Battle of Oberwald facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Oberwald
Part of the War of the Second Coalition
Date 13–14 August 1799 Location Oberwald, Switzerland Result French victory
Belligerents
France	Austria
Commanders and leaders
Jean Victor Tharreau	Gottfried von Strauch
Strength
12,000	6,000
Casualties and losses
500	3,000 and two cannons

The Battle of Oberwald was a fight that happened on August 13–14, 1799. It took place in southern Switzerland. French soldiers, led by General Jean Victor Tharreau, fought against Austrian troops. The Austrian soldiers were part of Prince Rohan's army and were led by Colonel Gottfried von Strauch.

Both sides had about 6,000 soldiers in this battle. The French lost around 500 men (killed, wounded, or missing). The Austrians lost many more, about 3,000 men and two cannons. Oberwald is a small village in Canton Valais, Switzerland. It's located near where the Rhône River starts, between the Grimsel Pass and Furka Pass.

Why the Battle Happened

After a peace treaty in 1797, France wanted to expand its power. The French government, called the Directory, aimed to create a continuous area of control. This area would stretch between France and the Holy Roman Empire.

France did this by helping local groups set up new "sister republics." These republics were like smaller versions of revolutionary France. For example, they created the Batavian Republic in the Netherlands. They also formed the Cisalpine Republic and Ligurian Republic in Italy. Switzerland was also changed into the Helvetic Republic in 1798. This new republic was also modeled after France.

These new republics helped France in several ways. They provided new soldiers and places for military leaders to gain experience. They also created a strong defensive line for France. This line stretched from the Adriatic Sea to the North Sea.

Fighting in Valais

The steep hillsides and high mountains of Valais made fighting difficult. Local fighters knew how to use the mountains to their advantage.

On May 24, 1799, a group of local rebels attacked a French camp. These rebels were joined by French soldiers who had left their army. They also had help from some Austrian soldiers. The French, led by General Charles Antoine Xaintrailles, fought them off. The rebels then went back to their defenses.

The next morning, May 25, Xaintrailles attacked the rebels. His soldiers pushed the rebels out of the woods. They chased them to a town called Leuk. The rebels had seven cannons placed to fire along the valley. They also had sharpshooters hidden in the gorge.

Xaintrailles sent some of his soldiers to climb the mountains. They went high above the cannons. Meanwhile, the main French force attacked the rebels from the front. The rebels fired many shots and cannonballs. But then, the French soldiers on the mountain tops fired down on the rebels. This surprise attack helped the French. They broke through the rebel defenses. The remaining rebels ran away, leaving their cannons behind.

After the rebels went into the mountains above Raron, it was hard to get them out. French soldiers climbed higher mountains to shoot down at them.

On May 26, the French continued their attack. They reached Brig-Glis, where some rebels had gathered. These rebels quickly fled into the mountains. Other French soldiers went to Naters and then to Mörel and Lax. They wanted to capture a bridge where many rebels were.

General Xaintrailles offered the rebels a chance to surrender. He promised they would not be punished if they went home. But many rebels, helped by Austrian soldiers, refused. They thought their strong mountain position would protect them. A long battle followed. The rebels were eventually defeated. The Austrian soldiers left as night fell. Xaintrailles then set up his main base in Brig. From there, he could control important mountain passes.

Allied Forces Grow Stronger

After some uprisings in Switzerland in 1798, Austria sent troops to the Grisons region. This was because the Grisons did not want to join the new Helvetic Republic. In March 1799, war started again between France and its enemies.

The French army in Switzerland, led by General Massena, surprised the Austrian troops in the Grisons. But then, the Austrians won some battles and pushed the French out of eastern Switzerland. Massena had to retreat.

Many smaller Swiss regions then tried to break away from France. For example, Uri took control of the St. Gothard Pass. The people of Upper Valais took the Simplon Pass. Schwyz also rebelled.

However, in May, the French returned with more soldiers. General Xaintrailles was ordered to put down the rebellions in Valais. By the end of July, many soldiers were in Switzerland. There were about 75,941 French troops and 77,912 Austrian troops.

The Battle of Oberwald

Troop Movements

After defeating the Austrians and local rebels in early June, General Xaintrailles felt he didn't have enough soldiers to chase the Austrian commander Strauch into the mountains. He waited for more troops and instructions. The Austrian and Russian forces moved Strauch's troops to Oberwald to help the local rebels.

The main goal for the French was to take back control of the Simplon and St. Gothard passes. These mountain passes were very important for moving troops and supplies. The valleys were very narrow, which made it hard to gather many soldiers in one place.

On August 13, French forces, totaling about 12,000 men, began to move. By August 14, French troops were moving across all parts of the region, from the Rhône River to Zurich.

What Happened Next

After the Battle of Oberwald, the Austrian leaders ordered their main army to move. They wanted their army to fight in another area to the north. This left the Russian forces in Zurich weaker. General Massena attacked the Russians in Zurich and took the city in September 1799.

By that time, the French had also taken back control of the important Simplon and St. Bernard mountain passes. This meant they controlled the main routes between Switzerland and northern Italy.

The war caused terrible suffering for the local people. In some areas, a quarter of the population needed help to survive. Many towns were destroyed by fire. In one remote valley, all the people were killed. The war brought great hardship to the Swiss cantons.