Müsserkrieg
Overview map of the Müsserkrieg
| date | 1525/26 and 1531/32 |
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| place | Graubünden , Lombardy |
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| Parties to the conflict | |
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Three Leagues : Zehngerichtebund Gotteshausbund Grauer Bund and Old Confederation : Zurich Bern Glarus Solothurn Freiburg Basel Schaffhausen Appenzell
and Toggenburg Thurgau |
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| Commander | |
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The Müsserkriege , named after Musso Castle, between the Free State of the Three Leagues and the Duchy of Milan lasted from 1525 to 1526 (First Müsserkrieg) and from 1531 to 1532 (Second Müsserkrieg). The Second Müsserkrieg was the occasion for the Second Kappel War between the Reformed and Catholic places of the Old Confederation .
First Müsserkrieg 1525/26
The Drei Bünde had been in the possession of Valtellina , Chiavennas , Bormios and an area around the upper Lake Como that was known as tre pievi or "Drei Pleven" in German since the Milan Wars in 1512 . However, the Duchy of Milan maintained its claims to these areas, which had previously belonged to the Milan-ruled city republic of Como . After the defeat of the Confederates at Marignano in 1515, the communities of the Three Plevens declared themselves to be part of Milan again, but this was not recognized by the Graubünden. This territorial dispute between Milan and the Three Leagues was exacerbated by the emerging Reformation in the Three Leagues, because the Bündner allowed the Reformation to spread in the areas claimed by Milan. The Reformation and the political division that came with it also weakened the position of the Graubünden and the Swiss Confederation in relation to the claims of Milan, as the Catholic towns were more willing to accept a relapse of Graubünden territories to Milan than have to accept a further spread of the Reformation.
Gian Giacomo Medici (known as the "Müsser" or "il Medeghino") controlled Musso Castle near Dongo , which was strongly fortified by Gian Giacomo Trivulzio , and Lake Como and the surrounding areas with a troop of brigands, mercenaries and impoverished local nobles Como and the Valtellina. He himself was a partisan of the Sforza and was banished from Milan for a political murder. How he was able to seize Musso Castle has not yet been finally clarified. With ships he also hindered the movement of goods between Como and the Three Leagues through pirate actions and regularly raided the areas controlled by the Graubünden at the northern end of the lake. The areas he ruled became a de facto independent rule between Milan and the Three Leagues. While between 1524 and 1525 the Duchy of Milan, ruled by the Sforza, was again at war with France, which was supported by the Confederations and the Three Leagues, Gian Giacomo Medici began a border war against the Three Leagues and thus gave rise to the First Müsserkrieg. In a stroke of hand he took Chiavenna and the Three Pleven, while the Grisons army was tied up in the war for Milan. The Sforza then reconciled with him and gave him the title of castellan of Musso, associated with control of the area of Porlezza and Valsassina as well as the area of Chiavenna, which he actually ruled. An incursion into Valtellina was repulsed by the governor of Graubünden, Johann Travers , but Chiavenna remained in the hands of Medici. The Grisons finally withdrew their troops from the siege of Pavia to defend the Valtellina. Travers signed an armistice for three months and traveled with other Bünder envoys to Milan to negotiate a peace. The negotiations failed, however, and on the return trip the Graubünden envoys were arrested in September 1525 on behalf of the "Müssers" and imprisoned at Musso Castle. This affront prompted the Drei Bünde to use artillery to attack Gian Giacomo Medici. At Morbegno this was defeated and Chiavenna was also recaptured by Graubünden troops. Recapturing Musso Castle was beyond the capabilities of the Grisons. The "Müsser" agreed to a ceasefire, but with the support of the Catholic communities in the Confederation, refused to make a lasting peace. The prisoners could finally be released after federal mediation with a ransom of 15,000 crowns and the waiver of the Drei Bünde on the Three Pleven.
In the meantime, the "Müsser" and his troops switched to the French side and now fought the imperial governor in Milan, Antonio de Leyva , with a guerrilla war. It was not until 1528 that the imperial side succeeded in the conflict over Milan in winning Gian Giacomo Medici back to their side with the Treaty of Pioltello. In return, he received the areas he ruled around Lake Como as an imperial fiefdom with the titles of Marquis of Musso and Count of Lecco. This made him a sovereign prince in his area. As a representative of the Catholic party, he now also influenced the events in Graubünden. Allegedly the plan existed to make his brother, Gian Angelo Medici , archpriest in Mazzo in Valtellina, bishop of Chur . The Reformed Bündner were openly hostile to him and refused to let his sister go to her wedding with Wolf Dietrich von Hohenems in Feldkirch . Abbot Theodul Schlegel of St. Luzi in Chur was accused in 1529 of conspiring with the Müsser and was executed for it.
