Battles of the Old Swiss Confederacy

List of battles fought by the Old Swiss Confederacy

Old Swiss Confederacy

The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....

Battle of Morgarten

The Battle of Morgarten occurred on November 15, 1315, when a Swiss Confederation force of 1,500 infantry archers ambushed a group of Austrian soldiers of the Holy Roman Empire near the Morgarten Pass...

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

Battle of Laupen

The Battle of Laupen in 1339 was fought between the Bern and its allies on one side, and Freiburg together with feudal landholders from the County of Burgundy and Habsburg territories on the other. Bern was victorious, consolidating its position in the region...

of 1339 is an early battle which can be seen as indicating the trend of the domniance of infantry over heavy cavalry during the Late Middle Ages.

The classical period of military successes of Swiss halberd

Halberd

A halberd is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 14th and 15th centuries. Possibly the word halberd comes from the German words Halm , and Barte - in modern-day German, the weapon is called Hellebarde. The halberd consists of an axe blade topped with a spike mounted on...

and pike

Pike (weapon)

A pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear used extensively by infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. Unlike many similar weapons, the pike is not intended to be thrown. Pikes were used regularly in European warfare from the...

warfare (Gewalthaufen
Pike square
The pike square was a military tactic developed by the Swiss Confederacy during the 15th century for use by its infantry.- History :The pike square was used to devastating effect at the Battle of Nancy against Charles the Bold of Burgundy in 1477, when the Swiss defeated a smaller but more...

) 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

Battle 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....

(1386), the Burgundian Wars

Burgundian Wars

The Burgundian Wars were a conflict between the Dukes of Burgundy and the Kings of France, later involving the Old Swiss Confederacy, which would play a decisive role. Open war broke out in 1474, and in the following years the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, was defeated three times on the...

(1470s) and the Swabian War

Swabian War

The Swabian War of 1499 was the last major armed conflict between the Old Swiss Confederacy and the House of Habsburg...

(1499).

The string of Swiss victories is broken in the early 16th century, and after a few painful defeats (notably at Marignano

Battle of Marignano

The Battle of Marignano was fought during the phase of the Italian Wars called the War of the League of Cambrai, between France and the Old Swiss Confederacy. It took place on September 13 and 15, 1515, near the town today called Melegnano, 16 km southeast of Milan...

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 Battle of Morgarten The Battle of Morgarten occurred on November 15, 1315, when a Swiss Confederation force of 1,500 infantry archers ambushed a group of Austrian soldiers of the Holy Roman Empire near the Morgarten Pass...	Oberägeri Oberägeri Oberägeri, until 1798 simply known as Ägeri, is a municipality in the canton of Zug in Switzerland.-History:Oberägeri is first mentioned in 1150 as Agregia. In 1538 it was mentioned as Ober Egere.... , Morgarten
1315, 15 November	Gefecht am Renggpass (1315)	Alpnach Alpnach Alpnach is a village in the canton of Obwalden in Switzerland.-Geography:Alpnach has an area, , of . Of this area, 32.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 54.1% is forested...	Unterwalden defeats Habsburg
1331-33	Gümmenenkrieg		Berne and Solothurn defeat Fribourg and Habsburg
1332	Gefecht auf der Oberalp	Oberalppass	Urseren defeats Abbey of Disentis
1337, 21 September	Battle of Grynau	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... plain	Zürich defeats Habsburg-Laufenburg
1339, 21 June	Battle of Laupen Battle of Laupen The Battle of Laupen in 1339 was fought between the Bern and its allies on one side, and Freiburg together with feudal landholders from the County of Burgundy and Habsburg territories on the other. Bern was victorious, consolidating its position in the region...	Laupen Laupen There are places that have the name Laupen:In Switzerland:* Laupen, Bern, a municipality in the Canton of Bern* Laupen , the administrative district including that municipality...	Berne and confederates defeat Fribourg and allies
1340, 24 April	Battle of Schönberg	Fribourg Fribourg Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...	Berne defeats Freiburg
1351, 26 December	Battle of Dättwil	Dättwil	Zürich defeats Habsburg

