Battle of Granson
The Battle of Granson took place on March 2, 1476, during the conflict between Duke Charles the Bold of Burgundy and the Swiss Confederation. Charles had initially besieged the town of Granson after invading Swiss territory, capturing it on February 28 and executing its garrison. The Swiss forces, led by Peter Rot, assembled to confront the Burgundians, but the two armies encountered each other unexpectedly. Charles aimed to execute a double envelopment maneuver, but his forces were spread out and unprepared when the Swiss attacked. The Burgundian cavalry struggled against the disciplined Swiss phalanx, while confusion among Charles's infantry led to a chaotic retreat. Despite light casualties, Charles lost much of his artillery during the engagement. While the Swiss emerged victorious, the battle had limited immediate repercussions, as they did not capitalize on their win, and Charles soon regrouped to confront them again later that year at the Battle of Morat.
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Battle of Granson
Type of action: Ground battle in the Franco-Burgundian Wars
Date: March 2, 1476
Location: Granson, Vaud Canton, Switzerland
Combatants: 18,100 Swiss vs. 14,000 Burgundians
Principal commanders:Swiss, Peter Rot; Burgundian, Duke Charles the Bold (1433–1477)
Result: Swiss defeated Burgundians
On February 12, 1476, Duke Charles the Bold crossed into Swiss territory to attack Bern. He halted to besiege the fortified town of Granson, which fell on February 28, and he executed the entire garrison. Meanwhile, the Swiss, under Peter Rot, had assembled northeast of Granson. On March 2, both armies began moving toward each other but were surprised when their vans spotted the other side. Charles was on a broad field and quickly deployed his forces for battle, intending to catch the enemy in a double envelopment. The Swiss were marching through a pass and were spread out over a great distance. When their lead column spotted the Burgundians, they moved immediately to the attack without waiting for the rest of the Swiss to come up. The initial Burgundian cavalry foundered on the Swiss phalanx. Charles ordered some of his infantry units to move back to clear the field for his artillery to fire into the Swiss. Other units in his multilingual army took their movement to be flight and, further panicked by the arrival of more Swiss, took flight themselves. The presence of the still powerful Burgundian cavalry persuaded the Swiss not to pursue the fleeing men. Casualties on both sides were light, although Charles lost most of his artillery.
Significance
Charles’s defeat had few immediate consequences. The Swiss did not follow up on their victory, and Charles had the resources to form his army again and fight the Swiss in 1476 at Morat.
Bibliography
Bonjour, Edgar, et al. A Short History of Switzerland. 1955. Reprint. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1985.
Fahrni, Dieter. An Outline History of Switzerland: From the Origins to the Present Day. Zurich: Pro Helvetia, 1994.
Vaughan, Richard. Charles the Bold: The Last Valois Duke of Burgundy. London: Longman, 1973.