Tyrolean Rebellion

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Tyrolean Rebellion
Part of the War of the Fifth Coalition
Franz von Defregger Heimkehrender Tiroler Landsturm.jpg
Homecoming of Tyrolean Militia by Franz Defregger
DateApril–November 1809
Location
Result French victory
Belligerents

Flag of Tirol and Upper Austria.svg Tyrolean civilian militia (Schützen)

Supported by:
Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy.svg Austrian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Tirol and Upper Austria.svg Andreas Hofer   Skull and Crossbones.svg
Strength
40,000 [1] 80,000
Casualties and losses
5,000 12,250
Andreas Hofer and strategy council, painting by Franz von Defregger Franz von Defregger 001.jpg
Andreas Hofer and strategy council, painting by Franz von Defregger

The Tyrolean Rebellion (German : Tiroler Volksaufstand) is a name given to the resistance of militiamen, peasants, craftsmen and other civilians of the County of Tyrol led by Andreas Hofer supported by his wife Anna and a strategic council consisting of Josef Speckbacher, Peter Mayr, Capuchin Father Joachim Haspinger, Major Martin Teimer and Kajetan Sveth, against new legislation and a compulsory vaccination programme concerning smallpox ordered by King Maximilian I of Bavaria, followed by the military occupation of their homeland by troops organised and financed by Napoleon I of the First French Empire and Maximilian I. [2] [3] The broader military context is called the War of the Fifth Coalition.

Contents

Backgrounds

Governing and military situation

In September 1805 the Electorate of Bavaria under Prince-elector Maximilian IV Joseph, that had been allied with the Habsburg monarchy under the common federally structured Holy Roman Empire, went over to Napoleonic France: the Bavarian Minister Count Maximilian von Montgelas, realizing the French superiority while fearing the ambitions of the newly established Austrian Empire, signed a secret defence alliance at Bogenhausen. At the end of the War of the Third Coalition shortly afterwards, Bavaria found itself on the victorious side. In 1805 the warring parties agreed the Peace of Pressburg, where Bavaria was elevated to a kingdom and gained French-occupied Tyrol, which since 1363 had been held by the dynasty of the Habsburgs, who, defeated by Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz, were forced to renounce it. Napoleon officially handed over the Tyrolean county including the secularized Prince-Bishopric of Trent (Trentino) to the Bavarian king on 11 February 1806.

Policies

In its policies and legislation, the Bavarian government under minister Count Montgelas angered the Tyrolean population in several ways. By writing new rules, by reorganising the schooling system, by abolishing the ages old Tyrolean people's right to selfdefence (Wehrverfassung) and by raising taxes, but at the same time barring exports, e.g. of cattle, from Tyrol into Bavaria. [4] [5] Furthermore, the state mingled into the affairs of the church in Tyrol, banning traditional rural holidays, the ringing of church bells, processions etc. which were a vital part of Tyrolean culture. Additionally, on 1 May 1808, the County of Tyrol was disestablished and administratively split up into the three districts of Inn, Eisack and Etsch. The new Bavarian constitution also replaced long existing feudal rights that had given privileges to the Tyrolean population, such as not having to fight in a foreign army and outside the Tyrolean borders. Conscription was thus introduced in Tyrol and Tyrolese called into Bavarian military service, which led to open revolt. Also because Bavaria had to deliver soldiers for Napoleon's devastating wars in Russia and Spain, which were more or less one way tickets. [5] On top of this the Bavarians ordered a compulsory vaccination programme against smallpox in 1807, with massive fines for refusal. [6] For the Tyroleans this was pure blasphemy.

Outbreak and course of the rebellion

The trigger for the outbreak of the uprising of the Tyrolean civilians was the flight to Innsbruck of young men that were due to be called into the Bavarian Army by the authorities at Axams on 12 and 13 March 1809. The persons in hiding stayed in contact with the Austrian court in Vienna by their conduit Baron Joseph Hormayr, an Innsbruck-born Hofrat and close friend of Archduke John of Austria. The Austrian Empire, citing a breach of the conditions agreed in the Peace of Pressburg guaranteeing Tyrolean autonomy, declared war on the Bavarian-French allies on 9 April 1809. Archduke John explicitly stated that Bavaria had forfeit all rights to Tyrol, which rightfully belonged with the Austrian lands, and therefore any resistance against Bavarian occupation would be legitimate.

