Battle of Ragaz

The battles of Ragaz (now Bad Ragaz) was the last military episode of the Ancienne war of Zurich opposing the Confédérés to Zurich and the house of Habsbourg. It took place on March 6th, 1446.

Context

After the defeat of the allied inhabitants of Zurich of Habsbourg in 1443 at the time of the Battle of St Jakob year der Sihl and the retreat of the Armagnacs in 1444 at the conclusion of the Battle of Birse, the emperor Frederic III of the Holy roman Empire invited the nobility of the south of Germany to engage against Swiss Confédérés. Counts, knights and various noble were combined of number as of 1445 to carry out military operations. Between the Lake of Constancy and Coire, the situation was summarized primarily with actions of Guérilla with small units on the two sides. Twice, the raids intensified with attacks more marked on Appenzell in 1445 and in the area of Sargans in 1446.

The confederated territories were next to indeed the grounds of the counts de Montfort and of Werdenberg. Confédérés also encroached on the zone controlled by the Famille Von Brandis. One of the reasons of the conflict can be allotted to the declaration of war the November 29th 1444 of Wolfhard von Brandis against Glaris which had adapted territories. The climate between Zurich and Schwytz in addition was very tended since both disputed the county of Toggenburg.

After the army of Von Brandis had pushed back Glaronnais, Confédérés entered in war in spring 1445. After their return of an operation in the lower Vorarlberg, they launched a punitive forwarding against the family Von Brandis and the count Heinrich II von Werdenberg-Sargans. They crossed the Rhine to Schollberg, then set fire to Balzers and Sargans, plundered Mels and Flums before returning to their homes. In February 1446, the army of Confédérés took part in some skirmishes in the territory of Sargans against troops of the family Von Brandis.

March 6th, 1446 close to Ragaz: 1200 confederated soldiers met the Austrian army of: 5000 men ordered by Hans Von Rechberg and Wolfhard Von Held up. At the conclusion of the engagements, the coalition of Habsbourg lost 900 men whereas the losses on the confederated side rose only with 100 men.

April 30th, 1446, Hans von Rechberg and Wolfhard von Brandis counter-attacked with: 4000 men and took again the control of the area of Sargans. This one passed by again in hand of the counts de Werdenberg-Sargans. The battle of Ragaz put a term at the Ancienne war of Zurich which had lasted 14 years (1436 - 1450). A cease-fire was concluded on June 12th, 1446. In 1450, the Paix of Einsiedeln was signed. Zurich recovered almost all its possessions but n the other hand, had to put a term at its alliance with Austria

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