List of battles involving the Old Swiss Confederacy

List of battles fought by the Old Swiss Confederacy, 1315–1799.

The Battle of Morgarten of 1315 is famous as the first military success of the Confederacy, but it was an ambush on an army on the march rather than an open field battle. The Battle of Laupen of 1339 is an early battle that can be seen as indicating the trend of the dominance of infantry over heavy cavalry during the Late Middle Ages.

The classical period of military successes of Swiss halberd and pike warfare (pike square; in German Gevierthaufen or Gewalthaufen) are the wars of the Eight Cantons (Ten Cantons after 1481) during the 1360s to 1490s. Most notable among these are the Battle of Sempach (1386), the Burgundian Wars (1470s) and the Swabian War (1499).

The string of Swiss victories is broken in the early 16th century, and after a few painful defeats (notably at Marignano 1515), the Confederacy stopped its aggressive expansion. The early modern period is characterized by internal disputes, both religious and social (peasant uprisings). The final French invasion of Switzerland was only marginally a military operation and mostly a collapse due to centrifugal forces within the Confederacy.

Early Confederacy (1315–1351)

Date Battle Site Notes Swiss Habsburg Wars 1315–18, 15 November Battle of Morgarten Oberägeri, Morgarten 1315, 15 November Gefecht am Renggpass (1315) Alpnach Unterwalden defeats Habsburg 1331–33 Gümmenenkrieg Gümmenen Bern and Solothurn defeat Fribourg and Habsburg 1332 Gefecht auf der Oberalp Oberalppass Urseren defeats Abbey of Disentis 1337, 21 September Battle of Grynau Grynau Castle respectively Linth plain Zürich defeats Habsburg-Laufenburg 1339, 21 June Battle of Laupen Laupen Bern and confederates defeat Fribourg and allies 1340, 24 April Battle of Schönberg Fribourg Bern defeats Freiburg 1351, 26 December Battle of Dättwil Dättwil Zürich defeats Habsburg

Eight Cantons (1353–1477)

