Murten - 22nd June 1476, Charles in the Vaud

- Pierre the Shy

Stung by his embarrassing defeat by the Swiss Confederation at Grandson in March 1476, Charles, Duke of Burgundy rebuilt his routed but otherwise mainly intact army at Lausanne. By the end of May he once again felt ready to march against the Confederates to recover his territories and fortifications in the Pays de Vaud (North of Geneva) then march on attack the city of Berne, his greatest enemy among the cantons.

His first objective was the strategic lakeside town of Murten, set on the Eastern shore of Lake Morat. On 11 June 1476 the Burgundians commenced the siege of the well-prepared town. An initial assault was repulsed by a heavy barrage of fire from light guns mounted on the walls (which had ironically been captured at Grandson three months previously!), but two great bombards used by the Burgundians were slowly reducing the walls to rubble. As soon as word of the siege had reached the Confederates an army began assembling to once again curb the designs of the Duke. Among those answering the call was Rene, the dispossessed Duke of Lorraine, who would have his day some months later outside Nancy (see Dispatches Jan 2001). By the 19th of June the Confederate muster was near complete at their camp behind the River Saane. Only a contingent of some 4,000 men from Zurich had yet to arrive and these were not expected until the 22nd of June.

Charles in the meantime had been kept reasonably well informed of the approach of the Confederate army, though he did nothing to hinder their approach. As his lines of communication towards Burgundy were at best tenuous (being largely dependant on a single road back to Lausanne) and being eager to successfully conclude the siege of Murten as quickly as possible he stood on the defensive.

This is not to say that he was unprepared for the arrival of the Swiss, indeed in typical fashion Charles had prepared a elaborate plan to meet the enemy on ground of his choosing where he thought they would approach from some 2km from Murten. The terrain around Murten is quite hilly and he had chosen to rest his left flank artillery on a steeply sloped gorge cut by the Burggraben stream. In the centre, behind an elaborate ditch and palisade entrenchment known as the Grunhag, stood the bulk of Charles’s infantry and artillery not engaged in besiege Murten itself. These were to fight the Confederation pike and halberd blocks to a halt while on the right the massed Gendarmes would then flank the frontally engaged Swiss, thus creating a killing ground from which there was no escape.

Saturday, 22nd of June 1476 dawned stormy and dark. Charles had not seen fit to scout beyond the River Saane to see what held the Swiss back, but there was a notion round the Burgundian camp that this was to be the day of battle. The Burgundians stood too at dawn in expectation of the enemy and remained drawn up for battle all morning in the pouring rain, but no horde of enemy appeared, and at noon Charles stood down most of his men, leaving the Grunhag manned by 2,000 infantry and 1,200 horse. Retiring to their camp the Burgundians sought shelter from the rain, besides it was also a payday and many sought their midday meal after a soaking that morning.

It was then that the Confederate Vorhut (Vanguard) of some 6,000 skirmishers and all the 1,200 cavalry present erupted out of Birchenwald Woods to the west of Murten, exactly where Charles had predicted they would appear.

The Zurich contingent had held up the Confederate advance for two days while they forced-marched straight to the battlefield on the morning of the 22nd, refusing to eat or drink till the victory had been achieved. Much time was taken in organising the other contingents and deciding how to conduct the battle. Men were promised rich booty as had been taken at Grandson, but no quarter was to be given to any enemy.

Behind the Vorhut came the main body of pike, the Gewalthut (Centre). This was some 10 -12,000 strong and was formed in a huge wedge with the cantonial standards in the centre, flanked by halberds and an outer ring of pikemen. The Nachhut (Rearguard) of 6 - 8,000 more closely packed pike and halberdiers followed the Gewalthut towards the now sparsely manned Grunhag.

As the Swiss charged downhill into the Burgundian position the artillery managed to fire a few salvoes, killing or maiming several hundred of the overeager Lorrainers. Against the odds the defenders in the Grunhag held the Swiss for some time before a contingent of Swiss found a way through the left flank of the defences near the Burggraben and turned the whole position. The Swiss formed up quickly beyond the it and advanced towards Murten and the besieger’s camp.

In the Burgundian camp all hell was let loose once the Swiss were sighted as men rushed to reform and prepare for battle. In the Ducal tent on top of the Bois Du Domingue, a hill overlooking Murten, Charles was quickly armed by his retainers before rushing on horseback to try and co-ordinate the defence of the camp. But as fast as any unit was formed and moved forward against the Swiss, it was swept aside as various uncoordinated attacks were made against the still compact Confederate battles. There was some resistance from the squadrons of the Ducal household who routed the Lorrainers, including Rene, who was saved only by the arrival of the pikes, against which the Gendarmes could only retire, unable to make any impression against them.

Charles managed to muster enough English archers to form a last line of defence before the camp, but these were routed before a bow could be bent, their commander shot by a Swiss skirmisher. Then it was every man for himself as Charles ordered the army to fall back which was interpreted as a retreat, which in turn became a rout as all organised resistance ended.

For some three miles along the lakeside many Burgundians died that day in the rout. The Italian division of some 4 - 6000 men, besieging the southern part of Murten probably suffered the worst fate, cut off by the Swiss rear-guard and attacked by a sally from the town they were hunted down along the shore and driven into the lake, as promised no quarter was granted.

More fortunate was the Savoyard division under Jacques, Counte De Romont which was posted in the northern half of the Murten siege works. Forming up and abandoning all their baggage they retreated east round the lake and eventually made good their escape to Romont.

Charles’s dream of revenge against the Confederates ended that day. Although he would doggedly struggle for another six months against his foes the defeat at Murten really spelled the beginning of end of the Duchy of Burgundy, much to the delight of the Duke’s enemies.