Battle of Näfels
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Näfels was fought on 9 April 1388 between Glarus
with their allies, the Old Swiss Confederation, and the Habsburg
s. It was a decisive Glarner victory despite being outnumbered sixteen to one.
, the Old Swiss Confederation attacked and besieged the Habsburg village of Weesen
on the Walensee. The following year, Glarus
rose up against the Habsburgs and destroyed Burg Windegg. Then, on 11 March 1387, the town council declared themselves free of Habsburg control.
In response, on the night of 21–22 February 1388, an Austrian army attacked the village of Weesen and drove off the Swiss forces. In the beginning of April, two Austrian armies marched out to cut off Glarus from the rest of the Confederation. The main army, with about 5,000 men, was under the command of the Graf
Donat von Toggenburg
and the Knight Peter von Thorberg
marched toward Näfels. A second column, with about 1,500 men, under the command of Graf Hans von Werdenberg-Sargans
marched over the Kerenzerberg Pass
.
and Uri
. As they retreated, the Austrian army spread out to plunder the village and farms. They retreated into the nearby hill and as the Austrian army spread out, the Glarners marched back out into the snow and fog to attack the Austrians. The Austrians, disorganized while looting the town, and confused by the snow and fog were surprised by the Glarner attack.
Following a brief battle, the disorganized Austrians broke and fled toward Weesen. The collapse of the bridge over the Maag or Weeser Linth
dropped much of the Austrian army into the river where they drowned. Seeing the destruction of the main column, Werdenberg-Sargans' army retreated to the village of Beglingen (now in the municipality of Mollis
). The Glarner and Confederation army had about 54 men killed, who were buried at the parish church
of Mollis. Habsburg losses are less well known, though are estimated to be between several hundred killed and 1,700. On 29 November 1389, the Abbot Bilgeri had about 180 bodies moved from the battle field and reburied at Rüti Abbey
.
Glarus
Glarus is the capital of the Canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Glarus municipality since 1 January 2011 incorporates the former municipalities of Ennenda, Netstal and Riedern....
with their allies, the Old Swiss Confederation, and the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
s. It was a decisive Glarner victory despite being outnumbered sixteen to one.
History
The Battle of Näfels was the last battle of the Swiss-Austrian conflicts that stretched through most of the 14th Century. A few weeks after the Battle of SempachBattle of Sempach
An armistice was agreed upon on 12 October, followed by a peace agreement valid for one year, beginning on 14 January 1387.The battle was a severe blow to Austrian interests in the region, and allowed for the further growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy....
, the Old Swiss Confederation attacked and besieged the Habsburg village of Weesen
Weesen
Weesen is a village in See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland.-Geography:Weesen has an area, , of . Of this area, 36.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 51.9% is forested...
on the Walensee. The following year, Glarus
Canton of Glarus
The Canton of Glarus is a canton in east central Switzerland. The capital is Glarus.The population speaks a variety of Alemannic German.The majority of the population identifies as Christian, about evenly split between the Protestant and Catholic confessions.-History:According to legend, the...
rose up against the Habsburgs and destroyed Burg Windegg. Then, on 11 March 1387, the town council declared themselves free of Habsburg control.
In response, on the night of 21–22 February 1388, an Austrian army attacked the village of Weesen and drove off the Swiss forces. In the beginning of April, two Austrian armies marched out to cut off Glarus from the rest of the Confederation. The main army, with about 5,000 men, was under the command of the Graf
Graf
Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
Donat von Toggenburg
Counts of Toggenburg
The Counts of Toggenburg ruled the Toggenburg region of today's Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland, as well as parts of the Canton of Glarus, Thurgau, Grisons, Vorarlberg, and Zurich when their influence was most extensive....
and the Knight Peter von Thorberg
Schloss Thorberg
Thorberg Castle is a former Carthusian monastery, or charterhouse, now a prison, located in Krauchthal, canton of Bern, Switzerland.-History:...
marched toward Näfels. A second column, with about 1,500 men, under the command of Graf Hans von Werdenberg-Sargans
County of Sargans
The County of Sargans was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. From 1458 until the French Revolutionary War in 1798, Sargans became a condominium of the Old Swiss Confederacy, administered jointly by the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, Lucerne, Zürich, Glarus and Zug.-History:In 1396, the counts...
marched over the Kerenzerberg Pass
Kerenzerberg Pass
Kerenzerberg Pass is a mountain pass in the Alps in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland.It connects Mollis and Mühlehorn above the Walensee.The pass road was built in 1848 and has a maximum grade of 10 percent...
.
Battle of Näfels
On 9 April 1388 the main army, under Toggenburg and Thorberg, attacked and captured the fortifications around Näfels. The garrison held out for a short time, but was forced to retreat. This force contained the local garrison, about 400 Glarner troops and a few dozen troops from both SchwyzCanton of Schwyz
Schwyz is a canton in central Switzerland between the Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne in the east and Lake Zurich in the north, centered around and named after the town of Schwyz....
and Uri
Canton of Uri
Uri is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and a founding member of the Swiss Confederation. It is located in Central Switzerland. The canton's territory covers the valley of the Reuss River between Lake Lucerne and the St. Gotthard Pass. German is the primary language spoken in Uri...
. As they retreated, the Austrian army spread out to plunder the village and farms. They retreated into the nearby hill and as the Austrian army spread out, the Glarners marched back out into the snow and fog to attack the Austrians. The Austrians, disorganized while looting the town, and confused by the snow and fog were surprised by the Glarner attack.
Following a brief battle, the disorganized Austrians broke and fled toward Weesen. The collapse of the bridge over the Maag or Weeser Linth
Linth
The Linth is a Swiss river starting above Linthal the mountains of Glarus near the Klausen Pass and flowing from there north through the Glarus valley passing Schwanden, where it is joined by its main tributary Sernft, Ennenda, the town of Glarus, Netstal, and Näfels, from where it is channeled to...
dropped much of the Austrian army into the river where they drowned. Seeing the destruction of the main column, Werdenberg-Sargans' army retreated to the village of Beglingen (now in the municipality of Mollis
Mollis
Mollis is a former municipality in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Effective from 1 January 2011, Mollis is part of the municipality of Glarus Nord.-Geography:...
). The Glarner and Confederation army had about 54 men killed, who were buried at the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of Mollis. Habsburg losses are less well known, though are estimated to be between several hundred killed and 1,700. On 29 November 1389, the Abbot Bilgeri had about 180 bodies moved from the battle field and reburied at Rüti Abbey
Rüti Abbey
Rüti Abbey was a former Premonstratensian abbey, founded in 1206 and suppressed in 1525, in the municipality of Rüti in the canton of Zürich, Switzerland...
.