Eight Cantons (1353-1477)

Date	Battle	Site	Notes
1367–68 War between Berne and the Bishopric of Basel
1367 - 68	Ravaging of Biel	Biel and Bishopric of Basel Bishopric of Basel The Diocese of Basel is a Roman Catholic diocese in Switzerland .Historically, the bishops of Basel were also secular rulers of the Prince-Bishopric of Basel ....	Bern vs. Basel
1375 – Guglerkrieg
1375, 25 December	Battle of Buttisholz	Buttisholz Buttisholz Buttisholz is a municipality in the district of Sursee in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland.-Geography:Buttisholz has an area of . Of this area, 73.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 17% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 7.5% is settled and the remainder is non-productive...	Lucerne defeats English mercenaries
1375, 26 December	Battle of Ins	Ins	Berne defeats English mercenaries
1375, 27 December	Battle of Fraubrunnen	Fraubrunnen Fraubrunnen Fraubrunnen is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-History:Fraubrunnen is first mentioned in 1267 as Frouwenbrunnen. There are Hallstatt era tumuli in the Rüdtligenwald and Binelwald near Fraubrunnen. In the middle of the 13th...	Berne defeats English mercenaries
1380 Obwalden vs. Entlebuch
1380	Battle of Sörenberg Battle of Sörenberg The battle of Sörenberg was fought in 1380, between the Entlebuch and Obwalden . It was the culmination of a conflict over the right to alpine pastures...	Flühli Flühli Flühli is a municipality in the district of Entlebuch in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland. The municipality consists of the villages of Flühli and Sörenberg, which form independent parishes...	Entlebuch defeats Obwalden
1383–84 – Burgdorferkrieg
1383-84	siege of Burgdorf	canton of Berne Canton of Berne The Canton of Bern is the second largest of the 26 Swiss cantons by both surface area and population. Located in west-central Switzerland, it borders the Canton of Jura and the Canton of Solothurn to the north. To the west lie the Canton of Neuchâtel, the Canton of Fribourg and Vaud. To the south...	Berne, Solothurn and allies defeat Neu-Kyburg
Swiss Habsburg Wars
1386, 9 July	Battle of Sempach Battle 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....	Sempach Sempach Sempach is a municipality in the district of Sursee in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland.-History:It has retained some traces of its medieval appearance, especially the main gateway, beneath a watch tower, and reached by a bridge over the old moat.About half an hour distant to the north-east, on...	Eight Cantons defeat Habsburg and allies
1388, 9 April	Battle of Näfels Battle of Näfels The Battle of Näfels was fought on 9 April 1388 between Glarus with their allies, the Old Swiss Confederation, and the Habsburgs. It was a decisive Glarner victory despite being outnumbered sixteen to one.-History:...	Näfels Näfels Näfels is a former municipality in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Effective from 1 January 2011, Näfels is part of the municipality of Glarus Nord.-History:Näfels is first mentioned in 1240 as Nevels....	Glarus and Schwyz defeat Habsburg
Valais vs. Savoy
1388, December	Battle of Visp	Visp Visp Visp is the capital of the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-Geography:Visp has an area, , of . Of this area, 17.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 59.7% is forested...	Upper Valais defeats Savoy
1403–28 – Appenzell Wars Appenzell Wars The Appenzell Wars were a series of conflicts that lasted from 1401 until 1429 in the Appenzell region of Switzerland. The wars were a successful uprising of cooperative groups, such as the farmers of Appenzell or the craftsmen of the city of St. Gallen, against the traditional medieval power...
1403, 15 May	Battle of Vögelinsegg	St. Gallen St. Gallen St. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...	Appenzell and Schwyz defeat Abbey of St. Gallen and allies
1405, 16/17 June	Battle of Rotmonten	St. Gallen St. Gallen St. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...	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 Bregenz -Culture:The annual summer music festival Bregenzer Festspiele is a world-famous festival which takes place on and around a stage on Lake Constance, where a different opera is performed every second year.-Sport:* A1 Bregenz HB is a handball team....	Habsburg and order of St. Jörgenschild defeat Appenzell
