First war of Kappel
Encyclopedia
The first war of Kappel (Erster Kappelerkrieg) was an armed conflict in 1529 between the Protestant and the Catholic
cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy
during the reformation in Switzerland
. It ended, without any battle having been fought, with the first peace of Kappel (Erster Landfriede).
Under the lead of Huldrych Zwingli
, the Protestant canton and city of Zürich
had concluded with other Protestant cantons a defence alliance, the Christliches Burgrecht
, which also included the cities of Konstanz
and Strasbourg
. The Catholic cantons in response had formed an alliance with Ferdinand of Austria
.
Conflicts between the two sides arose also over the situation in the common territories, especially the Thurgau
, where the administration changed bi-annually between cantons and which thus switched between Catholic and Protestant rules. Several mediation attempts failed, such as the disputation of Baden
in 1526.
After numerous minor incidents and provocations from both sides, a Catholic priest was executed in the Thurgau in May 1528, and the Protestant pastor J. Keyser was burned at the stake in Schwyz
in 1529. The last straw was the installation of a Catholic reeve at Baden
, and Zürich declared war on 8 June, occupied the Thurgau and the territories of the Abbey of St. Gall
and marched to Kappel
at the border to Zug
.
By mediation the Federal Tagsatzung
, open war was barely avoided. Legend has it that instead of fighting, the two armies peacefully shared a milk soup, known as the Kappeler Milchsuppe, cooked in a pot placed exactly on the cantonal border between Zürich and Zug
, while a peace was negotiated. (The Catholics provided the milk, the Protestants the bread.) The peace agreement (Erster Landfriede) was not exactly favourable for the Catholic party, who had to dissolve its alliance with the Austrian Habsburg
s. The tensions remained essentially unresolved, and would flare high again in the second war of Kappel
two years later.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
during the reformation in Switzerland
Reformation in Switzerland
The Protestant Reformation in Switzerland was promoted initially by Huldrych Zwingli, who gained the support of the magistrate and population of Zürich in the 1520s. It led to significant changes in civil life and state matters in Zürich and spread to several other cantons of the Old Swiss...
. It ended, without any battle having been fought, with the first peace of Kappel (Erster Landfriede).
Under the lead of Huldrych Zwingli
Huldrych Zwingli
Ulrich Zwingli was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland. Born during a time of emerging Swiss patriotism and increasing criticism of the Swiss mercenary system, he attended the University of Vienna and the University of Basel, a scholarly centre of humanism...
, the Protestant canton and city of Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
had concluded with other Protestant cantons a defence alliance, the Christliches Burgrecht
Burgrecht
A Burgrecht was a medieval agreement, most commonly in southern Germany and northern German-speaking Switzerland. It came to refer to an agreement between a town and surrounding settlements or to include the specific rights held by a city or town.The word Burgrecht is first used by the St...
, which also included the cities of Konstanz
Konstanz
Konstanz is a university city with approximately 80,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south-west corner of Germany, bordering Switzerland. The city houses the University of Konstanz.-Location:...
and Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
. The Catholic cantons in response had formed an alliance with Ferdinand of Austria
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
.
Conflicts between the two sides arose also over the situation in the common territories, especially the Thurgau
Thurgau
Thurgau is a northeast canton of Switzerland. The population, , is . In 2007, there were a total of 47,390 who were resident foreigners. The capital is Frauenfeld.-History:...
, where the administration changed bi-annually between cantons and which thus switched between Catholic and Protestant rules. Several mediation attempts failed, such as the disputation of Baden
Baden, Switzerland
Baden is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Aargau, on the west bank of the river Limmat, located in the Limmat Valley , northwest of Zürich. It is the seat of the district of Baden...
in 1526.
After numerous minor incidents and provocations from both sides, a Catholic priest was executed in the Thurgau in May 1528, and the Protestant pastor J. Keyser was burned at the stake in Schwyz
Schwyz
The town of is the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.The Federal Charter of 1291 or Bundesbrief, the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland, can be seen at the Bundesbriefmuseum.-History of the toponym:...
in 1529. The last straw was the installation of a Catholic reeve at Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
, and Zürich declared war on 8 June, occupied the Thurgau and the territories of the Abbey of St. Gall
Abbey of St. Gall
The Abbey of Saint Gall is a religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in present-day Switzerland. The Carolingian-era Abbey has existed since 719 and became an independent principality during the 13th century, and was for many centuries one of the chief Benedictine abbeys in Europe. It was...
and marched to Kappel
Kappel am Albis
Kappel am Albis is a municipality in the district of Affoltern in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.Its name of Kappel is specified by "on the Albis" to distinguish it from two other villages called Kappel in Switzerland.-History:...
at the border to Zug
Canton of Zug
The Canton of Zug is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. It is located in central Switzerland and its capital is Zug. With 239 km² the canton is one of the smallest of the cantons in terms of area. It is not subdivided into districts.- History :The earlier history of the canton is...
.
By mediation the Federal Tagsatzung
Tagsatzung
The Swiss Tagsatzung was the legislative and executive council of the Swiss confederacy from the beginnings until the formation of the Swiss federal state in 1848. It was a meeting of delegates of the individual cantons...
, open war was barely avoided. Legend has it that instead of fighting, the two armies peacefully shared a milk soup, known as the Kappeler Milchsuppe, cooked in a pot placed exactly on the cantonal border between Zürich and Zug
Canton of Zug
The Canton of Zug is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. It is located in central Switzerland and its capital is Zug. With 239 km² the canton is one of the smallest of the cantons in terms of area. It is not subdivided into districts.- History :The earlier history of the canton is...
, while a peace was negotiated. (The Catholics provided the milk, the Protestants the bread.) The peace agreement (Erster Landfriede) was not exactly favourable for the Catholic party, who had to dissolve its alliance with the Austrian Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
s. The tensions remained essentially unresolved, and would flare high again in the second war of Kappel
Second war of Kappel
The second war of Kappel was an armed conflict in 1531 between the Protestant and the Catholic cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy during the Reformation in Switzerland.-Cause:...
two years later.