Editing Johan Banér

{{Short description|Swedish field marshal (1596–1641)}}
{{Infobox military person
| name          = Johan Banér
| birth_date    = 23 June 1596
| death_date    = 10 May 1641 (aged 44)
| birth_place   = [[Djursholm|Djursholm Castle]], [[Sweden]]
| death_place   = [[Halberstadt]], [[Electorate of Saxony|Saxony]]
| image         = File:Johan Banér (1596-1641).jpg
| image_size    = 280
| caption       = Johan Banér
| nickname      = 
| allegiance    = [[Sweden]]
| branch        = [[Swedish Army]]
| serviceyears  = 1615–1641
| rank          = [[Field Marshal]]
| commands      = 
| unit          = 
| battles       = [[Ingrian War]]<br/>[[Polish–Swedish War (1621–1625)]]<br/>[[Polish–Swedish War (1626–1629)]]<br/>[[Thirty Years' War]]
| awards        = 
| laterwork     = [[Privy Council of Sweden|Privy Councillor]]
}}
[[File:Dankaerts-Historis-9332.tif|thumb|Engraving of Johan Banér]]

'''Johan Banér''' (23 June 1596 – 10 May 1641) was a [[Sweden|Swedish]] [[field marshal]] in the [[Thirty Years' War]].

==Early life==
Johan Banér was born at [[Djursholm|Djursholm Castle]] in [[Uppland]]. As a four-year-old he was forced to witness the execution of his father, the [[Privy Council of Sweden|Privy Councillour]] [[Gustaf Banér]], and uncle, [[Sten Axelsson Banér]] (also a Privy Councillour), at the [[Linköping Bloodbath]] in 1600, due to accusations of high treason by King [[Charles IX of Sweden|Charles IX]] because of their support of King [[Sigismund III Vasa|Sigismund]]. Though it was the father of King [[Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden|Gustavus Adolphus]] who had Banér's father executed, the two men developed a strong friendship from an early age, mostly due to Gustavus Adolphus reinstating the Banér family shortly after his coronation.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}}<!--For the whole paragraph-->

==Military career==
Banér joined the [[Swedish Army]] in 1615, and distinguished himself during the Swedish [[Siege of Pskov (1615)|Siege of Pskov]].{{citation needed|date=October 2012}}

He served with distinction in wars against [[Russia]] and [[Poland]], and had reached the rank of [[colonel]]{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} by the age of 25.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}}

In 1630, Gustavus Adolphus landed in [[Germany]] to assist German Protestant forces in the Thirty Years War, and, as one of the king's chief subordinates, Banér served in the campaign of north Germany, including leading the right wing of [[Swedish cavalry]] at the first [[Battle of Breitenfeld (1631)|Battle of Breitenfeld]]. He was present at the taking of [[Augsburg]] and [[Munich]], and rendered conspicuous service at the [[Battle of Rain|Lech]] and at [[Donauwörth]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

At the unsuccessful assault on [[Albrecht von Wallenstein]]'s camp at the [[Alte Veste]], Banér received a wound, and soon afterwards, when Gustavus marched towards [[Lützen, Germany|Lützen]], was left in command in the west, where he opposed the imperial general [[Johann von Aldringen]]. Two years later, as Swedish field marshal, Banér, with 16,000 men, entered [[Bohemia]] and, combining with the Saxon army, marched on [[Prague]]. However, the complete defeat of [[Bernard of Saxe-Weimar]] in the first [[Battle of Nördlingen (1634)|Battle of Nördlingen]] stopped his victorious advance.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

After this event, the [[peace of Prague (1635)|Peace of Prague]] placed the Swedish army in a very precarious position, but the victories won by the united forces of  Banér and [[Alexander Leslie]] at [[Battle of Wittstock|Wittstock]] (4 October 1636), restored the paramount influence of Sweden in central Germany.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} Banér, in his report to [[Christina, Queen of Sweden|Queen Christina]] on the battle of Wittstock, stated the following: "[My soldiers] would have fallen into total disorder if Field-Marshal Leslie with the five brigades of foot which he had with him during the battle had not assisted us just in time and manfully attacked and turned 4 brigades of the enemy’s infantry away from us so that we could finally gain our breath".<ref>[https://www.academia.edu/2441539/Steve_Murdoch_Kathrin_Zickermann_and_Adam_Marks_The_Battle_of_Wittstock_1636_Conflicting_Reports_on_a_Swedish_Victory_in_Germany_in_Northern_Studies_43_2012_pp.71-109 Steve Murdoch, Kathrin Zickermann and Adam Marks, ‘The Battle of Wittstock 1636: Conflicting Reports on a Swedish Victory in Germany’ in Northern Studies, 43 (2012), pp.71-109]</ref>{{sfn|Oxenstierna|1888|pp=856-866}}

