , 000 . Strength of heavy artillery was comparable , with the Swedes having a slight edge in quality and Imperial forces a marginal advantage in quantity . The Swedes had additional small artillery pieces ( 3 and 6 pounders ) integrated into their infantry brigades and regiments , giving them a larger number of tubes overall . The Catholics had a considerable advantage in the number of trained infantry deployed , about 25 , 000 to the Swedes 15 , 000 . The Saxons ( Swedish allies ) fielded about 9 , 000 untrained conscripts and militiamen , and had very few muskets . The Swedish brigade had more matchlocks and fewer pikemen than the Imperial tercio ; overall , the Unionists fielded about the same number of matchlocks as Imperial troops . Force Assessment . The overall balance was relatively even . The disparity in overall numbers resulted from large levies of untrained soldiers . The number of heavy cannon was relatively close with the Swedish having newer models and light cannon compensating for the disparity in heavy field pieces . The Unionist had a considerable advantage in cavalry while the imperials had a considerable advantage in trained infantry . With the forces deployed , the key difference was the light / heavy infantry ratio of Swedes . The Swedes fielded considerably more muskets by ratio , had more advanced equipment , and better drills to increase their rate of fire . More important , the Linear Formation that allowed most musketeers to engage , while less than half in a tercio could engage . Disposition of forces . The Swedes deployed their 15 , 000 infantry in brigades and 2 lines . The imperial army deployed 25 , 500 infantry in a single line of 17 tercios ( 1 , 500 infantrymen in each ) . The German allies extended the Swedish - Saxon front to be overall slightly longer than the Catholic . The imperial line had its cavalry evenly distributed on its flanks . The Swedes had their cavalry weighted to their right . The Saxon allies fielded their infantry in wedge formation with units in squares , and cavalry on their flanks . With their Saxon allies extending the Swede ’ s line , the Unionists had cavalry at the center and their flanks . Battle Summary . The battle started in the middle of the day and lasted over six hours . The first two hours consisted of an exchange of artillery fire . This was followed by an imperial attack with cavalry from both wings to both ends of the Unionist line . The cavalry attack routed the Saxon troops on the Unionist left flank . The imperial army then conducted a general attack to exploit the exposed left flank . The Swedes repositioned their second line to cover the left flank and counterattacked with their cavalry to both imperial flanks . The attack on the imperial left was led personally by the Swedish King . It captured the imperial artillery and enveloped the imperial left flank . The Swedish now had much greater weight of fire from their artillery , infantry , and the captured imperial artillery . The imperial line was disorganized under the heavy fire and enveloped . The imperial line collapsed and over 80 % of the imperial forces were killed or captured . 120 standards of the Imperial and Bavarian armies were taken ( and are still on display in the Riddarholm church in Stockholm ) ; and Gustav ' s innovations in military operations and tactics were confirmed . Opening gambits . The combined Swedish - Saxon forces were to the north of Leipzig centered around hamlet of Podelwitz , facing southwest toward Breitenfeld and Leipzig . The battle began around mid - day , with a two - hour exchange of artillery fire , during which the Swedes demonstrated firepower in a rate of fire of three to five volleys to one Imperial volley . Gustavus had lightened his artillery park , and each colonel had four highly mobile , rapid firing , copper - cast three pounders , the cream of Sweden ’ s metallurgical industry . When the artillery fire ceased , Pappenheim ' s Black Cuirassiers charged the Swedish line seven times , and were consistently beaten back by the Swedish combination of ' commanded ' musketeers and cavalry . The small companies of musketeers dispersed between the squadrons of horse fired a salvo at point blank range , disrupting the charge of the Imperialist cuirassier and allowing the Swedish cavalry to counterattack at an advantage . The same tactics worked an hour or so later when the imperial cavalry charged the Swedish left flank . Following the rebuff of the seventh assault , General Banér sallied forth with both his light ( Finnish and West Gaetlanders ) and heavy cavalry ( Smalanders and East Gaetlanders ) . Banér ’ s cavalry had been taught to deliver its impact with the saber , not to caracole with the hard - to - aim pistols or carbines , forcing Pappenheim and his cavalry quit the field in disarray , retreating 15 miles northwest to Halle . During the charges of the Cuirassiers , Tilly ' s infantry had remained stationary , but then the cavalry on his right charged the Saxon cavalry and routed it towards Eilenburg . There may have been confusion in the imperial command at seeing Pappenheim ’ s charge ; in their assessment of the battle , military historians have wondered if