Näfels, Battle of

▪ Swiss history

      (April 9, 1388), major victory for the Swiss Confederation in the first century of its struggle for self-determination against Habsburg (Habsburg, House of) overlordship. Though the catastrophic defeat of the Austrians at Sempach in 1386 had been followed by a truce, hostilities against the Habsburgs were subsequently continued by the rebellious men of Glarus, a district that had adhered to the confederacy in 1352 but had been restored to the Habsburgs in 1355. After the expiration of the truce (February 1388), the Habsburg Albert III of Austria advanced with an army against Glarus; but the rebels, reinforced by troops from Schwyz, first checked the invasion by holding the heights above Näfels, at the northern entrance to their valley, and then repelled it by a bloody counterattack. Further Swiss offensives achieved more successes, and in April 1389 a seven-year truce was ratified by Duke Albert, who allowed the Swiss to keep their alliances and their conquests intact.

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