Battle of Lund - Aftermath

Aftermath

Although the bodies were counted the next day, the original notes have been lost and the exact death toll is unknown. Contemporary Swedish sources indicate between 8,300 and 9,000 bodies on the battlefield, excluding the Danish that drowned and all the soldiers that died from their wounds over the following weeks. One contemporary Danish source talks about a total of 9,300 dead. Considering the size of the armies, these losses are very high on both sides. The Dutch marines were exceptionally unfortunate; according to various sources, only several dozens out of the 1,300 survived. The Battle of Lund severely crippled both armies, and is known to be one of the bloodiest battles in the history of mankind, when taking into consideration the casualties in comparison to the total number of combatants.

The Swedish victory is often attributed to the composition of their army, as it contained far fewer mercenaries. The Swedish habit of mixing cavalry and infantry also made it possible for the Swedes to mount swift counter attacks as soon as a friendly infantry unit buckled. The Danish on the other hand, still used the caracole tactic, undermining the speed and agility of their cavalry.

The victory at Lund served as an immense morale boost to the Swedish army. Charles XI was criticized for getting carried away by his success on the right flank, but the battle had nonetheless made him popular with his own troops. The remaining Danish forces were forced to retreat to the fortress of Landskrona. Reinforced by their Austrian and German allies, they would once again meet the Swedish army at the Battle of Landskrona.