# Siege of Dijon > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Siege_of_Dijon > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Siege_of_Dijon.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Dijon > Source revision: 1350526002 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1513 campaign during the War of the League of Cambrai This article is about the 1513 siege. For other battles, see [Timeline of Dijon](/source/Timeline_of_Dijon). Siege of Dijon Part of the War of the League of Cambrai Siege of Dijon, Flemish tapestry Date 8–13 September 1513 Location Dijon, Kingdom of France 47°19′00″N 5°01′00″E / 47.316667°N 5.016667°E / 47.316667; 5.016667 Result Treaty of Dijon (fr), Swiss victory France pays 400,000 gold crowns The Swiss abandone the siege Territorial changes The Swiss receive the Duchy of Milan France returns all occupied territory of the Papal States Belligerents Kingdom of France Old Swiss Confederacy Holy Roman Empire Franche-Comté Commanders and leaders Louis II de la Trémoille Ulrich of Württemberg Henri Winckler Jacques de Watteville Jean Marti Guillaume IV de Vergy Strength 4-5,000 men 40,000 men 500 cannons v t e War of the League of Cambrai Cadore Casaloldo Agnadello Padua Vicenza Polesella Mirandola Treviso Brescia Ravenna Navarre Saint-Mathieu Novara Guinegate/The Spurs Dijon Flodden Field La Motta Crema Marignano Asola The **Siege of Dijon** between 8 and 13 September 1513 was a successful campaign of the Swiss army against the French city of [Dijon](/source/Dijon) during the [War of the League of Cambrai](/source/War_of_the_League_of_Cambrai). ## Prelude After the French defeats at [Novara](/source/Battle_of_Novara_(1513)) (6 June) and [Guinegatte](/source/Battle_of_the_Spurs) (16 August), Louis XII anticipated a counter-attack by the Imperial armies on France's own soil. [Louis II de la Trémoille](/source/Louis_II_de_la_Tr%C3%A9moille) was recalled from Italy and appointed Governor of Dijon. He began preparing the defense of the city as early as July, by accumulating substantial food and military reserves. La Trémoille also ordered the city's suburbs to be burned, as these areas could have sheltered the enemy advance right up to the city walls. Meanwhile, the [Old Swiss Confederacy](/source/Old_Swiss_Confederacy) raised approximately 30,000 men for the regular militia, in the pay of the [Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I](/source/Holy_Roman_Emperor_Maximilian_I). The Confederate army was reviewed on 17 August and departed that same evening.[1] The [Holy Roman Empire](/source/Holy_Roman_Empire) itself mobilized 1,000 German cavalry, 4,000 men-at-arms from [Hainaut](/source/County_of_Hainaut), and 500 artillery pieces, who joined the Swiss troops at [Besançon](/source/Besan%C3%A7on) on 27 August. Two thousand soldiers from the [Franche-Comté](/source/County_of_Burgundy), led by Guillaume IV de Vergy, also joined the army. The Imperial army was led by [Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg](/source/Ulrich%2C_Duke_of_W%C3%BCrttemberg), and the Swiss army by Henry Winckler, Captain of [Zurich](/source/Zurich), Jakob von Wattenwyl/Jacques de Watteville, Captain of [Bern](/source/Bern), and Jean Marti, Captain of [Lucerne](/source/Lucerne). [2] The first disagreements arose when the Imperial forces wanted to march directly on Paris, while the Swiss wanted to pass through Burgundy to collect outstanding debts. The Swiss Confederation prevailed, and the army marched on Dijon in two columns.[3] The first column ,comprising the Germans and contingents from Zurich and Bern, successively captured [Saint-Seine](/source/Saint-Seine), [Fontaine-Française](/source/Fontaine-Fran%C3%A7aise), [Lux](/source/Lux%2C_C%C3%B4te-d'Or), [Til-Châtel](/source/Til-Ch%C3%A2tel), [Marey-sur-Tille](/source/Marey-sur-Tille), [Chenôve](/source/Chen%C3%B4ve), [Marsannay-la-Côte](/source/Marsannay-la-C%C3%B4te) and [Couchey](/source/Couchey). The second column sacked [Mirebeau-sur-Bèze](/source/Mirebeau-sur-B%C3%A8ze) and [Bèze Abbey](/source/B%C3%A8ze_Abbey).[4] In his correspondence with his relatives and with the King, La Trémoille testified to the desperate efforts he made to defend both the city of Dijon and the whole of his province, but almost all fortifications, poorly maintained, proved indefensible. ## The Siege On 8 September, the Swiss and Imperial armies arrived at the walls of Dijon and encircled the city. On 9 September, bombardments began in an attempt to breach the walls and launch an assault. Faced with this threat, La Trémoille ordered ditches to be dug behind the most vulnerable sections of the walls.[1] On 10 September, after the initial bombardments proved fruitless, the Swiss decided to deploy a second battery in the hope of breaching two walls simultaneously. During these preparations, La Trémoille sent negotiators who returned empty-handed. After several hours of bombardment, two breaches appeared, but the city's defenders managed to hold off the attackers.[5] On 11 September, the besiegers continued to widen the breaches, while the Imperial army began to experience the first signs of supply difficulties. The Swiss also, awaiting payment promised by the Emperor on 1 September, began to lose heart for a siege that was lasting longer than expected. La Trémoille decided to drive a wedge between the two allies and promised the Confederates he would intercede for them to obtain their outstanding payments. Despite pressure from the Imperial forces and the troops from the Franche-Comté, the Swiss were receptive to this promise and agreed to a truce.