Tyrolean districts, 1808 Tirol 1808.png
Tyrolean districts, 1808

An Austrian corps under General Johann Gabriel Chasteler de Courcelles operating from Carinthia occupied Lienz and marched against Innsbruck, but was defeated by Bavarian troops led by French Marshal François Joseph Lefebvre near Wörgl on 13 May.

Meanwhile, an army of Tyrolean citizen militia (Schützen), joined by peasants, craftsmen and other civilians, under the command of innkeeper, wine merchant and cattle dealer Andreas Hofer upon the war message had gathered around Sterzing and marched north towards the Brenner Pass. There they did build barricades on strategic points. [7] In the First and Second Battle of Bergisel near Innsbruck on 12 April and 25 May, the Tyrolean troops fought against the Bavarians, who were forced to retreat.

Der Landsturm anno 1809 by Joseph Anton Koch, c. 1820 Tiroler Landsturm 1809.jpg
Der Landsturm anno 1809 by Joseph Anton Koch, c. 1820
The Siege of the Kufstein Fortress Siege de Kufstein par les insurges tyroliens, 1809.jpg
The Siege of the Kufstein Fortress

The Tyroleans celebrated the news that Napoleon had suffered defeat at the Battle of Aspern-Essling on 22 May. Nevertheless, after the French again gained the upper hand at the Battle of Wagram on 5-6 July, Archduke Charles of Austria signed the Armistice of Znaim whereafter the Austrian forces withdraw from Tyrol. Thus, the rebels, who had their strongholds in Southern Tyrol, were left fighting alone. They however were able to inflict several defeats to the French and Bavarians forces under Marshal Lefebvre in July, culminating in a complete French retreat after the Third Battle of Bergisel on 12-13 August. Hofer now took over the administration of the unoccupied territories at Innsbruck; large parts of Tyrol enjoyed a brief period of independence.

However, in the Treaty of Schönbrunn of 14 October, a set of agreements ending the War of the Fifth Coalition, Emperor Francis I of Austria officially gave up any claims to Tyrol. Napoleon ordered the re-conquest of the province the same day. A combination of French military force under the new command of General Jean-Baptiste Drouet and diplomatic de-escalation measures by the rather pro-Tyrolean and anti-Napoleonic Bavarian commander, Prince Ludwig, was successful in decreasing the numbers of Tyrolean troops that were ready to fight to the death. Those last loyal troops were defeated at the Fourth Battle of Bergisel on 1 November, that effectively suppressed the revolt despite minor Tyrolean victories later in November.

Aftermath and execution of Andreas Hofer

The execution of Andreas Hofer in Mantua by Napoleon's officers, 1810 20 02 1810-die-erschiessung-von-andreas-hofer-in-mantua 1.jpg
The execution of Andreas Hofer in Mantua by Napoleon's officers, 1810

Many of the Tyrolean fighters were killed by the French and Bavarian forces in the following weeks. The leader Andreas Hofer fled into the mountains and hid at several places in South Tyrol. [8] He was betrayed to the French near St Martin in Passeier on 28 January 1810. Hofer was arrested and brought to Mantua, where Eugène de Beauharnais, the French viceroy of Italy, first wanted to pardon him, but was overruled by his stepfather Napoleon. The death penalty was issued on 19 February and executed the next day. Hofer's mortal remains were buried at the Court Church, Innsbruck in 1823.

In consequence of the civilian insurrection, Bavaria pressured by the French on 28 February 1810 had to cede large parts of Southern Tyrol with the Trentino to Italy and the eastern Hochpustertal with Lienz to the Illyrian Provinces. Upon Napoleon's fall in 1814 and the agreements negotiated at the Congress of Vienna, all parts of Tyrol were re-united under Austrian rule.

In the 19th century, the civilian resistance against suppression of Bavarian rulers and Napoleon, the leadership of Andreas Hofer and his execution on Napoleon's order became part of the national narrative, partly transformed into legends and myths, especially for the German speaking Tyrolese. The song Zu Mantua in Banden deals with the execution of Hofer and the fight against the foreign occupants. It became the anthem of the Austrian State of Tyrol in 1948. Hofer's story has been brought to the screen in 1929 in the movie Andreas Hofer - Der Freiheitskampf des Tiroler Volkes (Andres Hofer - The Fight for Freedom of the Tyrolean people). [9] Hofer's life and death was the model for the 1932 film Der Rebell by Luis Trenker. In the 2015 documentary „Andreas Hofer – Held wider Willen“``(Andres Hofer - Hero against his will), historians show results of research shifting facts from myths.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Innsbruck</span> Capital city of Tyrol, Austria

