Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, medieval

Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs

Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs was a battle fought on 26 August 1444 at Basel, in what is now Switzerland. It was part of the Old Zürich War, which ran from 1440 to 1446. The recorded result: French victory. Recorded strength: 30,000-40,000(certainly exaggerated) against 1,500; 1,300 Confederates; 200-300 Basel troops.

See it on the globe Read the article

Darstellung der Schlacht bei St. Jakob an der Birs 1444. Kolorierte Federzeichnung
Darstellung der Schlacht bei St. Jakob an der Birs 1444. Kolorierte Federzeichnung. Benedicht Tschachtlan; upload by Adrian Michael, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought26 August 1444
WhereBasel, Switzerland47.542N, 7.618E
OutcomeFrench victory
BelligerentsFranceagainstSeven Cantons; Basel
Casualties and losses2,000and1,200-1,500
Part ofOld Zürich War1440 to 1446

Where it sits in the Old Zürich War

Meeting at Pfäffikon, 1440Battle of St. Jakob an der Sihl, 1443Massacre of Greifensee, 1444Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs, 1444Battle of Ragaz, 144614401446Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs, 1444
5 placed engagements of the Old Zürich War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date26 August 1444
PlaceBasel, Switzerland
47.542N, 7.618E
KindBattle, medieval
Strength30,000-40,000(certainly exaggerated)1,500; 1,300 Confederates; 200-300 Basel troops
Casualties and losses2,0001,200-1,500
Commanders
  • Louis XI
  • Antoine de Chabannes
Battle of St. Jakob an der BirsBattle of St. Jakob an der BirsBattle of BruderholzSiege of HüningenSiege of HuningueSiege of HuningueBattle of DornachSiege of HüningenBernStrasbourgNancyLausanneFreiburgLuzernUlmVaduz100 km47.542N, 7.618E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 3 times between 1444 and 1499.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1444

Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs is one of 720 engagements of the 15th century in the atlas and one of 66 in present-day Switzerland.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q451853, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs, revision 1370589828, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.