Henri, Viscount of Turenne During a period of the Thirty Years' War, the commander of the French armies in Germany was Henri, Viscount of Turenne, an experienced soldier. Joining him to help retake Freiburg was Belgium's Duke of Enghien. © Kean Collection—Archive Photos/Getty Images. (more) Battle of Freiburg European history [1644] Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Print Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Freiburg-1644 Feedback Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by Jacob F. Field Jacob F. Field is an early modern historian based at the University of Cambridge. Jacob F. Field Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Nov 25, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question Quick Facts Date: August 3, 1644 - August 9, 1644 (Show more) Location: Germany (Show more) Participants: France Holy Roman Empire (Show more) Context: Thirty Years’ War (Show more) See all related content The struggle for the German city of Freiburg, fought over three days in August 1644 between French and Bavarian-imperial armies, was one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the Thirty Years’ War. Although the French suffered heavier casualties, they forced a retreat and went on to gain mastery of the middle Rhine region.

　　Following the French victory at the Battle of Rocroi, preliminary peace talks had begun in 1643, but fighting carried on regardless. In the summer of 1644, the Bavarian-imperial armies under Field Marshal Franz von Mercy had gone on the offensive in the Rhine and taken the French stronghold of Freiburg on July 29. The commander of the French armies in Germany was Marshal Henri, Viscount of Turenne, an experienced soldier. Joining him to help retake Freiburg was Belgium’s Louis II de Bourbon, the Duke of Enghien. Together they commanded 20,000, outnumbering von Mercy by 3,500.

　　Thirty Years’ War Events keyboard_arrow_left

　　Eighty Years’ War 1568 - 1648

　　Battle of White Mountain November 8, 1620

　　Battle of Dessau April 25, 1626

　　Sack of Magdeburg November 1630 - May 20, 1631

　　Battle of Breitenfeld September 17, 1631

　　Battle of Lützen November 16, 1632

　　Battle of Nördlingen September 5, 1634 - September 6, 1634

　　Battle of Wittstock October 4, 1636

　　Battle of Rocroi May 19, 1643

　　Battle of Freiburg August 3, 1644 - August 9, 1644 keyboard_arrow_right Von Mercy’s cavalry was in poor condition, so he decided to conduct an infantry-based defense on the earthworks and wooded high ground around Freiburg. At 5:00 p.m. on August 3, the French launched a frontal assault against the first line of von Mercy’s fortifications. The French ended the day in control of the field, but had taken heavy casualties. Von Mercy pulled his forces back, but they were able to entrench their new positions on August 4 because the French were exhausted.

　　On August 5 the French attacked, but they were again forced back at the cost of 4,000 killed or wounded. Von Mercy’s army was too tired to counterattack, and Enghien summoned 5,000 reinforcements. The French moved to attack Freiburg again on August 9. Von Mercy, sensing the danger, withdrew and was able to retreat without any great losses under pressure from the French. The battle was inconclusive overall, though modern historians generally consider it a French tactical defeat, and a costly one at that.