The Appenzell Wars () were a series of conflicts that lasted from 1401 until 1429 in the

Appenzell Appenzell () was a cantons of Switzerland, canton in the northeast of Switzerland, and entirely surrounded by the canton of St. Gallen, in existence from 1403 to 1597. Appenzell became independent of the Abbey of Saint Gall in 1403 and entered ...

region of modern-day

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. The wars consisted of uprisings of

cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomy, autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned a ...

groups, such as the farmers of Appenzell or the craftsmen of the city of St. Gallen, against the traditional medieval

power structure In political science, power is the ability to influence or direct the actions, beliefs, or conduct of actors. Power does not exclusively refer to the threat or use of force ( coercion) by one actor against another, but may also be exerted thr ...

represented by the

House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful Dynasty, dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout ...

and the Prince-Abbot of the Abbey of St. Gall. The conflict was one of a number of popular revolts in late-medieval Europe. It resulted in greater autonomy for Appenzell and its association with the

Old Swiss Confederacy The Old Swiss Confederacy, also known as Switzerland or the Swiss Confederacy, was a loose confederation of independent small states (, German or ), initially within the Holy Roman Empire. It is the precursor of the modern state of Switzerlan ...

, of which it would become a member ( canton) in 1513.

Background

Appenzell (the name in means "cell (i.e. estate) of the

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...

") had been under the personal control of the abbot of St. Gall. While the Prince-Abbot appointed agents or bailiffs, the communities in Appenzell were governed by a council appointed by the ''

Landsgemeinde The ''Landsgemeinde'' ("cantonal assembly"; , plural ''Landsgemeinden'') is a public, non-secret ballot voting system operating by majority rule. Still in use – in a few places – at the subnational political level in Switzerland, it was fo ...

'', in which every citizen could vote. The success of the

Swiss Confederation Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerlan ...

, with similar ''Landsgemeinden'', against the aristocratic Habsburgs encouraged the Appenzell citizens to consider throwing off the Abbot's agents. By the 1360s, conflicts over

mortmain Mortmain () is the perpetual, inalienable ownership of real estate by a corporation or legal institution; the term is usually used in the context of its prohibition. Historically, the land owner usually would be the religious office of a church ...

, taxes, and tithes were causing concern for both parties. Both the abbot and Appenzell wanted to protect their rights and interests by joining the new

Swabian League of Cities The Swabian League of Cities () was a Municipal association, political and military alliance formed in 1376, initially of 14 Swabian Free imperial city, imperial cities under the leadership of Free Imperial City of Ulm, Ulm that lasted until 1 ...

. Appenzell was admitted into the League in 1377, on the condition of being subordinate to the cities of St. Gallen and

Konstanz Konstanz ( , , , ), traditionally known as Constance in English, is a college town, university city with approximately 83,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the Baden-Württemberg state of south Germany. The city ho ...

. In 1379, Kuno von Stoffeln became Prince-Abbot of St. Gall. Soon he reached an agreement with Appenzell, who had initially refused to pay him homage, and the city of St. Gallen. In 1392, Kuno, whose rule became increasingly authoritarian, formed an alliance with the

Duchy of Austria The Duchy of Austria (; ) was a medieval principality of the Holy Roman Empire, established in 1156 by the '' Privilegium Minus'', when the Margraviate of Austria ('' Ostarrîchi'') was detached from Bavaria and elevated to a duchy in its own ri ...

, which was renewed in 1402. In response, in 1401 Appenzell entered into an alliance with the city of St. Gallen to protect their rights and freedoms.

Outbreak

Following increasing conflicts between the Appenzellers and the abbot's agents, including the bailiff of Appenzell demanding that a dead body be dug up because he wanted the man's clothes, the Appenzellers planned an uprising. On a certain day, throughout the abbot's lands, they attacked the bailiffs and drove them out of the land. Following unsuccessful negotiations Appenzell and St. Gallen entered into a treaty. The treaty between St. Gallen and Appenzell marked a break between the abbot and his estates. Perhaps fearing the Habsburgs, in 1402 the League expelled Appenzell. During the same year, St. Gallen reached an agreement with the abbot and Appenzell could no longer count on St. Gallen's support. Appenzell declared itself ready to stand against the abbot, and in 1403 formed an alliance with the

Canton of Schwyz The canton of Schwyz ( ; ; ; ) is a Cantons of Switzerland, canton in central Switzerland between the Swiss Alps, Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne to the west and Lake Zürich in the north, centred on and named after the town of Schwyz. It is one ...

, a member of the

that had defeated the Austrians in the previous century.

Glarus Glarus (; ; ; ; ) is the capital of the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Since 1 January 2011, the municipality of Glarus incorporates the former municipalities of Ennenda, Netstal and Riedern. In response, the League raised an army and marched to St. Gallen before heading toward Appenzell. In May 1403, the abbot's and the League's troops marched toward Trogen. On 15 May 1403, they entered the pass to Speicher and outside the village of Vögelinsegg met the Appenzell army. A small force of about 80 Appenzellers started the attack from a hill over the valley, with about 300 soldiers from Schwyz and 200 from Glarus moving around the flanks of the army. When the League's

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

charged up the hill, they met 2000 Appenzellers and were forced to retreat. During the retreat, about 600 horsemen and many of the 5000

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

were killed by the Appenzell army. The League signed an

armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...

with Appenzell at

Arbon Arbon is a historic town and a municipality and district capital of the district of Arbon in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. Arbon is located on the southern shore of Lake Constance, on a railway line between Konstanz/Romanshorn and ...

