Battle of Jankau

The Battle of Jankau or Jankov, one of the bloodiest of the Thirty Years' War, was fought on 24 February 1645 in southern Bohemia, some 50 km southeast of Prague, between the army of Sweden and that of the Holy Roman Empire.

The battle proved a decisive Swedish victory, which was largely due to the personal command skills of Lennart Torstensson, and the tactical skill and maneuverability of the Swedish artillery.

Torstensson was intent on recovering those portions of Bohemia and Moravia he had lost to the Imperials during the Danish distraction. Pushing contemptuously past the Imperial forces, the Swedes advanced from Eger, through Budweis and Pilsen toward Tabor in Moravia.

The Emperor had raised such troops as he could and called to Maximillian I for assistance. The combined armies under Götz pursued Torstensson, catching up to him at Jankau near Tabor. On 6 March, 1645, battle was joined.

The forces were nearly evenly matched and the battle was hard fought. In the end, the Imperials were handed a crushing defeat, losing half their forces, their general Götz dead on the field