Gustavus Adolphus, Sweden and the Thirty Years War, 1630–1632

by Lars Ericson Wolke

As one of the foremost military commanders of the early seventeenth century Gustavus Adophus, king of Sweden, played a vital role in defending the Protestant cause during the Thirty Years War. In the space of two years – between 1630 and 1632 – he turned the course of the war, winning a decisive victory at the Battle of Breitenfeld and conquering large parts of Germany. Yet in English remarkably little has been written about him and no full account of his extraordinary career has been published in recent times. That is why Lars Ericson Wolke’s perceptive and scholarly study is of such value.

The book sets Gustavus in the context of Swedish and European dynastic politics and religious conflict in the early seventeenth century, and describes in detail Swedish military organization and Gustavus’s reforms. His intervention in the Thirty Years War is covered in graphic detail – the decision to intervene, his alliance with France, his campaigns across the breadth of Germany and his generalship at the two major battles he fought there. His exceptional skill as a battlefield commander transformed the fortunes of the Protestant side in the conflict, and he had established himself as a major European figure before his death on the battlefield.

Lars Ericson Wolke, one of the leading experts on the military history of the Baltic and the Thirty Years War, offers a fascinating insight into Gustavus the man and the soldier.

Genres: Biography, History

248 pages, Hardcover

Published March 22, 2022

About the author

Lars Ericson Wolke är professor i historia vid Försvarshögskolan, ledamot av Kungliga Krigsvetenskapsakademien och en välkänd författare och föredragshållare. Han har skrivit ett 25-tal böcker varav flera om svensk stormaktstid.

Reviews

[David C Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short primer on Sweden in the 30 years war, focusing on the military campaigns. It’s fine but I was looking for a biography of Adolphus.

[Matt Pollicove · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be a wandering account of how the 30 Years War affected Gustavus Adolphus as opposed to a true biography.

I admin\t I wanted to read this mostly because of my love of Eric Flint's 1632 alternate history series. I knew his Gustavus would differ from the real thing, but not by as much as I would have thought.

This volume read more like a series of college papers, which, while not a bad thing, left me wanting more. I also felt that the editing could have been a bit better. The author spent too much time talking about times after his reign and how it affected virtually every other age through the late 20th Century.

But it was a good effort, and there is not much material on this interesting man. I'd certainly take another read if this volume were to be revised and expanded.

[Rosemary Pecoraro · Rating 1 out of 5]

A difficult read

I have been wanting to read about the great Gustavus Adolphus since I first heard about him in my college history course during my freshman year in 1964. I finally got around to it recently but I needed to find a Kindle version. So I was very disappointed with a poorly written book about a great man. History should be great storytelling, not just the author writing down his notes in a jumble of words.

[Jorgon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short introduction to Gustavus' campaigns, heavy on tactics and army details. It is a decent overview, but lacks context and analytical depth and is certainly NOT a biography or a cultural/social study. 3 stars for the abundance of military detail hard to find in one place elsewhere.