Pappenheim precipitated an attempted double envelopment , or if he followed Tilly ’ s preconceived plan . At any rate , recognizing an opportunity , Tilly sent the majority of his infantry against the remaining Saxon forces in an oblique march diagonally across his front . Thwarting the Imperial attack . As Tilly was ordering his infantry to march ahead diagonally to the right , looking to roll up the Swedish line on its abandoned left flank , Gustavus reordered his second line , under the capable and steady General Gustav Horn , into an array at a right angle to the front , in a maneuver known as " refusing the line . " With this maneuver , the Swedish line developed a strong angle , anchored in the new center under General Lennart Torstenson , whose men were able to deliver an artillery barrage with an overwhelmingly high rate of fire for the era . Tilly ' s right flank cavalry preceded his infantry across the field . Except for his musketeers , the infantry had yet to engage . Tilly ' s seventeen Tercio s could only angle across the field . Tercios cannot turn easily , owing to the length of pikes extending through the faces of the essentially square formations . As they advanced obliquely , it left the Swedish right uncovered and free . Annihilation of the Imperial force . While this was taking place , the Swedish cavalry re - formed , and , preceded by the Finnish light cavalry ( Hakkapeliitta s ) , which Gustavus led personally , attacked across the former front to capture the Imperial artillery , followed in short succession by Banér ' s heavy cavalry and three regiments of infantry . This not only freed the Swedish field guns from an ongoing artillery duel , but allowed Gustavus ' s cross - trained cavalry to turn the captured Imperial guns upon Tilly ' s seventeen own Tercios , now outflanked and badly out of position . Gustavus ’ soldiers redeployed the captured artillery into a new line and angled so it could fire on the Catholic forces . Its position lay slightly to the rear of the Catholics on what had become the extreme right flank of a developing infantry battle . The unwieldy Catholic infantry was trapped in a crossfire of grazing artillery balls which were aimed to bounce and careen into the rank and files between knee and shoulder height — killing and wounding dozens with each ball . With these guns cutting into one end of Tilly ' s line , and the Swedish center showing no signs of breaking , the exchange of gunfire soon wore down the Imperial troops , and their lines ground to a halt against Horn ' s infantry . After several hours of punishment , nearing sunset , the Catholic line finally broke . Tilly was injured twice by a so - called " piece of battle " — artillery propelled debris , such as a careering pikehead . Although the first time he remounted his horse , the second wound was more severe ; unconscious , he was carted off to safety under the cover of night during the ensuing retreat , which quickly became a rout as the Catholic forces reached the nearby woods . The totally disorganized and demoralized Imperial and Catholic League force effectively lost all cohesion with the fall of night , and the desertion rate was consequently higher than the battle losses themselves . In effect , Gustav had entirely destroyed the only army the Catholics had in the field , placing the Imperial side on the defensive . After the battle , Gustav moved on Halle , following the same track that Tilly had taken coming east to enforce the Edict of Restitution on the Electorate of Saxony . Two days later Gustav ' s forces captured another 3 , 000 men after a brief skirmish at Merseburg , and took Halle two days after that . Aftermath . The outcome of the battle had a significant impact , in the short , intermediate , and long term . In the short term , the Catholic and Imperial forces were significantly hampered by the loss of most of the force . The totality of the victory confirmed Gustav ' s military innovations , and guaranteed that the Swedes would remain engaged in the war for the foreseeable future . In the long term , the significant loss of force , the shift in command , the realignment of alliances creating a strong Protestant , or anti - Imperial force , required the Emperor and the Protestant and Catholic princes , to rethink on the operational conduct of the warfare , and the diplomatic avenues they would pursue prior to using armed force . Short term impact : Command decisions and rebuilding the Imperial army . After the battle , the Catholic League or " Imperial army " under Tilly could field an army of only 7 , 000 men . The army had to be rebuilt . Gustavus Adolphus , on the other hand , had a larger army after the battle than before . The battle ' s outcome had the political effect of convincing Protestant German states to join his cause . Finally , with the seventy - two year old Tilly ' s recovery far from certain ( and he did indeed die within six months while crossing the Lech river ) , and with no alternative commander at hand , Emperor Ferdinand II had no choice but to rehire Wallenstein . Intermediate impact : Gustav ' s military innovations . His success against the well - trained Imperial and League forces at