Julia Rhyner-Leisinger, Article in the Südostschweiz of 2.12.2024. Translation by Patrick A. Wild
(publication and translation by kind permission of the author and the publisher)
In the 15th and 16th centuries, a flourishing business developed in the Swiss Confederation: the export of mercenaries. Foreign services also played an important role for the canton of Glarus. Thousands of Glarus citizens went into French military service, lured by good pay and the prospect of adventure.
Distribution of pensions for foreign services. The federal envoys receive the money paid by the King of France and take it with them in their hats. Illustration from the Lucerne Chronicle by Diebold Schilling, 1513 (Lucerne Central and University Library, special collection, property of the Lucerne Corporation).
Switzerland as the center of the war economy
Located in the heart of Europe, the Swiss Confederation played a dual role in the early modern period: on the one hand as a neutral "silent" state, and on the other as an important player in the European theaters of war. Switzerland developed into a hub for war economy and financing between the great powers Habsburg and France. Military contractors, mercenaries, manufacturers, traders and investors made their services available to the warring powers. The Confederation became an indispensable partner for the neighboring superpowers: as a flourishing mercenary market, as a secure buffer zone, as a safe passage area for armies, as a trading center for war material and as a stage for diplomatic and intelligence activities.
Swiss mercenaries were in demand throughout Europe. They were considered reliable and well trained. It is estimated that around 1500, out of a total population of 600,000, around 10-12% of the Swiss population were in foreign service. Over the centuries, there are said to have been more than one million Swiss mercenaries. France was one of the Confederation's most important allies - the first alliance with the French king was concluded in 1521 and was repeatedly renewed until the 18th century. From then on, the French king was allowed to recruit troops in the cantons - and paid a lot of money in return.
Swiss mercenaries crossing the Alps. Colored illustration, 1513, in the Swiss Chronicle by Diebold Schilling from Lucerne. "Diebold Schilling Chronicle 1513", property of the Lucerne Corporation (location: Lucerne Central Library, Special Collection)
Pensions: Cash flow from abroad
On the one hand, official "government money", so-called pensions, flowed to the federal states. In Lucerne, the official state pensions accounted for over half of state revenue. Smaller towns such as Zug, Schwyz and Solothurn financed more than a third of their budgets with French money. For Glarus, the first French pension payment in 1517 provided an opportunity for expansion, namely the purchase of the county of Werdenberg, which from then on was administered as a bailiwick for over 300 years. But the average citizen of Glarus also benefited: in 1543, every resident of Glarus entitled to vote received half a crown as a "Rodelpension". Liquid money was scarce for most people, so this French money stimulated the local economy.
But the biggest money distribution took place in secret. The so-called special pensions were secret payments to influential "networkers" who worked to promote French interests. Military entrepreneurs, diplomats and councillors became big earners in a short space of time and were able to live off these pensions on a permanent basis.
Welcome of the Swiss mercenaries, including Glarus, by the French king (Louis XI in August 1480 before Chalon-sur-Saône). The mercenary contingents of the eight towns, holding up their banners, are received by the king on the drawbridge. Illustration from the Lucerne Chronicle by Diebold Schilling, 1513 (Lucerne Central and University Library, special collection, property of the Lucerne Corporation).
Glarus in the service of the king
The author of this article presented the results of her research on the Glarner mercenary services at the transition from the late Middle Ages to the early modern period at a recent event organized by the Glarus Historical Society. As in many other, primarily Catholic towns, foreign services were also popular in Glarus. In 1544, for example, so many Glarus citizens are said to have served at the Battle of Ceresole in Piedmont that the Landammann was unable to convene the Landsgemeinde. Mercenary service was a well-paid source of income for the average citizen, as in the 16th century it paid twice as much as a simple agricultural worker. But the political ruling class also made money from the war. As military entrepreneurs, many councillors represented French interests or led regiments to war with specially recruited mercenaries.
The correspondence from this period - for example letters from captains reporting from the battlefield or letters between Glarus and France on the negotiation of pay contracts - shows that the Glarus authorities were closely linked to the pay system in the 16th century. The leading "Glarus crown-eaters" around 1550 included the Bäldi, Hässi, Vogel and Tschudi families, for example.
The Tschudi family and the business of war
The Tschudi family was one of the most influential families in the Glarus region. The Tschudis used the war business to consolidate and expand their economic and political power. To this end, they ran a family business, headed by "Ludwig Tschudi the Elder" (1462-1534), which included the administration of the core property in addition to the payroll business. This included the castle and the Gräpplang estate near Flums, which was passed on to the eldest son in a patrilineal manner, as was customary at the time. However, in order to successfully manage all the political, administrative, diplomatic and economic tasks of the family business, the main heir to the family estate was dependent on a broad network of relatives. In the Tschudi family, Ludwig Tschudi's 15 children contributed to the success of the family business in various roles.
Ägidius Tschudi as a French networker
Ägidius Tschudi (1505-1572), the youngest child from his father's first marriage, played a central role in the family network as a diplomat. He became known above all as a politician and historian, in particular for his important Swiss chronicle "Chronicon Helveticum". As a leading politician in Glarus and bailiff of the prestigious common bailiwick of Baden, he was well informed about politics, diplomacy, the military and the economy and was one of Glarus' most important negotiating partners for France. Tschudi used his expertise and his extensive network to promote French interests in Glarus. In return, he received generous pension payments from France. These funds were more than just income - they were a powerful instrument that Tschudi could use at will and with which he could favor supporters and relatives. He was happy to leave participation in the French campaigns to his brothers and half-brothers. Several of his family members went on to enjoy illustrious military careers. His half-brother Jost Tschudi (1511-1566) in particular served the French king on various military campaigns and at times commanded several thousand Confederates as a colonel. Naturally, the Tschudis ensured that most of their regiments were commanded by family members and other Glarus captains.
How mercenary services shaped Switzerland
The example of the Tschudi family business illustrates how closely economic, political and military interests were linked in the early modern period. For generations, the Tschudis pursued a successful family policy and provided 17 Landammänner, Landvögte and numerous members in political offices. Around 170 members of the family also served as officers in foreign armies. It was not until the Federal Constitution of 1848 that the foreign service business was banned in Switzerland. Until then, however, foreign money filled the federal coffers. While other nations invested enormous sums in maintaining their armies, the Confederation marketed the military services of its mercenaries and was thus able to dispense with direct taxes and the costly maintenance of its own standing army. However, the price for this prosperity was high. Many Confederates died on foreign battlefields. According to statistics compiled by the Zurich pastor Johann Heinrich Waser (1742-1780), of the approximately 1.1 million Swiss mercenaries who served the French king between the 15th and 18th centuries, only 480,000 returned to Switzerland, 160,000 of them invalids and neglected. Only 320,000 were still fit for civilian life. Part of the foundation of modern, "neutral" Switzerland was thus built on foreign money - paid for with the blood of its mercenaries.
The Franco-French alliance of 1521. Located in the Lucerne State Archives.
Julia Rhyner-Leisinger was born in the canton of Glarus, studied history and is an enthusiastic history teacher. After spending several years in Zurich, St. Gallen and São Paulo, she has returned to the Glarnerland with her husband and children. In her free time, she is a dedicated city guide and enjoys sharing her knowledge of the region's fascinating history. If you are interested in an exciting tour, visit Julia's website: https://juliarhyner.com.
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