Killing Ground

The song is clearly about the battle of Fraustadt in 1706, a decisive Swedish victory in the Great Northern War (1700-1721). The battle was decisive in in ending the Polish campaign of Charles XII (Carolus Rex). The opposing sides consisted of almost 10 000 Swedish Caroleans, mostly cavalry, led by famous (infamous) Swedish lieutenant general Carl Gustaf Rehnskiöld, facing a Saxon-Russian force totaling more than 20 000, plus several dozen cannons, all under the command of Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg.

It was Rehnskiöld who, in spite of the threatening odds, decided to attack the enemy, instead of retreating to the main army led by Charles XII himself. In deploying for the battle, Rehnskiöld and his experienced Caroleans ensured almost every advantage. As the battle begn early in the february morning, Rehnskiöld siezed the initiative. He attacked on both flanks simultaneously, and soon followed up with a full on attack in the center. Although the enenmy enjoyed the benefits from being on the defese (granting full use of cannons and cover), the Carolean cavalry eventually broke through both flanks and surounded the infantry, now being engaged in meele with the Swedish line infantry (standard Carolean procedure). Although their numerical advantage worked in their favour, it was not sustainable to fight in all directions for very long. Many were captured, the rest fled.

Rehnskiöld's army counted about 400 dead and 1000 wounded, whereas the Saxons and Russians had over 7000 dead and around 7500 that were captured by the Swedish forces in the ending phase of the battle. It is considered a perfect use of Hanibal's tectics used at Cannae, surrounding the enemy with a numerically inferior army by defeating their flank protection. Had the same been possible if the Swedish army had consisted of less cavalry and more infantry? My guess is that it would be difficult to go on the offensive without control of the flanks, but then again, the Caroleans sure could hold their own in battle. The Carolean doctrine was an offensice one, and in battles such as Narwa (1700), the infantry carried the day in spite of the odds being stacked against them.

The song also refrences the alleged massacre of around 500 Russian POWs that is supposed to have taken place after the battle. According to contemporary sources, it was authorized by Rehnskiöld himself. Some claim that he believed the Russians had turned their coats the other way in order to escape prolonged imprisonment (as the Saxons were about to be thoroughly defeated and a peace presumably would follow), whereas they actually had been ordered to do so to avoid confusion and friendly fire between the Saxons and themselves. Rehnskiöld later denied giving that order (while himself being a POW in Russia).

This song is about the battle of Breitenfeld, the biggest battle of the 3rd period of the Thirty Years war, ended as decisive Swedish victory. The Swedish and Saxon army faced the army of the Habsburg Catholic League led by Tilly, the saxons retreated from the battle as soon as it began, but better equipment, leadership and morality of the swedes led to their victory. Historically, it was an absolutely insignificant battle, but a glorious one for Sweden.