Date Battle Site Notes 1375 – Guglerkrieg 1375, 25 December Battle of Buttisholz Buttisholz Lucerne defeats English mercenaries 1375, 26 December Battle of Ins Ins Bern defeats English mercenaries 1375, 27 December Battle of Fraubrunnen Fraubrunnen Bern defeats English mercenaries 1380 Obwalden vs. Entlebuch 1380 Battle of Sörenberg Flühli Entlebuch defeats Obwalden 1383–84 – Burgdorferkrieg 1383–84 Siege of Burgdorf Canton of Bern Bern, Solothurn and allies defeat Neu-Kyburg Swiss Habsburg Wars 1386, 9 July Battle of Sempach Sempach Eight Cantons defeat Habsburg and allies 1388, 9 April Battle of Näfels Näfels Glarus and Schwyz defeat HabsburgValais vs. Savoy 1388, December Battle of Visp Visp Upper Valais defeats Savoy 1403–28 – Appenzell Wars 1403, 15 May Battle of Vögelinsegg St. Gallen Appenzell and Schwyz defeat Abbey of St. Gallen and allies 1405, 16/17 June Battle of Rotmonten St. Gallen City of St. Gallen defeats Habsburg 1405, 1 June Battle of Stoss Gais Appenzell defeats Habsburg and Abbey of St. Gallen 1408, 13 January Battle of Bregenz Bregenz Habsburg and order of St. Jörgenschild defeat Appenzell 1428, 2 December Battle of Letzi Herisau/Gossau Count of Toggenburg defeats Appenzell 1409 Basel War 1409 skirmishes and raids canton of Basel Basel vs. Habsburg 1415 Annexation of Aargau 1415, April–May Annexation of Aargau Aargau confederate conquest of Baden 1418–19 – Raron affair 1419, 29 September Second Battle of Ulrichen Ulrichen Upper Valais defeats Bern 1403–1495 – War with Milan 1422, 30 June Battle of Arbedo Arbedo Duchy of Milan defeats confederates 1449, 6 July Battle of Castione Castione Milan defeats Uri and Leventina 1478, 28 December Battle of Giornico Giornico Confederates defeat Milan 1487, 28 April Battle of Crevola Crevola d'Ossola Milan defeats Confederates and Valais 1436–50 – Old Zürich War 1439, 5 May Battle of Etzel Etzelpass Schwyz and Glarus defeat Zürich 1440, November Battle of Pfäffikon Pfäffikon SZ Confederates defeat Zürich 1443, 22 May Battle of Freienbach Freienbach Confederates defeat Zürich 1443, 24 May Battle of Hirzel Horgen Confederates defeat Zürich 1443, 22 July Battle of St. Jakob an der Sihl Zürich Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, Glarus and Zug defeat Zürich and Habsburg 1444, 28 May Siege of Greifensee Greifensee Bern, Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, Glarus and Zug defeat Zürich and Habsburg 1444, 26 August Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs Basel France defeats confederates 1444, 13 October 1st Battle of Erlenbach Erlenbach ZH Zürich defeats confederates 1445, 11 June Battle of Wolfhalden Wolfhalden Appenzell defeats Habsburg 1445, 6 October 2nd Battle of Erlenbach Erlenbach ZH Zürich defeats confederates 1445, 29 October Naval battle on Lake Zürich Lake Zürich Zürich defeats confederates 1445, 16 December Battle of Wollerau (1445) Wollerau Confederates defeat Zürich 1446 Battle of Gams Gams Habsburg defeats Appenzell and Toggenburg 1446, 6 March Battle of Ragaz Bad Ragaz Confederates defeat Zürich and Habsburg 1445–49 – St. Jakoberkrieg 1449 Siege of Rheinfelden Rheinfelden Basel vs. Habsburg 1447–48 – Freiburgkrieg 1448, 29 March Battle of Neumatt canton of Fribourg Bern and Savoyen vs Fribourg and Habsburg 1448, 12 June Battle of Tafers Tafers Fribourg defeats Bern 1460 – annexation of Thurgau 1460 various campaigns Thurgau confederate conquest of Thurgau 1468 – Waldshut War 1468 Siege of Waldshut Waldshut Confederates defeat Habsburg 1474–77 – Burgundian Wars 1474, 13 November Battle of Héricourt Héricourt Confederates and Lower League defeat Duchy of Burgundy 1475, 13 November Battle on the Planta Sion Confederates and Valais defeat Duchy of Savoy 1476, 2 March Battle of Grandson Grandson Confederates defeat Burgundy 1476, 22 June Battle of Murten Murten Confederates, Lothringia and Lower League defeat Burgundy 1477, 5 January Battle of Nancy Nancy Lothringia, Lower League and Confederates defeat Burgundy

Ten Cantons (1481–1500)

Date Battle Site Notes 1489–90 – St. Gallerkrieg 1489, 28 July Rorschacher Klosterbruch Rorschach Abbey of St. Gallen, Zürich, Luzern, Schwyz und Glarus vs. City of St. Gallen und Appenzell 1499 – Swabian War 1499, 12 February Battle of Triesen Triesen(FL) Ten Cantons and Three Leagues defeat Habsburg and Swabian League 1499, 20 April 1st Battle of Hegau Klettgau, Hegau Confederates vs. Habsburg and Swabian League 1499, 22 February Battle of Hard Hard Confederates defeat Habsburg and Swabian League 1499, 22 March Battle of Bruderholz Basel Confederates defeat Habsburg and Swabian League 1499, 26 March Battle of Hallau Hallau Confederates and Schaffhausen defeat Habsburg and Swabian League 1499, 11 April Battle of Schwaderloh Ermatingen Confederates and Schaffhausen defeat Habsburg and Swabian League 1499, 17 April 2nd Battle of Hegau Klettgau, Hegau Confederates vs. Habsburg and Swabian League 1499, 20 April Battle of Frastanz Frastanz Confederates defeat Habsburg and Swabian League 1499, 21 May 3rd Battle of Hegau Klettgau, Hegau Confederates vs. Habsburg and Swabian League 1499, 22 May Battle of Calven Taufers Ten Cantons and Three Leagues defeat Habsburg and Swabian League 1499, 20 July Battle of Rheineck Rheineck Confederates defeat Habsburg and Swabian League 1499, 22 July Battle of Dornach Dornach Confederates defeat Habsburg and Swabian League 1495–1522 – Italian Wars 1500 Treason of Novara Milan re-conquest of Milan for Ludovico Sforza

Thirteen Cantons (1512–1540)