Second Müsserkrieg 1531/32
The reason for the Second Müsserkrieg was a renewed attack by the "Müsser" on the Valtellina in 1531, in which he captured Morbegno at the entrance to the Valtellina and had fortifications built there. He also had Graubünden envoys intercepted and murdered in Milan. The Drei Bünde now advanced into Valtellina under the leadership of Johann Travers, but were repulsed by the crew there near Morbegno. The Bündner lost around 200 men, including the Bergell leader, Dietegen Salis . The three leagues now called the confederates to help. However, the five Catholic towns refused to provide assistance without the Graubünden residents returning to Catholicism beforehand. Zurich , Bern , Glarus , Toggenburg , Thurgau , Solothurn , Freiburg im Üechtland , Basel , Schaffhausen and Appenzell finally sent around 5,000 men to Chur.
The troops of the Bündner, around 2,000 men, and the Confederates, around 4,900 men, united at Chiavenna at the beginning of April after the Bündner had successfully stormed Morbegno on their second attempt. At this time Gian Giacomo Medici was able to bring together around 3,000 mercenaries, whom he had distributed over his fortified places in Lecco , Monguzzo and Musso. He also had numerous well-equipped warships on Lake Como and Lake Mezzola . At its upper end, his troops awaited the arrival of the Graubünden and Confederates in fortified positions at La Riva .
On April 14th, the Confederates attacked and overran the entrenchments at La Riva. Some ships fell into their hands, so that the guns that had been carried by the Zurichers could now be used against the fortresses of the "Müssers" in the Three Pleven. Gravedona and Dongo fell, only Musso Castle could not be taken immediately. On April 29th, the siege of Sasso di Musso, which dominates Lake Como, began. After ten days, the people of Zurich were able to place their cannons in an advantageous position above the fortress, so that it was possible to capture Musso Castle.
In this situation, Duke Francesco II Sforza of Milan intervened, as it was feared that the Graubünden and Confederates could conquer large areas on Lake Como. He signed a treaty with the Confederates, which provided that he himself should destroy the fortress Musso and remove Gian Giacomo Medici from his territory. In return, the Drei Pleven and the areas ruled by the Müsser would definitely revert to Milan. In return, Milan recognized the property of the Three Leagues in Chiavenna, Valtellina and Bormio, continued to pay the war costs and took 1,200 Swiss Confederates over into his pay. Thereupon the federal and Graubünden troops withdrew up to 1200 men again from the areas occupied by them between Porlezza and the upper Lake Como. The war against the "Müsser" had, to a certain extent, been outsourced to the Duchy of Milan.
Gian Giacomo Medici held Musso Castle and the fortified city of Lecco until the end, which he only gave up on March 1, 1532 in a contract with the Duke of Milan through the mediation of his brother Giovanni Angelo Medici. In exchange he received the title of Margrave of Marignano, the sum of 35,000 Scudi and an amnesty for all his followers. Musso Castle was then destroyed in accordance with the contract. Medici moved to the court of Emperor Charles V and served as a general in his service. He died on November 8, 1555 and is buried in Milan Cathedral. The refusal to provide aid by the Catholic cantons gave rise to further disputes between the Reformed and the Catholic cantons in the Swiss Confederation and culminated in the Second Kappel War .
See also : History of Switzerland , List of Swiss battles , Ursula (narration)
literature
- Friedrich Pieth : Bündnergeschichte . Schuler, Chur 1945.
Web links
- Martin Bundi: Müsserkriege. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
Individual evidence
- ^ Pieth, Bündnergeschichte, p. 127f.
- ^ Pieth, Bündnergeschichte, p. 129.
- ^ Leonhard von Muralt: "Renaissance and Reformation". In: Handbuch der Schweizer Geschichte , Vol. 1. Report house: Zurich 1972, pp. 389-570, p. 510.
- ^ Leonhard von Muralt: "Renaissance and Reformation". In: Handbuch der Schweizer Geschichte , Vol. 1. Report house: Zurich 1972, pp. 389-570, p. 511.