However, the three combined armies were considerably inferior in force to those they had defeated, and in 1637 Banér was unable to make headway against the enemy. Rescuing with great difficulty the beleaguered garrison of [[Torgau]], he retreated beyond the [[Oder]] into [[Swedish Pomerania|Pomerania]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

In 1639, however, he again overran northern [[Germany]], defeated the [[Electorate of Saxony|Saxons]] at [[Battle of Chemnitz|Chemnitz]] and invaded [[Bohemia]] itself. The winter of 1640–1641 Banér spent in the west. His last achievement was an audacious ''[[coup de main]]'' on the [[Danube]]. Breaking camp in mid-winter (a very rare event in the 17th century), he united with the [[France|French]] under the [[Jean-Baptiste Budes, Comte de Guébriant|Comte de Guébriant]] and surprised [[Regensburg]], where the [[Diet (assembly)|Diet]] was sitting. Only the break-up of the ice prevented the capture of the place. Banér thereupon had to retreat to [[Halberstadt]]. Here, on 10 May 1641, he died, possibly due to advanced [[liver cirrhosis]] caused by his excessive alcohol consumption,<ref name=Englund>[[Peter Englund]], 'Ofredsår: Om den svenska stormakstiden och en man i dess mitt', Atlantis (1993)</ref> after designating [[Lennart Torstenson]] as his successor. He was much beloved by his men, who bore his body with them on the field of [[Battle of Wolfenbüttel|Wolfenbüttel]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} On the other hand, the enemies of Sweden rejoiced and a parody requiem hoping that he was burning in hell was even composed in [[Bohemia]], which had been badly pillaged by Banér.<ref name=Englund /> He was buried at the [[Riddarholmen Church]] in [[Stockholm]].<ref>Åstrand, Göran; Aunver, Kristjan (1999), 'Här vilar berömda svenskar: uppslagsbok och guide'. Bromma: Ordalaget. p. 20.</ref>

==Assessment==
Banér as a general achieved his best results during the reign of Queen Christina under the command of Axel Oxenstierna. Because it can be claimed there were different reasons for victory in the Swedish victory at Wittstock (as testified by his differing reports of 1636 and 1640) the battle of Chemnitz may well have been his finest hour. He reputedly declined tempting offers that were made to him by the emperor to induce him to enter his service.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

==Family==
In 1623, Banér married Catharina Elisabeth von [[Pfuel]] (1598–1636), [[Lady in waiting]] of [[Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg|Maria Eleonora of Sweden]] and daughter of Adam von Pfuel zu Johansfelde und Vichel and his wife, Barbara von Burgsdorff. She died on 20. February 1636. On 25. July 1636 Banér married Countess [[Elisabet Juliana Banér|Elisabeth Juliana]] von [[Erbach im Odenwald#History|Erbach]] (1600–1640), widow of Count Count Georg Ludwig von [[Löwenstein-Wertheim|Löwenstein-Scharfeneck]] (1587–1633) and daughter of [[George III, Count of Erbach-Breuberg]] and his wife, Countess Maria von [[Barby, Germany#History|Barby-Mühlingen]] (1563–1619). After the death of his second wife, he married for the third time to [[Margrave|Margravine]] Johanna von [[Baden-Durlach]] (1623–1661). He had children only with his first wife. His son from his first marriage, Gustaf Adam (1624–1681) received the dignity of [[Count]] Banér af Sortavala.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== General and cited references ==
* {{Cite book |first=Axel |last=Oxenstierna |title=Rikskansleren Axel Oxenstiernas Skrifter och Brefvexling |edition=Second Series, 13 vol. |location=Stockholm |date=1888 |volume=VI |pages=856–866}}

'''Attribution:'''
*{{EB1911|wstitle=Banér, Johan |volume=3|page=313}}

==External links==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Baner, Johan}}
[[Category:1596 births]]
[[Category:1641 deaths]]
[[Category:17th-century Swedish politicians]]
[[Category:Field marshals of Sweden]]
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of Sweden]]
[[Category:Swedish military personnel of the Thirty Years' War]]
[[Category:People from Danderyd Municipality]]
[[Category:Swedish nobility]]