Date Battle Site Notes 1495–1522 – Italian Wars 1512 1st Battle of Pavia Pavia Confederates defeat France 1513, 6 June Battle of Novara Novara Confederates defeat France 1513, September Dijon campaign Dijon siege of Dijon 1515, 13/14 September Battle of Marignano Melegnano France and Venice defeat the Confederates 1522, 27 April Battle of Bicocca Bicocca, Milan Habsburg defeats France and Confederates 1525, 23/24 February 2nd Battle of Pavia Pavia Habsburg defeats France and Confederates Rural uprisings 1513 Köniz uprising Köniz Köniz vs. Bern 1513–14 Zwiebelnkrieg canton of Luzern Uprising against Lucerne 1515 Lebkuchenkrieg canton of Zürich Uprising against Zürich 1524–26 German Peasants' War Holy Roman Empire, Swabia Widespread peasant uprisings 1525–31 Wars of Religion 1525–26 1st Musso War Chiavenna Three Leagues vs. Milan 1529 First War of Kappel Kappel Catholic cantons vs. Zürich 1531–32 2nd Musso War Lombardy Confederates and Three Leagues vs. Milan 1531, 11 October Battle of Kappel Kappel Catholic cantons vs. Zürich 1531, 24 October Battle of Gubel Menzingen Catholic cantons vs. Bern and Zürich 1536 – Bernese conquests in Savoy 1536 Conquest of Vaud Canton of Vaud Bern, Fribourg and Valais vs. Savoy

Early Modern conflicts (1550–1712) After their defeats in Italy, the Confederacy pledged neutrality and did not engage in further warfare beyond its borders. For the remaining duration of the Old Swiss Confederacy 1540–1798, armed conflicts were internal, either between factions within the confederacy, or peasant uprisings. Also listed are conflicts between associates of the Confederacy (Three Leagues, Geneva) with neighbouring powers even if the Confederacy itself was not involved.

Date Battle Site Notes Rural uprisings 1550 Trinkelstierkrieg Valais peasant uprisings in Valais 1570 1st Heringskrieg canton of Lucerne Rothenburg vs. Lucerne 1591–94 Rappenkrieg canton of Basel uprising against Basel 1602 – Savoy Wars 1602, 11/12 December Escalade de Genève Geneva Geneva defeats Savoy 1618–48 – Thirty Years' War 1621–39 Bündner Wirren Graubünden Graubünden is occupied and ravaged 1632, 20 September Kluser Handel Balsthal Solothurn vs. Bern 1653 – Swiss Peasant War 1653, 29 May/7 June Battle of Herzogenbuchsee Herzogenbuchsee peasant uprising 1653, 3 June Battle of Wohlenschwil Wohlenschwil peasant uprising 1656 – First War of Villmergen 1656, 7 January/10 February Siege of Rapperswil Rapperswil SG Catholic cantons defend Rapperswil against Zürich 1656, 24 January First Battle of Villmergen Villmergen Lucerne and Zug defeat Bern und Zürich 1712 – Toggenburg War a.k.a. Second War of Villmergen 1712, ?–22 May Siege of Wil Wil Protestant cantons and rebels defeat prince-abbot of St Gall 1712, 22 May Battle of Mellingen Mellingen Bern defeats Catholic cantons 1712, 26 May Battle of Fischbach Fischbach-Göslikon Bern defeats Catholic cantons 1712, ?–1 June Siege of Baden Baden, Switzerland Bern and Zürich defeat Catholic cantons 1712, 20 July Battle of Sins Sins, Aargau Catholic cantons defeat Bern 1712, 22 July Battles of Richterswil and Hütten Richterswil and Hütten, Switzerland Schwyz and Zug attack Zürich unsuccessfully 1712, 24 July Second Battle of Villmergen Villmergen Bern defeats Catholic cantons

French invasion (1798)

These are minor skirmishes on 2–5 March 1798, leading to the swift collapse of the Old Confederacy, the clashes of April and May last pockets of resistance against the recently established Helvetic Republic. The Nidwalden uprising (Schreckenstage von Nidwalden) in September was more serious, with 435 dead, including 118 women and 25 children. The 1799 conflict in the Valais was not a "Battle of the Old Swiss Confederacy" in the narrow sense, as Valais was not a member of the Old Confederacy. The Valais formed the separate Rhodanic Republic in 1802 and joined the restored Swiss Confederacy only in 1815.