Innsbruck is the capital of Tyrol and the fifth-largest city in Austria. On the River Inn, at its junction with the Wipp Valley, which provides access to the Brenner Pass 30 km (19 mi) to the south, it had a population of 132,493 in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyrol (federal state)</span> Austrian federal state

Tyrol is an Austrian federal state. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical Princely County of Tyrol. It is a constituent part of the present-day Euroregion Tyrol–South Tyrol–Trentino. The capital of Tyrol is Innsbruck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Tyrol</span>

The history of Tyrol, a historical region in the middle alpine area of Central Europe, dates back to early human settlements at the end of the last glacier period, around 12,000 BC. Sedentary settlements of farmers and herders can be traced back to 5000 BC. Many of the main and side valleys were settled during the early Bronze Age, from 1800 to 1300 BC. From these settlements, two prominent cultures emerged: the Laugen-Melaun culture in the Bronze Age, and the Fritzens-Sanzeno culture in the Iron Age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria</span> King of Bavaria from 1806 to 1825

Maximilian I Joseph was Duke of Zweibrücken from 1795 to 1799, prince-elector of Bavaria from 1799 to 1806, then King of Bavaria from 1806 to 1825. He was a member of the House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken, a branch of the House of Wittelsbach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andreas Hofer</span> Tyrolean innkeeper and patriot

Andreas Hofer was a Tyrolean innkeeper and drover, who in 1809 became the leader of the Tyrolean Rebellion against the Napoleonic and Bavarian invasion during the War of the Fifth Coalition. He was subsequently captured and executed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Sacile</span> 1809 battle during the War of the Fifth Coalition

The Battle of Sacile on 16 April 1809 and its companion Clash at Pordenone on 15 April saw an Austrian army commanded by Archduke John of Austria defeat a Franco-Italian army led by Eugène de Beauharnais and force it to retreat. Sacile proved to be the most notable victory of John's career. The action took place east of the Livenza River near Sacile in modern-day Italy during the War of the Fifth Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County of Tyrol</span> Estate of the Holy Roman Empire (1140–1806); county of Austria (1806–1919)

The (Princely) County of Tyrol was an estate of the Holy Roman Empire established about 1140. After 1253, it was ruled by the House of Gorizia and from 1363 by the House of Habsburg. In 1804, the County of Tyrol, unified with the secularised prince-bishoprics of Trent and Brixen, became a crown land of the Austrian Empire. From 1867, it was a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josef Speckbacher</span>

Josef Speckbacher was a leading figure in the rebellion of the Tyrol against Napoleon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electorate of Bavaria</span> State of the Holy Roman Empire (1623–1806)

The Electorate of Bavaria was a quasi-independent hereditary electorate of the Holy Roman Empire from 1623 to 1806, when it was succeeded by the Kingdom of Bavaria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battles of Bergisel</span> 1809 battles of the Tyrolean Rebellion

The Battles of Bergisel were four battles fought between Tyrolese civilian militiamen and a contingent of Austrian government troops and the military forces of Emperor Napoleon I of France and King of Kingdom of Bavaria against at the Bergisel hill near Innsbruck. The battles, which occurred on 25 May, 29 May, 13 August, and 1 November 1809, were part of the Tyrolean Rebellion and the War of the Fifth Coalition.

The Kaiserjäger, were formed in 1895 as four normal infantry regiments within the Common Army of Austria-Hungary. Despite the name "Tirol" in its title its members were not just recruited from the crown land of Tyrol but also from other parts of the monarchy. The regiments were disbanded in 1918 with the end of the k.u.k. monarchy. The word Jäger is a characteristic term used for light infantry or light infantrymen in a German-speaking context.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Wörgl</span> 1809 battle during the War of the Fifth Coalition

The Battle of Wörgl or Wörgel was fought on 13 May 1809, when a Bavarian force under French Marshal François Joseph Lefebvre attacked an Austrian Empire detachment commanded by Johann Gabriel Chasteler de Courcelles. The Bavarians severely defeated Chasteler's soldiers in series of actions in the Austrian towns of Wörgl, Söll, and Rattenberg. Wörgl is located 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of the modern-day German border on the upper Inn River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernhard Erasmus von Deroy</span>

