491:
467:, the canton which contributed the force, it was nevertheless a Swiss success in strategic terms. Because of the heavy casualties on the French side, the original plan of moving towards ZĂĽrich, where a Swiss force of 30,000 was ready, was now judged unfavorably by the Dauphin. The French troops turned back, contributing to the eventual Swiss victory in the Old ZĂĽrich War. The actions of the Swiss were praised as heroic by contemporary observers, and reports of the event quickly spread throughout Europe.
171:
25:
454:
to bombard the hospital, inflicting heavy casualties on the Swiss. Nevertheless, as the offensive party, the Swiss categorically refused to surrender. As the
Armagnacs moved into the hospital, the remaining Swiss were pressed into the hospital's garden and killed to the last man within half an hour.
474:
signed at
Ensisheim on 28 October, and withdrew his troops from the Alsace in the spring of 1445. The intervention of the Church Council being held in the city of Basel at that time was crucial in instigating this peace: the Swiss Confederates were allies of the city of Basel, and so the Dauphin's
446:
The fighting lasted for several hours and was of an intensity evoking awed commentary from witnesses. Eventually, the Swiss pike squares weakened, so the commander ordered his men to retreat into a small hospital of St. Jakob. A small reinforcement from Basel was repulsed, and its leader, Henman
533:
at the hands of a dying Swiss fighter, became symbolic of the outcome of the battle and the strategy of deterring powers of superior military strength from invading
Switzerland by the threat of inflicting disproportionate casualties even in defeat, pursued by Swiss high command during
475:
war could also be construed as an aggressive act against the
Council housed within its walls. Charles VII of France had implemented the reformist decrees of the Council of Basel in 1438, so it was important for the Dauphin not to appear to be threatening its members.
417:. Enthused by this success, and despite strict orders to the contrary, the Swiss troops crossed the Birs to meet the bulk of the French army of some 30,000 men, which was ready for battle. Immediately, the Swiss forces formed three
630:
Wie einst der
Spartanerkönig Leonidas und seine Schar hatte sich die tapfere Jungmannschaft der Eidgenossen geopfert, um das Vaterland vor der Zerstörung zu bewahren.'
512:
The battle became a symbol of Swiss military bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. It was celebrated in 19th-century Swiss patriotism, finding explicit mention in
694:
Marco
Tomaszewski, "Zwischen Stadt- und Nationalgedächtnis: die Schlacht bei Sankt Jakob an der Birs von 1444 und ihre Erinnerung vom 15. bis zum 21. Jahrhundert",
501:
While the sheer bravery or foolhardiness on the Swiss side was recognized by contemporaries, it was only in the 19th century, after the collapse of the
Napoleonic
680:
Werner Meyer, "Also griffen die
Eidgenossen das Volk an. Die Schlacht bei St. Jakob an der Birs – Hintergründe, Verlauf und Bedeutung" in: Meyer/Geiser (eds.),
522:
dates to 1872. Memorial ceremonies at the site were held from 1824, from 1860 to 1894 yearly, and afterward every five years (discontinued after 1994).
786:
231:
42:
89:
61:
547:
478:
In terms of military tactics, the battle exposed the weakness of pike formations against artillery, marking the beginning of the era of
518:, the Swiss national anthem from the 1850s to 1961. The first monument at the battle site was erected in 1824, the current monument by
68:
123:
724:
75:
761:
57:
673:
766:
756:
718:
535:
355:
108:
603:
Hardy, Duncan (2012). "The 1444–5 Expedition of the
Dauphin Louis to the Upper Rhine in Geopolitical Perspective".
46:
82:
530:
385:) with an army of about 30,000 of these Ă©corcheurs into Switzerland, most of them Armagnacs, to relieve
781:
776:
226:
751:
514:
771:
593:
reportedly all except for 16 who escaped; Meyer (2012) cites "about 1,200" dead on the Swiss side.
746:
35:
463:
Even though the battle itself was a devastating defeat for the Swiss, and a significant blow to
689:
Gedenkbuch zur FĂĽnfhundertjahrfeier der
Schlacht bei St. Jakob an der Birs vom 26. August 1444
526:
506:
374:
359:
344:
308:
479:
251:
519:
495:
8:
432:
370:
352:
247:
176:
714:
502:
471:
378:
320:
162:
699:
612:
490:
397:
decided to send an advance troop of 1,300, primarily young pikemen. These moved to
312:
409:
In the early morning, they managed to surprise and rout French vanguard troops at
616:
324:
666:
660:
654:
332:
740:
691:, Historische und Antiquarische Gesellschaft zu Basel (1944), pp. 1–72.
