Battle of Nördlingen (1645)

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This article is about the second Battle of Nördlingen fought in 1645 in Germany as part of the Thirty Years' War. See also Battle of Nördlingen (1634).


Battle of Nördlingen
Part of Thirty Years' War
Date August 3, 1645
Location Alerheim, near Nördlingen, present-day Germany
Result French victory
Belligerents
Flag of France France
Weimar
Flag of Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire
Commanders
Flag of France Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé
Flag of France Vicomte de Turenne
Flag of Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire Franz Baron von Mercy
Johann von Werth
Strength
12,000 12,000
Casualties and losses
5,000 dead or wounded 5,000 dead or wounded

The second Battle of Nördlingen (or Battle of Allerheim) was fought on August 3, 1645 between forces of the Holy Roman Empire and France. An Imperial army, led by Field Marshal Franz von Mercy, were encamped around the village of Alerheim near Nördlingen in Bavaria. It was attacked by a French army under the command of Louis de Bourbon, Duc d'Enghien and Marshal Henri, Vicomte de Turenne. The French won the battle after a bloody struggle in which both sides lost virtually the same number of troops. Von Mercy himself was killed and the Bavarians driven from the field, but the heavy casualties had so weakened the French that they were unable to press home their advantage. In the wake of the battle, the exhausted Bavarians began peace negotiations that led to the Truce of Ulm two years later.