Bernard of Saxe-Weimar (16 August 1604-18 July 1639) was the Prince of Saxe-Weimar and a general on the Protestant side of the Thirty Years' War.
Biography[]
Bernard of Saxe-Weimar was born in Weimar, Saxe-Weimar, Germany in 1604, the eleventh son of Johann of Saxe-Weimar. He served under Ernst von Mansfeld at the 1622 Battle of Mingolsheim and later fought at the Battle of Wimpfen and the Battle of Stadtlohn, after which he fought alongside King Christian IV of Denmark. After a severe defeat at Holstein in 1627, Bernard entered the service of the United Provinces, fighting in the Dutch Revolt against Spain. He went on to become colonel of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden's life guard, and he distinguished himself at the Battle of the Alte Veste and the Battle of Lutzen, at which Gustavus was killed. In 1633, he and Gustav Horn invaded Bavaria, and he was made Duke of Franconia. In 1634, he lost the best of the Swedish army at the First Battle of Nordlingen. He entered the service of France in 1635, winning at Rheinfelden, Freiburg, and Breisach. He died of illness in 1639.