1428, 2 December	Battle of Letzi	Herisau Herisau Herisau is a municipality of the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland. It is the seat of the canton's government and parliament; the judicial authorities are situated in Trogen.... /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 Aargau Aargau is one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland. It comprises the lower course of the river Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau .-History:...	confederate conquest of Baden
1418–19 – Raronkrieg
1419, 29 September	2nd Battle of Ulrichen	Ulrichen	Upper Valais defeats Berne
1403–1495 – War with Milan Transalpine campaigns of the Old Swiss Confederacy The transalpine campaigns of the Old Swiss Confederacy, known as Ennetbirgische Feldzüge "transmontane campaigns" in Swiss historiography, were military expeditions which resulted in the conquest of territories south of the Alps, corresponding more or less to the modern canton of Ticino, on the...
1422, 30 June	Battle of Arbedo Battle of Arbedo The Battle of Arbedo was fought on June 30, 1422 between the Duchy of Milan and the Swiss Confederation.In 1419, Uri and Unterwalden bought the Bellinzona stronghold from the Sacco barons, but were unable to defend it adequately...	Arbedo Arbedo-Castione Arbedo-Castione is a municipality in the district of Bellinzona in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:The Early Bronze Age Hoard of Castione contains material from north of the Alps. This large find indicates that the area was an important trading and transportation center during the...	Duchy of Milan defeats confederates
1449, 6 July	Battle of Castione Battle of Castione The Battle of Castione was fought between the Golden Ambrosian Republic and the canton of Uri on 6 July 1449.The site of the battle is near that of the earlier battle of Arbedo, both in the territory of the current-day municipality of Arbedo-Castione in the Swiss canton of Ticino.The cause of both...	Castione Arbedo-Castione Arbedo-Castione is a municipality in the district of Bellinzona in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:The Early Bronze Age Hoard of Castione contains material from north of the Alps. This large find indicates that the area was an important trading and transportation center during the...	Milan defeats Uri and Leventina
1478, 28 December	Battle of Giornico Battle of Giornico In the Battle of Giornico a Swiss force of 600 defeated 10,000 Milanese troops.This victory against odds of one to twenty was possible because the Milanese army was confined in a narrow valley, struggling for foothold on the December snow and ice. The Swiss ambushed the army from above, creating...	Giornico Giornico Giornico is a municipality in the district of Leventina in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Giornico is first mentioned around 935-94 as de Iudicibus Giornicensis. In 1202 it was mentioned as Iornico, and around 1210-58 it was mentioned as Zurnigo...	Confederates defeat Milan
1487, 28 April	Battle of Crevola Battle of Crevola The Battle of Crevola was fought in the spring of 1487, between a marauding Swiss army and the Duchy of Milan for the supremacy of the Eschental ....	Crevola d'Ossola	Milan defeats Confederates and Valais
1436–50 – Old Zürich War Old Zürich War The Old Zürich War , 1440–46, was a conflict between the canton of Zürich and the other seven cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy over the succession to the Count of Toggenburg....
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 Freienbach Freienbach is a municipality in Höfe District in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.-Geography:Freienbach has an area, , of . Of this area, 40.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 23.8% is forested...	Confederates defeat Zürich
1443, 24 May	Battle of Hirzel	Horgen Horgen Horgen is a village in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.It is one of the larger towns along the south bank of the Lake of Zurich.- History :Horgen is also the type-site of Switzerland's middle Neolithic archaeological culture...	Confederates defeat Zürich
1443, 22 July	Battle of St. Jakob an der Sihl Battle of St. Jakob an der Sihl The Battle of St. Jakob an der Sihl was a battle of the Old Zürich War that occurred on July 22, 1443, resulting in a defeat for Zürich.The battle took place outside the gates of Zürich, beyond the Sihl . The troops of Zürich, with Habsburg reinforcements, met the attacking confederates on the...	Zürich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...	Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, Glarus and Zug defeat Zürich and Habsburg
