|
| partof = [[European wars of religion]]
| image = First battle villmergen.jpg
| image_size = 350px
| caption = The First Battle of [[Villmergen]] (24 January 1656), to which the war owns its name.
| caption = Painting of the First Battle of Villmergen by [[Franz Ludwig Raufft]], {{circa|1700}}
| date = 5 January – 7 March 1656
(2 months and 2 days)
| place = [[Old Swiss Confederacy]]
| result = Catholic victory
*''Third ''Landfrieden''
*''[[Status quo ante bellum]]''
| combatant1 = [[File:Wappen Zürich matt.svg|15px]] [[Canton of Zürich]] <br /> [[File:Wappen Bern matt.svg|15px]] [[Canton of Bern]] <br /> [[File:Wappen Schaffhausen matt.svg|15px]] [[Canton of Schaffhausen]] ▼| combatant2combatant1 = [[File:Wappen LuzernZürich matt.svg|15px]] [[Canton of Lucerne]] <br /> [[File:Wappen Uri matt.svgZürich|15px]] [[Canton of UriZürich]] <br /> [[File:Wappen SchwyzBern matt.svg|15px]] [[Canton of Schwyz]] <br /> [[File:Wappen Unterwalden alt.svgBern|15px]] [[UnterwaldenBern]] <br /> [[File:Wappen ZugSchaffhausen matt.svg|15px]] [[Canton of Zug]] <br /> [[File:Freiamt blason.pngSchaffhausen|15px|Freie Ämter]] [[Freie Ämter]] <br /> [[File:Rapperswil CoA.svg|15px]] [[RapperswilSchaffhausen]]
▲| combatant1combatant2 = [[File:Wappen ZürichLuzern matt.svg|15px]] [[Canton of ZürichLucerne|Lucerne]] <br /> [[File:Wappen BernUri matt.svg|15px]] [[Canton of BernUri|Uri]] <br /> [[File:Wappen SchaffhausenSchwyz matt.svg|15px]] [[Canton of SchaffhausenSchwyz|Schwyz]] <br /> [[File:Wappen Unterwalden alt.svg|15px]] [[Unterwalden]] <br /> [[File:Wappen Zug matt.svg|15px]] [[Canton of Zug|Zug]]
| commander1 = [[File:Wappen Zürich matt.svg|15px]] Hans Rudolf Werdmüller <br /> [[File:Wappen Bern matt.svg|15px]] [[Sigmund von Erlach]]
| commander2 = [[File:Wappen Luzern matt.svg|15px]] Christoph Pfyffer von Altishofen
}}
The '''First War of Villmergen'''<ref>{{in lang|nl}} Encarta-encyclopedie Winkler Prins (1993–2002) s.v. "Zwitserland. §5.2 Reformatie". Microsoft Corporation/Het Spectrum.</ref> was a [[Switzerland|Swiss]] [[religious war]] which lasted from 5 January until 7 March 1656, at the time of the [[Old Swiss Confederacy]]. On the one handside were the [[Protestantism|Protestant]] citiescantons of [[Zürich]] and [[Bern]], on the other the [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] placescantons inof [[Central Switzerland]]. The Protestants tried to break the political hegemony of the Catholics, that had been in existence ever since the Second Kappel ''[[Landfrieden]]'' of 1531. The ''[[casus belli]]'' was the expulsion and execution of Protestants from the [[Canton of Schwyz|Schwyz]] commune of [[Arth]]. The Zürcher [[Siege of Rapperswil|unsuccessfully besieged]] the Central Swiss-allied city of [[Rapperswil]] and thereby drove their forces together. The Bernese were defeated and repelled in the First Battle of Villmergen. The ''Third Landfrieden'' ended the conflict and restored the pre-war balance of power.
