Battle of Prague (1648)

Battle of Prague
Part of the Thirty Years' War
Swedes on the Charles Bridge. A diorama created in 1891 by brothers Karel and Adolf Liebscher depicts the highlights of stubborn defense of right-bank Prague by students led by the Jesuit Jiří Plachý
Date 25 July – 1 November 1648 Location Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, Habsburg monarchy (now the Czech Republic) 50°05′11″N 14°24′44″E / 50.08639°N 14.41222°E / 50.08639; 14.41222 Result Sack of left-bank part of Prague (incl. the Prague Castle), failure to capture the right bank (Old and New Town) and Swedish retreat
Belligerents
Swedish Empire	Bohemia
Commanders and leaders
Hans Christoff von Königsmarck Prince Carl Gustaf Arvid Wittenberg	Count Rudolph Colloredo-Wallsee Jiří Plachý Hans Georg Kauffer
Strength
c. 7,500 soldiers (unconfirmed), plus 6,000 reinforcements led by Charles X Gustav of Sweden	c. 2,000 soldiers, plus local militia and university students
Casualties and losses
500 dead, 700 wounded	219 dead, 475 wounded

The Battle of Prague, which occurred between 25 July and 1 November 1648 was the last action of the Thirty Years' War. While the negotiations for the Peace of Westphalia were proceeding, the Swedes took the opportunity to mount one last campaign into Bohemia. The main result, and probably the main aim, was to loot the fabulous art collection assembled in Prague Castle by Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (1552–1612), the pick of which was taken down the Elbe in barges and shipped to Sweden.^[1]

After occupying the castle and the western bank of the Vltava for some months, the Swedes stopped assaulting the Old and New Town at the eastern bank when news of the signing of the treaty reached them. They still remained a garrison on the western bank until their final withdrawal on 30 September 1649.

It was the last major clash of the Thirty Years' War, taking place in the city of Prague, where the war originally began 30 years earlier.