First Battle of Zurich

For the Second Battle of Zurich, see related article.

First Battle of Zurich
Part of the War of the Second Coalition
Image from the First Battle of Zurich
Date 4 to 7 June 1799 Location Zurich (Zürich), Switzerland 47°22′0″N 8°33′0″E Result Austrian victory (see § Aftermath)
Belligerents
France	Austria
Commanders and leaders
André Masséna Jean-de-Dieu Soult Louis Chérin † Nicolas Oudinot Honoré Gazan Jean Brunet	Archduke Charles of Austria Friedrich Freiherr von Hotze Heinrich XV Olivier of Wallis † Franjo Jelačić Karl von Bey Charles of Lorraine-Brionne
Strength
59,000 (in total)	72,000 (in total)
Casualties and losses
1,300–1,600:  • 500 killed  • 800 wounded  • 300 captured 28 guns captured 150 guns left in Zurich	3,400–4,400:  • 730 killed  • 1,470 wounded  • 1,200–2,200 captured
Location within Europe

War of the Second Coalition:
Austria

190km
118miles

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

Zurich

5

4

3

2

1

🌍

The color black indicates the current battle.

The First Battle of Zurich, from 4 to 7 June 1799, forced French General André Masséna to yield the city of Zurich to the Austrians, under Archduke Charles, and to retreat beyond the Limmat, where he managed to fortify his positions, which resulted in a stalemate.

The first battle of Zurich saw Austrian attacks on strong French positions, which were captured but then had to be abandoned due to a French counterattack. However, previously in this battle, the Austrians were able to press the French back from one foothold (Schwamendingen) and to repel a French counteroffensive near Zurich, while Austrian assaults on three French staging areas (Rapperswil, Hirslanden and Fällanden–Pfaffhausen) failed. Charles prepared to continue the battle, but Masséna did not decide to do it and retreated, leaving many of his guns behind (178 pieces) at the mercy of the Austrians.

The Helvetic Republic in 1798 became a battlefield of the French Revolutionary Wars. During the summer, Russian troops, under General Alexander Korsakov, replaced the Austrian troops, and at the Second Battle of Zurich, the French regained control of the city, along with the rest of Switzerland.