Breitenfeld endorsed Gustav ' s linear tactics . In traditional battle tactics , the cavalry lined up on either side of the primary infantry force , theoretically protecting its flanks , but in actuality , cavalry would attempt to drive off the opposing force , leaving the infantry ’ s flank exposed . Gustav mixed infantry heavily weighted with musketeers among the cavalry in their " starting positions " on the flanks . As opposing cavalry attacked , the musketeers could pick them off , long before the cavalryman ’ s pistols could be useful . The thinner pike wall sufficiently prevented breakage of the line , but it could also be easily shifted , to allow Gustav ’ s cavalry to pass through . Normally detached infantry would be easily run down , but by being placed in the midst of the cavalry , if the opposing force did charge , they would do so right into the Swedish cavalry ' s own pistols . It was Gustavus ' policy to have each arm support the other , so demonstrating an early appreciation of the benefits of combined arms tactics , though long before the term was coined . In the traditional square , muskets at the rear or sides of the formation could not fire effectively due to the ranks in front . The Dutch had thinned out their formations into battalions to place more men at the front . After set - backs in wars against Poland , Gustavus Adolphus converted his formations into rectangles only six ranks deep ( as opposed to ten or more ) . This became known as a linear formation , where the infantry was grouped in brigades , and in historical terms , by one modification or another , it persisted in warfare to World War II . Additionally , whereas the typical pike - and - shot formation placed the shot on the flanks of a full pike square , to overcome the friendly fire issue , Gustav placed most of the shot at the front , with the pike at the sides strictly in support , with a smattering of pike to keep charging cavalry at bay . In the common " tercio " of the day , the ratio of pikes to shot was generally about 2 : 1 ; Gustavus ' armies were recast to ratios between 3 : 2 and sometimes approached 1 : 1 — giving his forces a much greater amount of long - range firepower . Along the same line of " rate of fire " thinking , he placed small cannons , so - called infantry gun s , among the units . These were mobile , lightweight three - pound brass cannon , by some called the first field artillery . Loaded with canister or grapeshot , they enabled units to devastate the enemy . At long ranges , they fired solid shot aimed to bounce through the enemy ' s ranks doing nearly as much damage . The integration of small cannons among infantry gave his battalions cannon support even if they became separated from the main force , or if they were away from the massed artillery at the center of the field . These changes made Gustav ' s formations easier to maneuver on the battlefield ; the line formations he fielded could easily turn to face a new direction , compared to the squares Tilly and the Saxon Elector had been using — where the line of march was typically fixed ( or else the unit would spear each other in turning the unwieldy pikes ) , once a unit took up positions in the field — his forces were able to change facings and march a different direction . Gustav ' s main formations could be re - aligned , even under fire , and even those where his mixed units used his concept of combined arms , although at the cost of some confusion while the pikemen reformed on the shot ' s flanks , the cavalry paraded back around and came up again . Long term consequences : realignment of alliances and extension of Swedish influence into Germany . Gustav ' s success encouraged several other princes to join the cause of the Swedish king and his few allies . By the month ' s end , Hannover , the Hessian dukes , Brandenburg and Saxony were officially aligned against the empire , and France had agreed to provide substantially greater funding for Gustav ' s armies . Although Gustav was killed a year later at the Battle of Lützen , the military strength of the alliance had been secured through the addition of new armies . Even when Swedish leadership faltered , it did not fail , and the influx of French gold insured that the hostilities could continue . The reconstituted Imperial and Catholic League forces and the opposition forces were so evenly matched that neither side could force a concession from the other . Wallenstein ' s efforts to negotiate a conclusion to the conflict ended in his own conviction of treason , and his assassination . This realization , confirmed at Westphalia fundamentally changed the balance of power within the Holy Roman Empire . Battlefield today . The battlefield today is bisected by the A14 autobahn , which slices through the fields where the majority of the action occurred , between the original position of Tilly , at Breitenfeld , and the original positions of the Swedes and Saxons , around Podelwitz . In the eastern portion of the village of Breitenfeld stands a monument to Gustav Adolf and the victory his army accomplished there in 1631 . It was erected in 1831 on the two hundredth anniversary of the battle and bears the following inscription :