440:
436:
435:), described the battle in vivid detail, telling how the Swiss ripped bloody
138:
125:
443:
or had lost their hands, charging the Armagnacs to avenge their own deaths.
439:
from their bodies and charged the enemy even after they had been pierced by
366:
428:
401:
on the night of 25 August, where they were joined by a local force of 200.
470:
The Dauphin formally made peace with the Swiss Confederacy and Basel in a
703:
509:, a heroic and selfless rescue of the fatherland from a French invasion.
418:
328:
170:
687:
Hans Georg Wackernagel, "Die Schlacht bei St. Jakob an der Birs", in:
729:
451:
394:
571:
the estimate of 30,000 to 40,000 troops is due to Hans Rudolf Kurz,
386:
348:
24:
410:
382:
667:
661:
655:
422:
414:
398:
485:
431:(1405–1464, later Pope Pius II, until 1439 participant in the
319:. The battle took place on 26 August 1444 and was part of the
584:
ca. 2,000 dead on the Armagnac side according to Meyer (2012)
421:
of five hundred men each, and they fought well when Armagnac
390:
235:
200:
464:
316:
682:
Ereignis, Mythos, Deutung. 1444–1994 St. Jakob an der Birs
505:, that the battle came to be stylized as a kind of Swiss
369:", troublesome troops made idle by the truce with King
634:
Die Geschichte der Schweiz. Von den Anfängen bis heute
696:
Basler Zeitschrift fĂĽr Geschichte und Altertumskunde
494:
Memorial for the Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs of
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
389:. As the French forces entered Swiss territory at
738:
351:and besieged the city. ZĂĽrich had allied with
486:Legacy in Swiss historiography and patriotism
548:List of battles of the Old Swiss Confederacy
425:charged again and again and were repulsed.
335:, today within Basel's St-Alban district.
270:30,000–40,000(certainly exaggerated)
787:15th century in the Old Swiss Confederacy
315:) mercenaries, on the banks of the river
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
489:
739:
567:
565:
563:
362:to send an army to relieve the siege.
643:
602:
709:Miller, Douglas & Embleton G.A.
674:Historical Dictionary of Switzerland
393:, the Swiss commanders stationed at
47:adding citations to reliable sources
18:
560:
365:Charles, seeking to send away the "
13:
343:In 1443, the seven cantons of the
323:. The site of the battle was near
175:Illustration of the battle in the
14:
798:
713:London: Osprey Publishing, 1981.
58:"Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs"
16:1444 battle of the Old ZĂĽrich War
169:
23:
651:Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs
305:Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs
156:Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs
34:needs additional citations for
623:
596:
587:
578:
450:The Armagnac troops set their
1:
762:Battles involving Switzerland
553:
338:
331:, just over 1 km outside the
684:, Basel 1994, pp. 9–57.
617:10.1080/03044181.2012.697051
458:
7:
711:The Swiss at War 1300–1500.
636:. C. H. Beck, MĂĽnchen 2011.
605:Journal of Medieval History
541:
358:, who now appealed to King
10:
803:
767:Battles of the Middle Ages
429:Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini
282:200–300 Basel troops
404:
288:
264:
241:
220:
183:
168:
160:
155:
757:Battles involving France
515:Rufst du, mein Vaterland
307:was fought between the
649: Werner Meyer:
248:Louis Dauphin of France
498:
347:invaded the canton of
279:ca. 1,300 Confederates
242:Commanders and leaders
493:
447:Sevogel, was killed.
360:Charles VII of France
345:Old Swiss Confederacy
309:Old Swiss Confederacy
289:Casualties and losses
704:10.5169/seals-391677
525:The death of knight
252:Antoine de Chabannes
43:improve this article
573:Schweizerschlachten
529:, according to the
527:Burkhard VII. MĂĽnch
433:Council of Florence
377:, sent his son the
371:Henry VI of England
333:city walls of Basel
311:and French (mostly
135: /
725:Vom Siegen ermĂĽdet
644:Additional sources
632:Volker Reinhardt,
499:
383:Louis XI of France
375:Hundred Years' War
353:Holy Roman Emperor
177:Tschachtlanchronik
782:Conflicts in 1444
520:Ferdinand Schlöth
503:Helvetic Republic
496:Ferdinand Schlöth
480:gunpowder warfare
301:
300:
297:1,200–1,500
216:
215:
119:
118:
111:
93:
794:
777:History of Basel
669:
663:
657:
637:
627:
621:
620:
600:
594:
591:
585:
582:
576:
569:
185:
184:
173:
153:
152:
150:
149:
147:
146:
145:
140:
139:47.542°N 7.618°E
136:
133:
132:
131:
128:
114:
107:
103:
100:
94:
92:
51:
27:
19:
802:
801:
797:
796:
795:
793:
792:
791:
752:1440s in France
737:
736:
723:Peter Keller, "
646:
641:
640:
628:
624:
601:
597:
592:
588:
583:
579:
570:
561:
556:
544:
488:
461:
407:
341:
275:
259:
250:
234:
204:
174:
143:
141:
137:
134:
129:
126:
124:
122:
121:
115:
104:
98:
95:
52:
50:
40:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
800:
790:
789:
784:
779:
774:
769:
764:
759:
754:
749:
747:1444 in Europe
735:
734:
721:
707:
692:
685:
678:
671:in the online
645:
642:
639:
638:
622:
611:(3): 358–387.