1444, 28 May	Siege of Greifensee	Greifensee	Berne, Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, Glarus and Zug defeat Zürich and Habsburg
1444, 26 August	Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs The Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs was fought between the Old Swiss Confederacy and French mercenaries , on the banks of the river Birs...	Basel Basel Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...	France defeats confederates
1444, 13 October	1st Battle of Erlenbach	Erlenbach ZH	Zürich defeats confederates
1445, 11 June	Battle of Wolfhalden	Wolfhalden Wolfhalden Wolfhalden is a municipality in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland.-History:Around 1650 Heiden and Wolfhalden could not agree about the control over the church. This led to the creation of a church in each village in 1652, making them independent.-Geography:Wolfhalden has an area,...	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 Lake Zurich Lake Zurich is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zurich. It is also known as Lake Zürich and Lake of Zürich. It lies approximately at co-ordinates ....	Zürich defeats confederates
1445, 16 December	Battle of Wollerau (1445)	Wollerau Wollerau Wollerau is a municipality in Höfe District in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.-Geography:Wollerau has an area, , of . Of this area, 56.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 13.6% is forested...	Confederates defeat Zürich
1446	Battle of Gams	Gams	Habsburg defeats Appenzell and Toggenburg
1446, 6 March	Battle of Ragaz	Bad Ragaz Bad Ragaz Bad Ragaz is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Sarganserland in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.It is the home of a famous natural spring and is a popular spa and health resort destination. Bad Ragaz is also surprisingly known as one of the best pizza towns in all of Europe...	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 Canton of Fribourg The Canton of Fribourg is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the west of the country. The capital of the canton is Fribourg. The name Fribourg is French, whereas is the German name for both the canton and the town.-History:...	Bern and Savoyen vs Fribourg and Habsburg
1448, 12 June	Battle of Tafers	Tafers Tafers Tafers is a municipality in the district of Sense in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.-External links:*...	Fribourg defeats Berne
1460 – annexation of Thurgau
1460	various campaigns	Thurgau Thurgau Thurgau is a northeast canton of Switzerland. The population, , is . In 2007, there were a total of 47,390 who were resident foreigners. The capital is Frauenfeld.-History:...	confederate conquest of Thurgau
1468 – Waldshuterkrieg
1468	siege of Waldshut	Waldshut Waldshut Waldshut is a district in the south of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Lörrach, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald and Schwarzwald-Baar; followed in the south by the Swiss cantons of Schaffhausen, Zürich and Aargau.-History:The district dates to the Oberamt Waldshut, which was...	Confederates defeat Habsburg
1474–77 – Burgundian Wars Burgundian Wars The Burgundian Wars were a conflict between the Dukes of Burgundy and the Kings of France, later involving the Old Swiss Confederacy, which would play a decisive role. Open war broke out in 1474, and in the following years the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, was defeated three times on the...
1474, 13 November	Battle of Héricourt	Héricourt Héricourt Héricourt may refer to:* Héricourt, a commune of the Pas-de-Calais département, in France.* Héricourt, a commune of the Haute-Saône département, in France.-See also:*Héricourt-en-Caux, a commune of the Seine-Maritime département, in France....	Confederates and Lower League Lower League The Lower League was a union of the four imperial cities Strasbourg, Basel, Colmar and Schlettstadt, formed in 1473, joined by the bishops of Basel and Strasbourg, Sigismund of Habsburg and by the Old Swiss Confederacy in 1474.The name of the league is intended to distinguish it from the "upper" ... defeat Duchy of Burgundy Duchy of Burgundy The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
1475, 13 November	Battle of Planta	Sion Sion -In geography:Sion, Switzerland, the capital of the canton of ValaisSion, Gers, a municipality in FranceSion, Mumbai, a suburb of MumbaiSion, Netherlands, part of Rijswijk in South Holland*Sion, Czech Republic, a castle in the Czech Republic, near Kutná Hora...	Confederates and Valais defeat Burgundy
