Battle of Dessau Bridge - Preparation For Battle

Preparation For Battle

Albrecht von Wallenstein began his preparation in October and November of 1625 by settling in the Halberstadt-Aschersleben area and extending its borders. Wallenstein and the growing Imperial German army were informed of the approach of Mansfeld and his Danish army. King Christian IV of Denmark had formally entered Denmark into the Thirty Years War. As Mansfeld and his army was commanded to approach Albrecht von Wallenstein at the Dessau Bridge, King Christian IV of Denmark and ally Christian of Brunswick were commanded fight the Catholic army of the Count of Tilly in Upper Austria. Although Christian of Brunswick's defeats at Fleurus, Höchst in 1622, and the Battle of Stadtlohn in 1623 were victorious, the battles diminished his force. Christian of Brunswick and his peasant Protestant army, backing the army of King Christian of Denmark, was soon eliminated by the Catholics due to the weakness of his army and lack of a supporting army from Landgrave when moving into Hesse. Part of the Imperial German army, under the command of Johann von Aldringen, had time prepare heavy artillery and troops for any Protestant threat advancing down the Elbe. Wallenstein and the Imperial Catholic league marched to Dessau, where Mansfeld and the Protestant army would inevitably try to cross in order to reach Magdeburg and the German Catholic League headquarters in Aschersleben. This was Mansfeld's last chance to heal his reputation as an unsuccessful commander of the Danish Protestant army. In Vienna, there was talk of Mansfeld's deposition from his army and replacement by the Italian, Count Collalto, an expert in the art of mercenary leadership.