595:
586:
577:
558:
557:
555:
552:
551:
550:
543:
540:
536:the World Wars
487:
484:
460:
457:
437:crossbow bolts
406:
403:
340:
337:
321:Old ZĂĽrich War
299:
298:
295:
291:
290:
286:
285:
284:
283:
280:
271:
267:
266:
262:
261:
260:Henman Sevogel
254:
244:
243:
239:
238:
229:
223:
222:
218:
217:
214:
213:
212:French victory
210:
206:
205:
199:
197:
193:
192:
191:26 August 1444
189:
181:
180:
166:
165:
163:Old ZĂĽrich War
158:
157:
117:
116:
31:
29:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
799:
788:
785:
783:
780:
778:
775:
773:
770:
768:
765:
763:
760:
758:
755:
753:
750:
748:
745:
744:
742:
732:
731:
726:
722:
720:
719:0-85045-334-8
716:
712:
708:
705:
701:
697:
693:
690:
686:
683:
679:
676:
675:
670:
664:
658:
652:
648:
647:
635:
631:
626:
618:
614:
610:
606:
599:
590:
581:
574:
568:
566:
564:
559:
549:
546:
545:
539:
537:
532:
528:
523:
521:
517:
516:
510:
508:
504:
497:
492:
483:
481:
476:
473:
468:
466:
456:
453:
448:
444:
442:
438:
434:
430:
426:
424:
420:
416:
412:
402:
400:
396:
392:
388:
384:
380:
376:
372:
368:
363:
361:
357:
356:Frederick III
354:
350:
346:
336:
334:
330:
326:
322:
318:
314:
310:
306:
296:
293:
292:
287:
281:
278:
277:
276:
272:
269:
268:
263:
258:
255:
253:
249:
246:
245:
240:
237:
233:
232:Seven Cantons
230:
228:
225:
224:
219:
211:
208:
207:
203:, Switzerland
202:
198:
195:
194:
190:
187:
186:
182:
178:
172:
167:
164:
159:
154:
151:
148:
144:47.542; 7.618
113:
110:
102:
99:December 2020
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
60: –
59:
55:
54:Find sources:
48:
44:
38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
772:MĂĽnchenstein
728:
710:
698:111 (2011),
695:
688:
681:
672:
650:
633:
629:
625:
608:
604:
598:
589:
580:
572:
524:
513:
511:
500:
477:
469:
462:
449:
445:
427:
419:pike squares
408:
381:(later King
364:
342:
325:MĂĽnchenstein
304:
302:
273:
256:
221:Belligerents
161:Part of the
120:
105:
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
677:, 2012.
531:chroniclers
507:Thermopylae
329:Switzerland
142: /
741:Categories
554:References
367:Ă©corcheurs
339:Background
127:47°32′31″N
69:newspapers
730:Weltwoche
459:Aftermath
452:artillery
395:Farnsburg
274:ca. 1,500
130:7°37′05″E
733:16/2012.
542:See also
411:Pratteln
313:Armagnac
265:Strength
196:Location
668:Italian
575:2nd ed.
423:cavalry
415:Muttenz
399:Liestal
379:Dauphin
373:in the
257:Unknown
179:of 1470
83:scholar
717:
662:French
656:German
472:treaty
405:Battle
387:ZĂĽrich
349:ZĂĽrich
227:France
209:Result
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
441:pikes
391:Basel
294:2,000
236:Basel
201:Basel
90:JSTOR
76:books
715:ISBN
665:and
653:in
465:Bern
413:and
317:Birs
303:The
188:Date
62:news
727:",
700:doi
613:doi
45:by
743::
659:,
609:38
607:.
562:^
538:.
482:.
327:,
706:.
702::
619:.
615::
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