1476, 2 March	Battle of Grandson	Grandson Grandson Grandson has multiple meanings:Grandson Grandson, Switzerland, a municipality in Switzerland*Grandson , a district in Switzerland...	Confederates defeat Burgundy
1476, 22 June	Battle of Murten	Murten Murten Murten is a municipality in the See district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.It is located on the southern shores of Lake Morat. Morat is situated between Bern and Lausanne and is the capital of the Lake District of the canton of Fribourg....	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 Rorschach Rorschach is a municipality, in the District of Rorschach in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It is on the south side of Lake Constance .-History:...	Abbey of St. Gallen, Zürich, Luzern, Schwyz und Glarus vs. City of St. Gallen und Appenzell
1499 – Swabian War Swabian War The Swabian War of 1499 was the last major armed conflict between the Old Swiss Confederacy and the House of Habsburg...
1499, 12 February	Battle of Triesen	Triesen Triesen Triesen is the third largest of Liechtenstein's municipalities. It contains several historic churches dating from the fifteenth century. It also has a weaving mill from 1863 that's considered a historical monument. The population is around 4,600.... (FL)	Ten Cantons and Three Leagues Three Leagues The Three Leagues was the alliance of 1471 of the League of God's House, the League of the Ten Jurisdictions and the Grey League, leading eventually to the formation of the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Most of the lands of Graubünden were part of the Roman province Raetia in 15 BC... defeat Habsburg and Swabian League Swabian League The Swabian League was an association of Imperial States - cities, prelates, principalities and knights - principally in the territory of the Early medieval stem duchy of Swabia, established in 1488 at the behest of Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg and supported as well by Bertold von...
1499, 20 April	1st Battle of Hegau	Klettgau Klettgau Klettgau is a group of towns in the district of Waldshut in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Landgraviat of Klettgau to 1812.There is a border crossing into Switzerland at Erzingen to Trasadingen in Schaffhausen canton.... , Hegau Hegau The Hegau is a formerly volcanic landscape in southern Germany extending around the industrial city of Singen , between Lake Constance in the east, the Rhine River in the south, the Danube River in the north and the Randen—as the southwestern mountains of the Swabian Alb are called—in the west.The...	Confederates vs. Habsburg and Swabian League
1499, 22 February	Battle of Hard Battle of Hard The Battle of Hard was the first large-scale battle in the Swabian War, waged between the Imperials under the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I and the Swiss Confederates...	Hard Hard Hard or Hardness may refer to:* Hardness, resistance of physical materials to change under force* Hard water, water with a high mineral content* NP-hard, a term used in Computational complexity theory* Hard, Austria, a town in Austria...	Confederates defeat Habsburg and Swabian League
1499, 22 March	Battle of Bruderholz Battle of Bruderholz The Battle of Bruderholz took place on March 22, 1499 in the Swabian War between Swabian troops and forces of the Old Swiss Confederacy. The Swabians had raided several Swiss villages and were on their way back when they met troops from Lucerne, Solothurn, and Berne, who also came back from a raid...	Basel Basel Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...	Confederates defeat Habsburg and Swabian League
1499, 26 March	Battle of Hallau	Hallau Hallau Hallau is a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland.-History:Though Bronze Age weapons have been found in Hallau, the first traces of a settlement date from the Roman era. A Roman warehouse was found in Hüttenhau as well as numerous Roman coins. The area was settled by the...	Confederates and Schaffhausen defeat Habsburg and Swabian League
1499, 11 April	Battle of Schwaderloh Battle of Schwaderloh The Battle of Schwaderloh took place on April 11, 1499 near Triboltingen, a village on the Swiss shores of the Untersee just south of Constance. It was one of the major battles of the Swabian War between the Old Swiss Confederacy and the forces of the Swabian League and of emperor Maximilian I.The...	Ermatingen Ermatingen Ermatingen is a municipality in the district of Kreuzlingen in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-History:The Stone Age Westerfeld and Büge shoreline settlements were discovered in 1861 and studied extensively 1981-83, with finds from the Pfyn, Horgen and Corded Ware cultures An Alamanni...	Confederates and Schaffhausen defeat Habsburg and Swabian League
