The Thirty Years' War had hitherto been…

The Thirty Years' War had hitherto been confined to opposing factions of the Holy Roman Empire, but with the participation of Christian IV now extends to other European powers, though Christian, as Duke of Holstein, is not a complete foreigner.

As a Lutheran, Christian has allied with Mansfeld in a military campaign he plans to start in Thuringia in central Germany, and then take to its south.

His intention is to bring relief to German Protestants, who had been severely defeated a few weeks earlier in the Battle of Dessau Bridge.

Christian has at his disposal from nineteen thousand to twenty-five thousand men, and had at first gained some successes, but he has not thoroughly planned the advance against the combined forces of the Holy Roman Emperor and the Catholic League, as promises of military support from the Netherlands and England fail to materialize.

Tilly succeeds in drawing Christian's army to Lutter am Barenberge (in present-day Germany) and forcing it into open battle.

The imperial infantry breaks through the Danish line on three occasions but each time is repulsed by a cavalry counterattack.

However, eventually the Danish army is no longer able to maintain its ground and when its entire artillery falls into the hands of the enemy, panic sets in and the Danes retreat towards the town of Stade.

The Danish losses are approximately six thousand dead and twenty-five hundred prisoners.

The battle, an irreparable blow to Christian IV and Denmark, forces the Protestant German princes to sue for peace.

Ferdinand could end the war now and be satisfied with Imperial Catholic gains; instead, he will soon issue the Edict of Restitution, which will bring Sweden into the war.