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TORSTENSSON, LENNART, COUNT (1603–1651)

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Originally appearing in Volume V27, Page 64 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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TORSTENSSON, LENNART, See also:COUNT (1603–1651) , See also:Swedish soldier, son of Torsten Lennartsson, commandant of Elfsborg, was See also:born at Forstena in Vestergotland. At the See also:age of fifteen he became one of the pages of the See also:young Gustavus See also:Adolphus and served during the Prussian See also:campaigns of 1628-29. In 1629 he was set over the Swedish See also:artillery, which under his guidance materially contributed to the victories of See also:Breitenfeld (1631) and See also:Lech (1632). The same See also:year he was taken prisoner at Alte Veste and shut up for nearly a year at See also:Ingolstadt. Under See also:Baner he rendered distinguished service at the See also:battle of Wittstock (1636) and during the energetic See also:defence of See also:Pomerania in 1637-38, as well as at the battle of See also:Chemnitz (1638) and in the See also:raid into Bohemia in 1639. Illness compelled him to return to See also:Sweden in 1641, when he was made a senator. The sudden See also:death of Baner in May 1641 recalled Torstensson to See also:Germany as generalissimo of the Swedish forces and See also:governor-See also:general of Pomerania. He was at the same See also:time promoted to the See also:rank of See also:field See also:marshal. The See also:period of his command (1641–1645) forms one of the most brilliant chapters in the military See also:history of Sweden. In 1642 he marched through See also:Brandenburg and See also:Silesia into See also:Moravia, taking all the See also:principal fortresses on his way. On returning through See also:Saxony he well nigh annihilated the imperialist See also:army at the second battle of Breitenfeld (Oct. 23, 1642).

In 1643 he invaded Moravia for the second time, but was suddenly recalled to invade See also:

Denmark, when his rapid and unexpected intervention paralysed the Danish defence on the See also:land See also:side, though Torstensson's own position in See also:Jutland was for a time See also:precarious owing to the skilful handling of the Danish See also:fleet by See also:Christian IV. In 1644 he led his army for the third time into the See also:heart of Germany and routed the imperialists at Juterbog (Nov. 23). At the beginning of See also:November 1645 he See also:broke into Bohemia, and the brilliant victory of Jankow (Feb. 24, 1645) laid open before him the road to See also:Vienna. Yet, though one end of the See also:Danube See also:bridge actually See also:fell into his hands, his exhausted army was unable to penetrate any farther and, in See also:December the same year, Torstensson, crippled by See also:gout, was forced to resign his command and return to Sweden. In 1647 he was created a count. From 1648 to 1651 he ruled all the western provinces of Sweden, as governor-general. On his death at See also:Stockholm (See also:April 7, 1651) he was buried solemnly in the Riddarholmskyrka, the See also:Pantheon of Sweden. Torstensson was remarkable for the extraordinary and incalculable rapidity of his movements, though very frequently he had to See also:lead the army in a See also:litter, as his bodily infirmities would not permit him to See also:mount his See also:horse. He was also the most scientific artillery officer and the best and most successful engineer in the Swedish army. His son, Senator Count Anders Torstensson (1641–1686), was from 1674 to 1681 governor-general of See also:Esthonia.

The See also:

family became See also:extinct on the See also:sword-side in 1727. See J. W. de Peyster, History of the See also:Life of L. Torstensson (See also:Poughkeepsie, 1855) ; J. Feil, Torstensson before Vienna (trans. by de Peyster, New See also:York, 1885) ; Gustavus III., Eulogy of Torstensson (trans. by de Peyster, New York, 1872). (R. N.

End of Article: TORSTENSSON, LENNART, COUNT (1603–1651)

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