1499, 17 April	2nd Battle of Hegau	Klettgau Klettgau Klettgau is a group of towns in the district of Waldshut in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Landgraviat of Klettgau to 1812.There is a border crossing into Switzerland at Erzingen to Trasadingen in Schaffhausen canton.... , Hegau Hegau The Hegau is a formerly volcanic landscape in southern Germany extending around the industrial city of Singen , between Lake Constance in the east, the Rhine River in the south, the Danube River in the north and the Randen—as the southwestern mountains of the Swabian Alb are called—in the west.The...	Confederates vs. Habsburg and Swabian League
1499, 20 April	Battle of Frastanz Battle of Frastanz The Battle of Frastanz between an army of the Old Swiss Confederacy and the troops of king Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire took place on April 20, 1499. In one of the many raids of the Swabian War, an expedition of Habsburg troops had plundered some villages in the Swiss Confederacy, who...	Frastanz Frastanz Frastanz is a market town in the Feldkirch district, in Vorarlberg, Austria. It used to be known for its production of tobacco.-Geography:Frastanz is located on the western border of Austria, at 510 meters above sea level. It is 32.25 square km in area. 61.2% of the area is wooded.-History:In...	Confederates defeat Habsburg and Swabian League
1499, 21 May	3rd Battle of Hegau	Klettgau Klettgau Klettgau is a group of towns in the district of Waldshut in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Landgraviat of Klettgau to 1812.There is a border crossing into Switzerland at Erzingen to Trasadingen in Schaffhausen canton.... , Hegau Hegau The Hegau is a formerly volcanic landscape in southern Germany extending around the industrial city of Singen , between Lake Constance in the east, the Rhine River in the south, the Danube River in the north and the Randen—as the southwestern mountains of the Swabian Alb are called—in the west.The...	Confederates vs. Habsburg and Swabian League
1499, 22 May	Battle of Calven Battle of Calven The Battle of Calven took place on May 22, 1499 at the exit of the Val Müstair in the Grisons to the Vinschgau in County of Tyrol between the forces of king Maximilian I of the House of Habsburg and those of the free federation of the Three Leagues of the Grisons...	Taufers Taufers im Münstertal Taufers im Münstertal is a comune in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 80 km northwest of the city of Trento and about 70 km west of the city of Bolzano , on the border with Switzerland.-Geography:As of November 30, 2010, it had a population...	Ten Cantons and Three Leagues defeat Habsburg and Swabian League Swabian League The Swabian League was an association of Imperial States - cities, prelates, principalities and knights - principally in the territory of the Early medieval stem duchy of Swabia, established in 1488 at the behest of Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg and supported as well by Bertold von...
1499, 20 July	Battle of Rheineck	Rheineck	Confederates defeat Habsburg and Swabian League
1499, 22 July	Battle of Dornach Battle of Dornach The Battle of Dornach was a battle fought on 22 July 1499 between the troops of Emperor Maximilian I and the Old Swiss Confederacy close to the Swiss village of Dornach....	Dornach	Confederates defeat Habsburg and Swabian League
1495–1522 – Italian Wars Italian Wars The Italian Wars, often referred to as the Great Italian Wars or the Great Wars of Italy and sometimes as the Habsburg–Valois Wars, were a series of conflicts from 1494 to 1559 that involved, at various times, most of the city-states of Italy, the Papal States, most of the major states of Western...
1500	Treason of Novara Treason of Novara The so-called Treason of Novara was an incident which took place in 1500 in the context of the involvement of the Old Swiss Confederacy in the Italian Wars....	Milan Milan Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...	re-conquest of Milan for Ludovico Sforza Ludovico Sforza Ludovico Sforza , was Duke of Milan from 1489 until his death. A member of the Sforza family, he was the fourth son of Francesco Sforza. He was famed as a patron of Leonardo da Vinci and other artists, and presided over the final and most productive stage of the Milanese Renaissance...