[6] On 12 September, in the rain and mud, the Germans and the troops from the Franche-Comté launched an assault, but were too few in number to breach Dijon's defenses behind their ditches. That same day, the French and Swiss signed the Treaty of Dijon, thus bringing the siege to an end. The next day, the Confederates withdrew to Switzerland and the Imperials had no other choice but to break up their camp as well.[5] ## Aftermath In the peace-treaty all the demands of the Swiss were met: the return to the Pope of the lands previously seized by the King of France. The Swiss regained the [Duchy of Milan](/source/Duchy_of_Milan) and the [County of Asti](/source/County_of_Asti), and the sum to be paid for the preservation of Burgundy was set at 400,000 écus, half payable on 27 September and the rest on 11 November. The Swiss demanded an immediate advance payment, which La Trémoille obtained from the city of Dijon, in the amount of 25,000 [écus](/source/%C3%89cu).[7] After the signing of the treaty, the Swiss withdrew, taking five hostages with them. They were followed by the reluctant Germans and the Franche-Comté troops. King [Louis XII of France](/source/Louis_XII_of_France) was informed of the treaty's contents on 14 September and rejected it, arguing that La Trémoille lacked the authority to accept territorial concessions. He also refused to pay the 400,000 écus.[8] The hostages were released on 3 October 1514, only after the payment of a ransom of 13,900 écus by their families. La Trémoille's skillful maneuvering had prevented the invasion of Burgundy by the Holy Roman Empire and its allies. However, broken promises led to the failure, two years later, of Francis I, Louis XII's successor, to negotiate an agreement with Switzerland, which retained access to the Duchy of Milan. ## Notes 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEOechsli201347_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEOechsli201347_1-1) [Oechsli 2013](#CITEREFOechsli2013), p. 47. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEVissièreMarchandisseDumont2013102_2-0)** [Vissière, Marchandisse & Dumont 2013](#CITEREFVissièreMarchandisseDumont2013), p. 102. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHoudry1999_3-0)** [Houdry 1999](#CITEREFHoudry1999). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBlake_Wiener2022_4-0)** [Blake Wiener 2022](#CITEREFBlake_Wiener2022). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEOechsli201348_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEOechsli201348_5-1) [Oechsli 2013](#CITEREFOechsli2013), p. 48. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEVissièreMarchandisseDumont2013105-109_6-0)** [Vissière, Marchandisse & Dumont 2013](#CITEREFVissièreMarchandisseDumont2013), p. 105-109. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEGoubert1988135_7-0)** [Goubert 1988](#CITEREFGoubert1988), p. 135. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESchibler2000_8-0)** [Schibler 2000](#CITEREFSchibler2000). ## References - Oechsli, Wilhelm (2013). [*History of Switzerland 1499-1914*](https://www.cristoraul.org/ENGLISH/readinghall/UNIVERSAL-HISTORY/History-Of-Switzerland-1499-1914.pdf) (PDF). Cambridge University Press. p. 47-48. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781107629332](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781107629332).. - [Goubert, Pierre](/source/Pierre_Goubert) (1988). *The Course of French History*. New York: Franklin Watts. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-531-15054-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-531-15054-2).. - Thomas Schibler: "Siege of Dijon" in [German](http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/d/D8895.php), [French](http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/f/F8895.php) and [Italian](http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/i/I8895.php) in the online *[Historical Dictionary of Switzerland](/source/Historical_Dictionary_of_Switzerland)*. - Vissière, Laurent; Marchandisse, Alain; Dumont, Jonathan (2013). *1513, l'année terrible, Le siège de Dijon* (in French). Dijon: Éditions Faton. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-2-87844-175-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-2-87844-175-8).. - May de Romainmotier, Emmanuel (1788). "40, Irruption en Bourgogne". [*Histoire militaire de la Suisse, et celle des Suisses dans les différens services de l'Europe*](https://books.google.es/books?id=jaQUAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&hl=es&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=Dijon&f=false) (in French). Vol. 4. Laussane. p. 427-453. - Blake Wiener, James (2022). ["Le siège de Dijon de 1513"](http://web.archive.org/web/20250613164519/https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/fr/2022/09/le-siege-de-dijon-de-1513/) (in French). Musée national. Archived from [the original](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/fr/2022/09/le-siege-de-dijon-de-1513/) on 2025-06-13. Retrieved 2025-12-18. - Schibler, Thomas (2000). ["Dijon, expédition de"](https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/articles/008895/2004-04-23/). *Dictionnaire Historique de la Suisse (DHS)* (in French). Retrieved 2026-04-13. - Houdry, Philippe & Gilles (1999). ["Le Siège de Dijon de 1513"](http://philippe.houdry.free.fr/Eprints/SiegeDijon1513_FRE.pdf) (PDF) (in French). Retrieved 2026-04-13. Authority control databases Historical Dictionary of Switzerland --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Siege of Dijon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Dijon) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Dijon?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.