Austro-Swiss War (Swiss-Swabian War) (1499)

Austro-Swiss War (Swiss-Swabian War) (1499)

PRINCIPAL COMBATANTS: Austria (and Holy Roman
Empire allies) vs. Switzerland (and French allies)

PRINCIPAL THEATER(S): Switzerland

DECLARATION: None recorded

MAJOR ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES: The Swiss sought
independence from the Holy Roman Empire.

OUTCOME: Maximilian’s Swabian troops were decisively
defeated, and the Swiss achieved independence.

APPROXIMATE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF MEN UNDER ARMS:
Unknown

CASUALTIES: Unknown

TREATIES: Treaty of Basel, September 22, 1499

After the Hapsburgs were driven out of the Swiss Aargau in
1450 (see OLD ZURICH WAR), Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian
I (1459–1519), a Hapsburg, sought revenge by
asserting imperial control over and levying burdensome
taxes on the eastern cantons of Switzerland, where the border
with Austria was in hot contention. The Swiss Confederation
secured an alliance with the French, stubbornly
resisted the Holy Roman Empire, and thereby provoked
open warfare.
Maximilian enjoyed the support of the cities of southern
Germany and opened up fronts along the northern and
eastern borders of the Swiss territory. In a period of a few
months, five battles were fought in succession: at Hard,
Bruderholz, Schwaderloh, Frastenz, and Claven. None of
these was decisive, although the Swiss generally prevailed.
The major battle of the war was fought on July 22 at
Dornach and resulted in the defeat of an army led personally
by Maximilian. Unable to recover from this reverse,
Maximilian sued for peace and, by the Treaty of Basel
(September 22, 1499), granted the Swiss cantons virtual
independence from the Holy Roman Empire.

See also AUSTRO-SWISS WAR (1385–1388); AUSTROSWISS
WAR (1460).

Further reading: Douglas Miller, The Swiss at War
1300–1500 (London: Osprey, 1998); William E. Rappard,
Collective Security in Swiss Experience, 1291–1948 (Westport,
Conn.: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1984).