Thirteen Cantons (1512-1540)

Date	Battle	Site	Notes
1495–1522 – Italian Wars Italian Wars The Italian Wars, often referred to as the Great Italian Wars or the Great Wars of Italy and sometimes as the Habsburg–Valois Wars, were a series of conflicts from 1494 to 1559 that involved, at various times, most of the city-states of Italy, the Papal States, most of the major states of Western...
1512	1st Battle of Pavia	Pavia Pavia Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...	Confederates defeat France
1513, 6 June	Battle of Novara Battle of Novara There are three military events that are called Battle of Novara, fought next to Novara, Northern Italy:* Battle of Novara , fought between France and Milan...	Novara Novara Novara is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With c. 105,000 inhabitants, it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It is an important crossroads for commercial traffic along the routes from Milan to Turin...	Confederates defeat France
1513, September	Dijon campaign	Dijon Dijon Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....	siege of Dijon
1515, 13/14 September	Battle of Marignano Battle of Marignano The Battle of Marignano was fought during the phase of the Italian Wars called the War of the League of Cambrai, between France and the Old Swiss Confederacy. It took place on September 13 and 15, 1515, near the town today called Melegnano, 16 km southeast of Milan...	Melegnano Melegnano Melegnano is a town and comune in Italy, in the province of Milan, region of Lombardy. The town lies 16 km southeast of the city of Milan...	France and Venice defeat the Confederates
1522, 27 April	Battle of Bicocca Battle of Bicocca The Battle of Bicocca or La Bicocca was fought on April 27, 1522, during the Italian War of 1521–26. A combined French and Venetian force under Odet de Foix, Vicomte de Lautrec, was decisively defeated by a Spanish-Imperial and Papal army under the overall command of Prospero Colonna...	Bicocca, Milan	Habsburg defeats France and Confederates
1525, 23/24 February	2nd Battle of Pavia	Pavia Pavia Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...	Habsburg defeats France and Confederates
Rural uprisings
1513	Köniz uprising	Köniz Köniz Köniz is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. With a population of 38,793 inhabitants , the municipality is one of the 15 most populous cities in Switzerland.- History :...	Köniz vs. Berne
1513-14	Zwiebelnkrieg	canton of Luzern	Uprising against Lucene
1515	Lebkuchenkrieg	canton of Zürich Canton of Zürich The Canton of Zurich has a population of . The canton is located in the northeast of Switzerland and the city of Zurich is its capital. The official language is German, but people speak the local Swiss German dialect called Züritüütsch...	Uprising against Zürich
1524-26	Peasant War	Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes... , Swabia Swabia Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...	Widespread peasant uprisings
1525–31 Wars of Religion
1525-26	1st Müsserkrieg	Chiavenna	Three Leagues vs. Mailand
1529	First War of Kappel First war of Kappel The first war of Kappel was an armed conflict in 1529 between the Protestant and the Catholic cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy during the reformation in Switzerland...	Kappel Kappel am Albis Kappel am Albis is a municipality in the district of Affoltern in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.Its name of Kappel is specified by "on the Albis" to distinguish it from two other villages called Kappel in Switzerland.-History:...	Catholic cantons vs. Zürich
1531-32	2nd Müsserkrieg	Lombardy Lombardy Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...	Confederates and Three Leagues vs. Mailand
1531, 11 October	Battle of Kappel	Kappel Kappel am Albis Kappel am Albis is a municipality in the district of Affoltern in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.Its name of Kappel is specified by "on the Albis" to distinguish it from two other villages called Kappel in Switzerland.-History:...	Catholic cantons vs. Zürich
1531, 24 October	Battle of Gubel	Menzingen	Catholic cantons vs. Berne and Zürich
1536 – Bernese conquests in Savoy
1536	Conquest of Vaud	Kanton Waadt	Berne, 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

