I went through his battle record and it's... not impressive, to put it lightly. Here are all of the battles he fought, and their results.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storming_of_Kristianopel - Victory because he outnumbered his enemy 1,500 to 300https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vittsj%C3%B6 - Defeat and rout of the Swedish armyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Gdov - Pyrrhic victory of several thousand mercenaries over few hundred Russian peasant militiahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Pskov_(1615) - Defeat and destruction of the Swedish army in Russia. Of 16,000 Swedes, only 4,500 survived.https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bel%C3%A4gringen_av_Riga_(1621) - Victory of 19,000 Swedish soldiers over 4,000 Riga townspeoplehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wallhof - One of his two impressive victories, Swedes outnumbered 2 to 1 rout the Polish army.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gniew - Questionable "battle" where Swedish and Polish armies of similar size skirmish, but Poles withdraw. Counted as a battle victory by western Europe.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dirschau - Same thing, but Swedes outnumber Poles.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Trzciana - Embarrassing defeat where 4,500 Poles with no guns overrun 6,800 Swedes with 18 gunshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Breitenfeld_(1631) - His other impressive victory. Everyone knows about this battle already.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rain - Victory of the Swedish army over an army they outnumber 2 to 1. For cannons they outnumber 4 to 1.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_L%C3%BCtzen_(1632) - He gets killed and dies. Swedes suffer more casualties than the army they defeated. Counted as a victory by western Europe.
So the final tally: 6 victories 3 "victories" 3 defeats. Being generous, 9-3. That looks like a good record in comparison to other overrated generals like Frederick the Great who have even worse records, 12-6-2, but stack up against real geniuses like Julius Caesar, 20-3-2, and the difference is clear.
At this time, due to new technologies, the nature of battle was changing very quickly and radically, and tipping conventional military wisdom on it's head.I'm not making excuses, just pointing out, this is a period much like WW1 where maybe even brilliant commanders might be forced to "muddle through."It's not at all fair to compare records like that between commanders during different periods of military technology. Especially commanders in the early stages of a military revolution.
>>13318725Didn't this guy just move his troops forward until they made it close enough to the enemy so they can have hand to hand combat?
>>13318725He's more remembered because of the innovations he brought rather than for his crushing victories
Stop posting Tilly, you can't unlose breitenfeld
Swedes need someone to rep them.
>>13318725>and it's... not impressive, to put it lightly.leddit moment
