Battle of Höchst

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Battle of Höchst
Part of Thirty Years' War
Battle near Höchst, engraving by Merian
Date June 22, 1622 Location Höchst, west of Frankfurt Result Strategic Catholic victory
Combatants
Protestants	Holy Roman Empire, Catholic League
Commanders
Christian of Brunswick	Count of Tilly, Fernández de Córdoba
Strength
12,000	app. 25,000
Casualties
2,000	Minimal

Thirty Years' War

Plzeň – Záblati – Dolní Věstonice – White Mountain – Wiesloch – Wimpfen – Höchst – Fleurus – Stadtlohn – Dessau Bridge – Lutter am Barenberge – Stralsund – Wolgast – Frankfurt – Magdeburg – Werben – 1st Breitenfeld – Rain – Fürth – Alte Veste – Lützen – Oldendorf – Nördlingen – Wittstock – Rheinfelden – Breisach – Chemnitz – Honnecourt – 2nd Breitenfeld – Rocroi – Tuttlingen – Freiburg – Jüterbog – Jankov – Mergentheim – 2nd Nördlingen – Zusmarshausen – Lens – Prague

The Battle of Höchst was fought on June 22, 1622 between the combined army led by Johan Tzerclaes, Count of Tilly, and Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba and Protestant forces led by Christian of Brunswick.

Continuing their mission of blocking a rendezvous between the Count of Mansfeld and Christian of Brunswick at the Main, the Catholic forces reached the river at Höchst on June 22 to find Christian's army bridging the river. In command of roughly 12,000 men and little artillery, Christian found himself outnumbered nearly two to one, and at a loss of position. His reaction was to set up a bridgehead and force the crossing of his troops under heavy Catholic musket and artillery fire. He succeeded in linking with Mansfeld at a cost of roughly 2,000 men and most of his baggage. Córdoba and Tilly claimed victory based on the fact that they had fewer losses despite the fact that Brunswick had succeeded in his mission.

Höchst would be the final battle for the Palatinate and the impending actions of Mansfeld and Christian would signal the end for "The Winter King" Frederick V. Shortly after the battle, the combined Protestant forces, now numbering 25,000 strong, comparable to the Catholics in numbers, would position themselves on the western bank of the Rhine River. Heidelberg shortly thereafter came under siege and despite an 11-week stand, fell on September 19, 1622. On this news, the token English forces under Sir Horace Vere evacuated Mannheim and moved to the fortress of Frankenthal which served as a final outpost for Protestant resistance in this area. It would fall the following year.