, but the peace was short lived.

Course of the wars

Appenzell continued its incursions into the abbot's lands in the

Rhine valley Rhine Valley (German: ''Rheintal'' ) is the valley, or any section of it, of the river Rhine in Europe. Particular valleys of the Rhine or any of its sections: * Alpine Rhine Valley ** Chur Rhine Valley (or Grisonian Rhine Valley; , or sometimes ...

and around

Lake Constance Lake Constance (, ) refers to three bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein (). These ...

. Additionally, over the next two years, the city of St. Gallen and Appenzell drew closer, which led to an intervention by

Frederick IV, Duke of Austria Frederick IV (1382 – 24 June 1439), also known as Frederick of the Empty Pockets (), a member of the House of Habsburg, was List of rulers of Austria, Duke of Austria from 1402 until his death. As a scion of the Habsburg Leopoldian line, he rul ...

, in support of the abbot. He provided the abbot with two Austrian armies to attack Appenzell. On 17 June 1405, the main army marched into Stoss Pass on the border of Appenzell and there met the Appenzell army. Following a brutal battle, the Austrian army was forced to retreat. The story that the Austrians retreated when they saw a second Appenzeller army, which was actually the women of Appenzell who had come to help their husbands and brothers, only appears in later sources and is not considered accurate. Following the Appenzell victory at Stoss Pass, they formed an alliance with the city of St. Gallen, which was known as the ' ("alliance over the lake", referring to the nearby Lake Constance). The creation of the ' shook the foundation of Austrian power in the Lake Constance region. By 1406 they had taken more than 60 castles and destroyed 30. During the expansion, Appenzell had even captured the abbot of St Gall and in response they were

excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in communion with other members of the con ...

by the Bishop of Constance. However, while the ' expanded the Austrians used the peace to regain their strength. On 11 September 1406 an association of nobles formed a knightly order known as the '' Order of St. George's Shield'' to oppose the rebellious commoners of the '. The order besieged the ' city of

Bregenz Bregenz (; ) is the capital of Vorarlberg, the westernmost states of Austria, state of Austria. The city lies on the east and southeast shores of Lake Constance, the third-largest freshwater lake in Central Europe, between Switzerland in the wes ...

in 1407. On 13 January 1408 ' troops marched against the Order and Austrian troops outside the city. The attack was a disaster for the ', when their troops were defeated and driven back from the walls. Following the defeat Appenzell was unable to hold the ' together. The city of St. Gallen and the canton of Schwyz each paid off the Austrians to avoid an attack, and the ' was dissolved by King Rupert on 4 April 1408. As part of the peace treaty, the abbot gave up his ownership of Appenzell, but was still owned certain taxes. However, it wasn't until 1410 that the area was at peace. In 1411, Appenzell signed a defensive treaty with the entire Swiss Confederation (except

Bern Bern (), or Berne (), ; ; ; . is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city".; ; ; . According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has gov ...

), which strengthened their independence from the abbot, joining the Confederation as an "associate member" (it wouldn't become a full member until 1513).

Conclusion

In the following years, Appenzell refused to pay the taxes that they owed the Abbey of St. Gall. In 1421, the Confederation supported the abbot over the matter of these taxes, and multiple

imperial ban The imperial ban () was a form of outlawry in the Holy Roman Empire. At different times, it could be declared by the Holy Roman Emperor, by the Imperial Diet, or by courts like the League of the Holy Court (''Vehmgericht'') or the '' Reichskammerg ...

s were imposed on Appenzell to try to force them to pay. When these were unsuccessful, in 1426 they were placed under an

interdict In Catholic canon law, an interdict () is an ecclesiastical censure, or ban that prohibits certain persons or groups from participating in particular rites, or that the rites and services of the church are prohibited in certain territories for ...

, Frederick VII, Count of Toggenburg, supported by the Order of St. George's Shield marched into Appenzell. On 2 December 1428 they encountered and defeated the Appenzell army behind a heavy fortification (known as a letzi) on the field between Gossau and

Herisau Herisau is a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality and the capital of the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland. It is the seat of the canton's government and parliament; the judicial authorities are situated ...

. Following the battle, in 1429 Appenzell was forced to repay the owed taxes but was granted freedom from the obligations in the future. This treaty represented the end of Appenzell's last financial tie to the Abbey of St. Gall, and a movement towards closer relationship with the Swiss Confederation.

References

{{Authority control 1400s conflicts 1410s conflicts 1420s conflicts Wars involving Switzerland Wars involving Austria Wars of the Middle Ages History of Vorarlberg History of Swabia 15th century in the Old Swiss Confederacy Peasant revolts in Europe Abbey of Saint Gall