Relief of Konstanz (1633)

Relief of Konstanz
Part of the Thirty Years' War
Feria at Konstanz
Date 7 September – 3 October 1633 (1633-09-07 – 1633-10-03) Location Konstanz Result Imperial-Spanish-Liga Victory
Belligerents
Sweden Heilbronn League	Habsurg Monarchy Spanish Empire Catholic League
Commanders and leaders
Gustav Horn	Duke of Feria Johann von Aldringen[1]
Strength
10,000 Lake Constance Fleet	3,000 garrison 21,000 relief
Casualties and losses
unknown	unknown

The Relief of Konstanz was a battle in 1633, during the Thirty Years' War, between the Swedish and their German allies and the Spanish and the Holy Roman Empire, the resulting battle was a Spanish and Imperialist victory.

This was an attempt by Gustaf Horn to capture the imperial city of Konstanz, in order to encourage the Swiss to join the Swedish alliance against their common enemy, the Austrian Habsburgs.

After the death of Gustavus Adolphus at the Battle of Lützen, the Swedish generals Gustav Horn^[a] and Bernard of Saxe-Weimar^[b] were given command over the Swedish and German armies. In 1633, following victories at Oldendorf and Pfaffenhofen Axel Oxenstierna ordered the Swedes and their German Allies to retake the land lost.Horn and Bernard both decided to invade Bavaria; Horn was to capture Konstanz and Überlingen and attack Bavaria from the south, while Bernard would take Regensburg and invade Bavaria from the north.

In Spain, Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares was worried about Swedish advances in Southern Germany, so he sent Gómez Suárez de Figueroa, 3rd Duke of Feria to relieve Breisach, Konstanz and Bregenz and to retake Rheinfelden. Feria headed from Alsace into Germany. When Bernard and Horns troops meat up at Augsburg a mutiny began which plagued the Swedish army, eventually Horn withdrew back to Strasbourg. Upon hearing of the Spanish Horn began the Siege.

Horn headed south to take the city and on 7 September 1633 and began attacking the city, a gunshot flotilla began bombarding the city. Horn launched a series of costly attempts on the city without much success.^[1]

Feria moved across Württemburg and met up with Johann von Aldringen near Überlingen and advanced to the town, but the Swedes retreated just before Aldringen and Feria could inflict casualties.

After the battle, Horn retreated back into Alsace, while Feria retook Rheinfelden and relieved the besieged Breisach and Bregenz. The Imperial army went into Tyrol, Salzburg, and Styria for the winter, but a large of the army died of plague and frostbite, including Feria. This defeat would only be exploited as one years later; the Spanish general Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand would win a deceive victory at Nördlingen forcing the swedes to withdraw back to Pomerania.

The Italian painter Vicente Carducho would make a painting about the relief of Konstanz.

• Battle of Strasbourg Bridge
• Siege of Rheinfelden (1633)

• Wilson, Peter H. (2009). Europe's Tragedy: A History of the Thirty Years War. Allen Lane. ISBN 978-0-7139-9592-3.