Villmerger Wars

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First battle of Villmergen

The Villmerger Wars are two wars between Reformed and Catholic places in the Confederation , both of which were decided in battles near Villmergen . The First Villmerger War took place in 1656, the Second Villmerger War in 1712.

prehistory

Since the Reformation, there has been a rift in Switzerland between the Reformed, more centralized and progressive urban areas and the Catholic, more particularistic and conservative rural areas. After the Catholic places emerged victorious from the Second Kappel War , they were able to gain political supremacy within the Confederation in addition to territorial gains in the Second Kappel Peace .

First Villmerger War

The First Villmerger War came after the attempt at federal reform ( federal project of 1655 ) failed due to the resistance of the Catholic towns. Zurich then urged its allies to go to war against the Catholics. It used an argument with the Schwyzers over the expulsion and execution of some new believers from Arth to force a decision. Zurich troops moved before Rapperswil , which they besieged, however, unsuccessfully . On January 24, 1656, Catholic troops decisively defeated the Bernese in the First Battle of Villmergen .

The Third Land Peace of March 7, 1656 restored the old conditions as they had been created by the Second Kappeler Land Peace of 1531. This ensured the political hegemony of the Catholics in the Confederation.

Second Villmerger War

In 1712, Bern and Zurich took advantage of a dispute between the Prince Abbey of St. Gallen and their non-denominational subjects in Toggenburg, as well as the favorable foreign policy situation of this time - France and Habsburg were militarily weakened by the War of the Spanish Succession - to attack the Catholic towns again. In the so-called Toggenburg War or Second Villmerger War , which was decided by the Second Battle of Villmergen on July 25, 1712, Bern and Zurich were victorious thanks to good preparation and modern war technology. It was followed by the fourth country peace , which ended the supremacy of the Catholic places.

literature

  • Ulrich Im Hof : History of Switzerland , Kohlhammer Verlag, Stuttgart 2007.

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