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The battle of Breitenfeld was fought on September 17, 1631. It was one of the largest and most important battles of the Thirty Years' War. It was the most famous victory of Gustavus Adolphus, Sweden's hero-king. It was the beginning of the Stormaktstiden, Sweden's Age of Empire.

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To help listeners navigate this episode, here is a chapter breakdown (timings are approximate):

1. 01:34-12:13 Introduction

2. 12:15-33:53 Dominium Maris Baltici: the Struggle for the Baltic

3. 33:55-1:13:48 Sweden’s Northern Wars

4. 1:13:50-2:09:45 Seventeenth-Century Warfare

5. 2:09:47-2:46:57 Gustavus Adolphus

6. 2:46:59-3:12:35 The Causes of the Thirty Years’ War

7. 3:12:37-3:46:35 The Thirty Years’ War Begins

8. 3:46:37-4:09:38 The Swedish Intervention

9. 4:09:40-4:52:10 The Battle of Breitenfeld

10. 4:52:12-5:34:54 Stormaktstiden: Sweden’s Age of Empire