Second Hand Von Nordlingen bis Jankau

Lothar Hobelt’s substantial study of Imperial strategy and warfare during the later stages of the Thirty Years’ War, covering the crucial period from the Imperial victory at Nördlingen in 1634 to the defeat at Jankau in 1645.

Following the death of Gustavus Adolphus and Wallenstein, the conflict entered a new phase in which the Habsburg monarchy appeared briefly to have regained the strategic initiative. Hobelt examines how the Imperial armies attempted to exploit the victory at Nordlingen, the intervention of France, the changing balance of power within the Holy Roman Empire and the increasingly effective campaigns of Sweden.

The work follows Imperial operations across Germany and the Habsburg lands, examining command, military planning, logistics, alliances and the conduct of campaigns. Among the subjects covered are the aftermath of Nordlingen, the campaigns of 1635–36, the French intervention, fighting on multiple fronts, the changing fortunes of the Imperial army and the escalating confrontation with Sweden.

Particular attention is paid to the strategic decisions of the Imperial commanders and their opponents, culminating in the Battle of Jankau in 1645, where Lennart Torstensson's Swedish army inflicted a major defeat on the Imperial forces. The study considers why the strategic position that appeared so favourable to the Emperor after Nordlingen ultimately deteriorated during the following decade.

Extensively illustrated with contemporary portraits, paintings, engravings, maps, fortification plans and campaign diagrams, this is a detailed German-language study of one of the most important phases of the Thirty Years’ War.

Published in Vienna by the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum in 2016, this is Band 22 of the museum's Schriftenreihe and comprises 501 pages.