Sweden's 1675 Battle of Fehrbellin: The Rise of Brandenburg

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Battle of Fehrbellin (1675), a pivotal clash that marked Sweden's first major defeat on the battlefield since the Thirty Years' War. They discuss how the young Swedish king Charles XI, just 19 years old, faced the emerging military genius of Frederick William of Brandenburg. The battle shattered Sweden's myth of invincibility and exposed the weaknesses of the Carolean army. Lucas details the tactical blunders—Swedish cavalry charges against prepared positions, the failure to secure key terrain—and how Brandenburg's new discipline and artillery turned the tide. They also examine the broader context of the Scanian War and how Fehrbellin set the stage for Sweden's decline as a great power. This episode covers the personalities of Charles XI and Frederick William, the role of field marshal Carl Gustaf Wrangel, and the long-term consequences for Baltic hegemony. A fresh angle in the show's arc, Fehrbellin reveals the limits of Stormaktstiden and the rise of Brandenburg-Prussia.

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