== CausesBackground ==
During the [[Swiss peasant war of 1653]], when the governments of the Protestant and Catholic cantons jointly moved against the insurgent peasants, the confessional differences that had existed for over a century were merely temporarily pushed towards the background. In 1654, theMayor Zürcherof mayorZürich Johann Heinrich Waser received the task of working out a plan to reorganise the Confederacy.<ref name=HDS>{{HDS|8910|author=Thomas Lau|date=2014-01-22}}</ref> However, the Federal Project of 1655 was rejected by the Catholicscantons of Central Switzerland, becausewho theyviewed it sawas a threat to their dominance inestablished itby the 1531 Second ''Landfrieden'', as a result of the [[Second War of Kappel]].<ref name=HDS/> The differenceCentral betweenSwiss instead decided to strengthen the religionsCatholic surfaced[[Goldener onceBund|Golden againLeague]] founded in 1586.<ref name=HDS/>
In September 1655, the enmitiestensions escalated when Protestants living in the[[Arth]], Schwyza village Arthin fledthe toCatholic Zürichcanton of Schwyz, afterfled whichto theZürich authoritiesand confiscatedwere theirgranted propertiesasylum.<ref Fourname=HDS/> ofSchwyz theseprotested that the "[[Nicodemite]]s" wereof executedArth byhad thereceived Schwyzersassistance from Zürcher pastors for months, threeand othersaccused wereZürich deliveredof toencouraging theProtestants [[Inquisition]]who remained in [[Milan]].Arth Onto anemigrate.<ref extraordinaryname=HDS/> [[Tagsatzung]]On inits Decemberpart, Zürich demandedcricized thatSchwyz thosefor responsiblerefusing beto punishednegotiate, thatand formalthreatened apologiesto betake mademilitary andaction.<ref thename=HDS/> dissolutionThe [[Antistes]] of theZürich, CatholicJohann [[GoldenerJakob Bund|GoldenUlrich, League]]declared foundedthat inSwiss 1586.Protestants Whenhad thesea demandssacred wereduty ignored,to Zürichtake declaredup wararms onagainst 6the January"religious 1656tyrants" of Schwyz.<ref name=HDS/>
Despite warnings from Bern and Zürich, four Protestants who remained in Schwyz were executed,<ref name=HDS/> while three others were delivered to the [[Inquisition]] in [[Milan]]. Bern then promised military support for Zürich in case negotiations failed. On an extraordinary [[Tagsatzung|Federal Diet]] in December, Zürich demanded that those responsible be punished, that formal apologies be made and the dissolution of the Golden League. When these demands were ignored, Zürich and Bern declared war on 6 January 1656.<ref name=HDS/>
The Catholic towns in Central Switzerland promised Schwyz their support. On the Protestant side, only Bern gave its full-scale help, while [[Canton of Schaffhausen|Schaffhausen]] only provided troops for defence. [[Canton of Basel|Basel]], [[Canton of Fribourg|Fribourg]], [[Canton of Solothurn|Solothurn]], [[Appenzell Ausserrhoden]], [[Canton of Glarus|Glarus]], the [[Three Leagues]] and [[Canton of St. Gallen|St. Gallen]] remained neutral. ▼
▲The Catholic townscantons in Central Switzerland promised Schwyz their support. <ref name=HDS/> On the Protestant side, only Bern gave its full-scale help, while [[Canton of Schaffhausen|Schaffhausen]] only provided troops for defence. <ref name=HDS/> [[Canton of Basel|Basel]], [[Canton of Fribourg|Fribourg]], [[Canton of Solothurn|Solothurn]], [[Appenzell Ausserrhoden]], [[Canton of Glarus|Glarus]], the [[Three Leagues]] and [[Canton of St. Gallen|St. Gallen]] remained neutral.
Even a day before the declaration of war, Zürcher battalions marched to [[Rheinau, Switzerland|Rheinau]] to plunder the town and [[Rheinau Abbey]]. On 7 January, general Hans Rudolf Werdmüller led the Zürcher main force to [[Rapperswil]] and laid siege to the city. Small units took [[Frauenfeld]], [[Kaiserstuhl, Aargau|Kaiserstuhl]], [[Klingnau]] and [[Bad Zurzach|Zurzach]], others entrenched themselves at [[Oberwil-Lieli|Oberwil]] and [[Kappel am Albis]]. The Schaffhausers lined up between [[Wädenswil]] and [[Hütten, Switzerland|Hütten]]. ▼
Bern mobilised on 8 January and was initially on its own. About two thirds of its soldiers were needed to guard the borders with its Catholic neighbours. The remaining soldiers moved towards [[Aarau]] under command of general [[Sigmund von Erlach]]. They intended to join forces with the Zürcher there, however, those were still engaged in the unfavourably developing [[siege of Rapperswil]]. From the Catholic side, [[Canton of Lucerne|Lucerne]] took supreme command of the army. All Lucernese and [[Canton of Zug|Zuger]] troops that were not already summoned to guard the borders, gathered in [[Muri, Aargau|Muri]] and united at [[Boswil]] with battalions from the ''[[Freie Ämter]]''. ▼[[File:Belagerung von Rapperswil 1656 - Ostansicht von Rapperswil aus der Perspektive der Zürcher Truppen, links unten General Hans Rudolf Werdmüller, 1855, Zeichnung von Johann Jakob Oeri - Stadtmuseum Rapperswil 2013-01-05 16-26-54.JPG|thumb|left|The Siege of Rapperswil from the perspective of Zürich's troops, drawing by [[Hans Jakob Oeri]], 1855]]
▲Even a day before the declaration of war, Zürcher battalions marched to [[Rheinau, Switzerland|Rheinau]] to plunder the town and [[Rheinau Abbey]]. On 7 January, general [[Hans Rudolf Werdmüller ]] led the Zürcher main forcearmy to the strategic city of [[Rapperswil]] and laidplaced siegeit tounder thesiege.<ref city.name=HDS/> Small units took [[Frauenfeld]], [[Kaiserstuhl, Aargau|Kaiserstuhl]], [[Klingnau]] and [[Bad Zurzach|Zurzach]], while others entrenched themselves at [[Oberwil-Lieli|Oberwil]] and [[Kappel am Albis]]. The Schaffhausers lined up between [[Wädenswil]] and [[Hütten, Switzerland|Hütten]].
