Battle at Rothenthurm
Helvetic Revolution
| date | May 2, 1798 |
|---|---|
| place | Rothenthurm ( Schwyz ) |
| output | Schwyz victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
|
Adjutant General |
Governor |
| Troop strength | |
| ? | ? |
| losses | |
|
? |
? |
Lengnau · Grenchen · Ruhsel · Büren · Col de la Croix · St. Niklaus · Fraubrunnen · Neuenegg · Grauholz · Hägglingen · Wollerau · Stucketen-Chäppeli · Schindellegi · Rothenthurm · Morgarten · Pfyn I · Nidwalden · Pfyn II
The battle at Rothenthurm took place on May 2, 1798. It was a military conflict between the country of Schwyz and troops of the French Republic . The latter intervened at the request of the Helvetic Republic , against which the Schwyz had revolted.
prehistory
After their Glarus allies had been defeated in a battle near Wollerau on April 30, the Schwyz defensive positions near Schindellegi . When their commanding officer, Major Balthasar Bellmont, wanted to leave for Rothenturm to take part in a council of war there, he was murdered by his own people, who suspected him of cowardice, even treason.
So the Schwyzer stood there without a guide when the battle broke out at Schindellegi on May 1st . Nevertheless, they managed to repel the French. At that moment, Governor Alois von Reding arrived and ordered the troops to withdraw. For in the meantime Einsiedeln had been surrendered without a fight, and the weak groups on the Jostenberg were beginning to give way to the superior force. The Schindellegi defenders were in danger of being cut off or even encircled. On the march back they destroyed the bridge over the Sihl . Then they retired to the woods near Rothenthurm.
course
On the same day - on May 2nd - the Schwyzer, reinforced by a second battalion and the Landsturm under Alois von Reding, awaited the French under Adjutant General Philibert Fressinet on the Altmatt. In the battle near Rothenthurm they succeeded in defeating the numerically superior French. Reding led his men with the words: We don't flee, we die.
consequences
Despite their success, the Schwyzers were in a losing position. They were tired of war, the French, despite great losses, overwhelming. In this desperate situation, von Reding advised peace. There was still fighting at Arth on May 3rd , but on May 4th the Landsgemeinde decided to surrender and adopt the Helvetic Constitution.
losses
Adding up all the battles in spring 1798, the losses of the Schwyz and their subjects, according to lists of names drawn up by the pastors, amounted to 172 dead and 133 wounded. The people of Zug are said to have mourned 30 dead and 25 wounded, the Glarus 28 dead and 30 wounded, the Uri 6 dead and 7 wounded.
Memorial shooting
Since 1948, the Rothenthurm field rifle club has organized an annual historical shooting in memory of the battle near Rothenthurm. A memorial service is held in the parish church of Rothenthurm in memory of the fallen.
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Heinrich Zschokke: History of the struggle and fall of the Swiss mountain and forest cantons, especially the old federal canton of Schwyz. Bern / Zurich 1801 ( digitized ).
- ^ Heinrich Zschokke : History of the struggle and fall of the Swiss mountain and forest cantons, especially the old federal canton of Schwyz. Bern / Zurich 1801 ( digitized version ), list of those who died and were wounded in the fight for the fatherland.
- ↑ Historical memorial shooting at Rothenthurm ( Memento of the original from March 8, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
