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A year and three months had passed since
Gustaf Adolf had disembarked on the Pomeranian shore, and still no
decisive battle had taken place. The Swedish and Saxon armies numbered
about 39,000 soldiers and 75 cannon, while the forces of the Emperor and
the League comprised only 36,000 soldiers and 26 cannon. Nevertheless,
Tilly counted on Gustaf Adolf's numerical superiority being
counterbalanced by the quality of his troops. 16,000 raw Saxon recruits
were no match for his own well-trained forces. Marching out from the city
of Leipzig, Tilly positioned his army on an eminence on the plain to the
right of the village of Breitenfeld, 2 km (1.2 miles) from the Loberbach
stream. The Swedish army crossed the stream and attacked, while Tilly
watched and did nothing. As a result, the fierce battle ended with the
defeat of the Imperial forces. Seriously wounded, Tilly barely escaped
death and retreated to Halle. His captured infantry went over to the
Swedish side, making the Swedish army stronger after the battle than it
had been beforehand.
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