The military and religious struggle between Catholics and Protestants for supremacy in Central Europe (a war that had already been 14 years continuing) was reaching its most crucial stage. The icy and nublosa morning of November 16, 1632, Protestant Gustavo Adolfo II of Sweden and his 19,000 men, and the Catholic forces of Albretch von Wallenstein with nearly 25,000 men, were running towards the plains of Lutzen, northeast of the road of Leipzig (Saxony, Germany current) to decide the final course of the war. Sweden, weeks ago, had achieved a resounding victory at the battle of Breitenfield, where Maj. Gen. of the Catholic League, Johan Tzerclaes, famous Tilly’s had died. Philip II, the Emperor of the Germans States, longed for revenge. And he played even his pride calling Wallenstein, who had dismissed years ago. The Swedish hosts advance was rapid and forceful.

Throughout Saxony, Pomerania, Magdeburg and the Palatinate, had fallen under its control. Gustavo II, a true portent of the Organization and the strategy, had initiated a systematic looting of Catholic property and reinforced Protestant possessions so lose this battle, the Evangelical pre-eminence would be inevitable. Eve, Maj. Gen. German Felipe II, Von Wallenstein, diminished by the gout disease, had ordered, with some desperation, dig trenches and establishing the final order of battle and strategy. Wallenstein, against an enemy of superior skill, knows that fight without more reinforcements would be madness. But the proximity of Sweden forces him to accept a battle that does not want to. At 2 in the morning, Wallenstein sends a message of relief to the general Gottfried Graf von Pappenheim Cologne.

The enemy advances wrote. Dear Lord, let everything else and go with your forces and artillery to help me. You can be here tomorrow morning. (Gustavo of Sweden) is still in the step of Rippach. Pappenhein, for Catholic luck, joins his cause and next to his 8,000 men out of Cologne before dawn to scratch.