On 24 January 1656, the [[First Battle of Villmergen]] occurred. The Catholic troops surprised the Bernese army, that had arrived at [[Villmergen]] in the early evening. Despite their numerical and weapon-technical inferiority, the Catholics were able to repel them, to which the missing coordination among the Bernese contributed a large part. After the Zürcher had attempted a final assault on Rapperswil on 3 February, they ended the siege without success. In the following weeks, several smaller skirmishes and attacks on the populace happened. ▼
[[File:ZHB SoSa Portrait 064 cropped.jpg|thumb|Christoph Pfyffer von Altishofen, commander of the Catholic army at the First Battle of Villmergen]]
== Consequences ==
[[Kingdom of France|France]] and [[Duchy of Savoy|Savoy]] mediated between the belligerents. Those concluded the ''Third Landfrieden'' on 7 March, in which they solemnly swore to cease combat and granted amnesty for misconduct committed during the war. Moreover, all troops were withdrawn, prisoners of war released and the erected [[redoubt]]s were distmantled. Every canton obtained the right to maintain the status quo concerning religion. Controversial issues such as damage compensations were transferred to [[arbitral tribunal]], but because of bad blood within the commission remained unresolved in many cases. The actual direct cause of the war, the Protestant refugees from Arth, was disregarded. ▼
▲Bern mobilised on 8 January and was initially on its own. About two thirds of its soldiers were needed to guard the borders with its Catholic neighbours. The remaining soldiers moved towards [[Aarau]] under the command of general [[Sigmund von Erlach]]. <ref name=HDS/> They intended to join forces with the Zürcher there, however, those were still engaged in the unfavourably developing [[siege of Rapperswil ]]. <ref name=HDS/> FromOn the Catholic side, [[Christoph Pfyffer von Altishofen]] of [[Canton of Lucerne|Lucerne]] tookwas supremeappointed commandcommander-in-chief of the army. <ref name=HDS/> All Lucernesetroops from Lucerne and [[Canton of Zug| ZugerZug]] troops that were not already summoned to guard the borders, gathered in [[Muri, Aargau|Muri]] and united at [[Boswil]] with battalions from the ''[[Freie Ämter]]''.
In fact, the peace treaty confirmed the balance of power established by the 1531 Second Kappel ''Landfrieden'', that is to say, the political dominance of the Catholic cantons within the Confederacy. ▼
▲On 24 January 1656, at the [[Firstdecisive Battle of Villmergen ]], occurred.Lucernese Theand CatholicZuger troops surprisedled theby Pfyffer launched a surprise attack on Erlach's Bernese army , that had arrived at [[Villmergen]] in the early evening. <ref name=HDS/> Despite their numerical and weapon-technical inferiority, the Catholics were able to repel them, to which the missinglack of coordination among the Bernese contributed a large part. AfterThe battle prevented the ZürcherProtestants hadfrom attemptedoccupying the ''Freie Ämter'' which separated Bern and Zürich.<ref name=HDS/> After a final assault on Rapperswil on 3 February failed, theythe endedgovernments theof siegeBern withoutand successZürich opened peace talks. <ref name=HDS/> In the following weeks, several smaller skirmishes and attacks on the populace happened. {{cn|date=July 2024}}
== Aftermath ==
▲[[KingdomPeace negotiations were mediated by the cantons of France|France]]Fribourg, Solothurn, Basel, and [[DuchySchaffhausen, ofas Savoy|Savoy]]well mediatedas by foreign diplomats, most betweennotably the belligerentsFrench ambassador Jean de La Barde. <ref Thosename=HDS/> concludedIn the ''resulting Third ''Landfrieden'' on 7 March, inboth whichparties they solemnly sworeagreed to cease combat andhostilities, grantedgrant amnesty for misconduct committed during the war and to return to the ''[[status quo ante bellum]]''. <ref name=HDS/> Moreover, all troops were withdrawn, prisoners -of -war released and the erected [[redoubt]]s were distmantled. Every canton obtained the right to maintain the ''status quo '' concerning religion. Controversial issues such as damage compensations were transferred to an [[arbitral tribunal]], <ref butname=HDS/> because ofbut bad blood within the commission remained unresolved incaused many cases to remain unresolved. The actual direct cause of the war, the Protestant refugees from Arth, was disregarded.
▲InThe fact,Third the peace treaty''Landfrieden'' confirmed the balance of power that had been established by the 1531 Second Kappel ''Landfrieden'', that is to say,with the political dominance of the Catholic cantons within the Confederacy. <ref name=HDS/> Catholics would retain their hegemony until the [[Toggenburg War]] of 1712, also known as the Second War of Villmergen.<ref name=HDS/>
== See also ==
== Literature ==
* {{in lang|de}} {{aut|Hans Rudolf Fuhrer}}, "Villmerger Kriege 1656/1712", in ''Militärgeschichte zum Anfassen 19'' (Bern 2005). Militärische Akademie der ETH Zürich/Bundesamt für Bauten und Logistik.
* {{in lang|de}} {{aut|Thomas Lau}}, ''[http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/d/D8910.php Villmergerkrieg, Erster]'' (2014). Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz.
== References ==
{{more footnotes|date=August 2015}}
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