Bernhard Erasmus von Deroy from the Electorate of the Palatinate became a noted general officer in the army of Bavaria. His military career began shortly after the start of the Seven Years' War. During the French Revolutionary Wars he first served on the side of the Coalition against the French revolutionaries, then fought as an ally of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. Deroy and his colleague, Karl Philipp von Wrede, were dominant personalities in the Bavarian military during the era of Napoleon Bonaparte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyrol 1809 order of battle</span>

At the beginning of the War of the Fifth Coalition on 9 April 1809, the armies of the Austrian Empire invaded the Kingdom of Bavaria, an ally of the First French Empire, and the Kingdom of Italy, a French satellite. After Austria's defeat in the War of the Third Coalition the County of Tyrol and the Vorarlberg were ceded to Bavaria in the Fourth Peace of Pressburg on 26 December 1805. Angry at the imposition of Bavarian laws and conscription, the Tyrolese rebelled in support of Austria. During the first week, local irregular forces killed or captured the main Bavarian garrison and also forced a French force to capitulate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyrol</span> Region across the Alps

Tyrol is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, from its formation in the 12th century until 1919. In 1919, following World War I and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, it was divided into two modern administrative parts through the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye:

<i>Standschützen</i>

The Standschützen were originally rifle guilds and rifle companies that had been formed in the 15th and 16th centuries, and were involved time and again in military operations within the borders of the Austrian County of Tyrol. A Standschütze was a member of a Schützenstand, into which he was enrolled, which automatically committed him to the voluntary, military protection of the state of Tyrol. In effect they were a type of Tyrolean local militia or home guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hofburg, Innsbruck</span> Former Habsburg palace in Austria

The Hofburg is a former Habsburg palace in Innsbruck, Austria, and considered one of the three most significant cultural buildings in the country, along with the Hofburg Palace and Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. The Hofburg is the main building of a large residential complex once used by the Habsburgs that still includes the Noblewomen's Collegiate Foundation, the Silver Chapel, the Hofkirche containing Emperor Maximilian's cenotaph and the Schwarzen Mandern, the Theological University, the Tyrolean Folk Art Museum, Innsbruck Cathedral, the Congress, and the Hofgarten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porta Claudia</span>

The Porta Claudia is a former fortification at the Scharnitz Pass, where the valley of the River Isar narrows near the village of Scharnitz, on the Bavarian border near Mittenwald. The Porta Claudia – or more precisely the Scharnitz Pass – is the start of the present federal highways, the B 2 (Germany) and the B 177 (Austria).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyrol Panorama Museum</span>

The Tirol Panorama with the Museum of the Imperial Infantry or Tirol Panorama is a museum in Innsbruck in the Austrian state of Tyrol, which is mainly important because it houses the Innsbruck Giant Panorama Painting.

The Andreas Hofer Kreuzer, also called the Hofer Kreuzer or Sandwirtszwanziger, was the name of the 20- and 1-kreuzer coins that were minted during the Tyrolean Rebellion in Hall in Tirol in 1809. The obverse depicts the Tyrolean Eagle and the inscription Gefürstete Grafschaft Tirol; the reverse shows the nominal value.

References

  1. Mikaberidze 2020, p. 321.
  2. "Andreas Hofer, Tirolean leader". Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc.
  3. "Helden & Hofer". Museum Passeier. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  4. Gerhard Gstraunthaler; Fritz Gast. "Landlibell". Bund der Tiroler Schuetzenkompagnien. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  5. 1 2 Stürmer, Michael (11 September 2009). "Er machte Bayern zum modernen Musterstaat". Welt Print. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  6. Kratzer, Hans (26 November 2021). "Als Bayern drakonische Strafen für Impfgegner verhängte". Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
  7. Seewald, Berthold. "Diese Schutzimpfung provozierte den bewaffneten Aufstand". welt.de (in German). Axel Springer SE. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  8. Hamish, DAVEY WRIGHT (27 December 2017). "ANDREAS HOFER AND THE INSURRECTION IN THE TYROL, 1809". napoleon.org. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  9. "Andreas Hofer - Der Freiheitskampf des Tiroler Volkes". IMDB. IMDB com, an Amazon company. Retrieved 4 November 2022.

Sources

Further reading

Preceded by
Battle of Valls
Napoleonic Wars
Tyrolean Rebellion
Succeeded by
Battle of Villafranca (1809)