Three Leagues

The Three Leagues was the alliance of 1471 of the League of God's House, the League of the Ten Jurisdictions and the Grey League, leading eventually to the formation of the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Most of the lands of Graubünden were part of the Roman province Raetia in 15 BC...

, Geneva

Geneva

Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...

) with neighouring powers even if the Confederacy itself was not involved.

Date	Battle	Site	Notes
Rural uprisings
1550	Trinkelstierkrieg	Valais Valais The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...	peasant uprisings in Valais
1570	1st Heringskrieg	canton of Lucerne Canton of Lucerne Lucerne is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the centre of Switzerland. The population of the canton is . , the population included 57,268 foreigners, or about 15.8% of the total population. The cantonal capital is Lucerne.-History:...	Rothenburg vs. Lucerne
1591-94	Rappenkrieg	canton of Basel	uprising against Basel
1602 – Savoy Wars
1602, 11/12 December	Escalade de Genève	Geneva Geneva Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...	Geneva defeats Savoyen
1618–48 – Thirty Years' War Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
1621-39	Bündner Wirren	Grisons	Grisons is occupied and ravaged
1632, 20 September	Kluser Handel	Balsthal Balsthal Balsthal is a municipality in the district of Thal in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland.-History:Balsthal is first mentioned in 968 as Palcivallis. In 1255 it was mentioned as Balcetal.-Geography:...	Solothurn vs. Berne
1653 – Swiss Peasant War
1653, 29 Mai/7 June	Battle of Herzogenbuchsee	Herzogenbuchsee Herzogenbuchsee Herzogenbuchsee is a municipality in the Oberaargau administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.The population is 6,646 , counting the villages in the Oberaargau. The traditional name was Buchsi.- History :...	peasant uprising
1653, 3 June	Battle of Wohlenschwil	Wohlenschwil Wohlenschwil Wohlenschwil is a municipality in the district of Baden in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:On June 3, 1653 Wohlenschwil was the site of the Battle of Wohlenschwil, which ended the Swiss peasant war of 1653...	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. Januar	First Battle of Villmergen	Villmergen Villmergen Villmergen is a municipality in the district of Bremgarten in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.Two famous battles took place at Villmergen.In 2010 Hilfikon merged into Villmergen.-History:...	Lucerne and Zug defeat Berne und Zürich
1712 – Second War of Villmergen
1712, 26 Mai	Battle of Fischbach	Fischbach-Göslikon Fischbach-Göslikon Fischbach-Göslikon is a municipality in the district of Bremgarten in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:While several, individual mesolithic items have been found in the municipality, the first evidence of a settlement are two Hallstatt era graves. The current village wasn't founded...	Berne defeats Catholic cantons
1712, 24 July	Second Battle of Villmergen	Villmergen Villmergen Villmergen is a municipality in the district of Bremgarten in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.Two famous battles took place at Villmergen.In 2010 Hilfikon merged into Villmergen.-History:...	Berne and Zürich defeat 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

Helvetic Republic

In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...

. 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 Old Confederacy. The Valais formed the separate Rhodanic Republic

Rhodanic Republic

The Rhodanic Republic was a state that existed in the French speaking part of Switzerland during the Napoleonic wars.Napoleon had long sought to make Switzerland dependent on him in order to facilitate his military operations in Italy and around the Alps. Therefore he had been trying various...

in 1802 and joined the restored Swiss Confederacy only in 1815.