Tyrolean civilian militia (Schützen) The Tyrolean Rebellion (German: Tiroler Volksaufstand) is a name given to the resistance of militiamen, peasants, craftsmen and other civilians of the County of Tyrol led by Andreas Hofer supported by his wife Anna and a strategic council consisting of Josef Speckbacher, Peter Mayr, Capuchin Father Joachim Haspinger, Major Martin Teimer and Kajetan Sveth, against new legislation and a compulsory vaccination programme concerning smallpox ordered by King Maximilian I of Bavaria, followed by the military occupation of their homeland by troops organised and financed by Napoleon I of the First French Empire and Maximilian I.

In 1805 the warring parties agreed the Peace of Pressburg, where Bavaria was elevated to a kingdom and gained French-occupied Tyrol, which since 1363 had been held by the dynasty of the Habsburgs, who, defeated by Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz, were forced to renounce it.

By writing new rules, by reorganising the schooling system, by abolishing the ages old Tyrolean people's right to selfdefence (Wehrverfassung) and by raising taxes, but at the same time barring exports, e.g. of cattle, from Tyrol into Bavaria.

The trigger for the outbreak of the uprising of the Tyrolean civilians was the flight to Innsbruck of young men that were due to be called into the Bavarian Army by the authorities at Axams on 12 and 13 March 1809.

The persons in hiding stayed in contact with the Austrian court in Vienna by their conduit Baron Joseph Hormayr, an Innsbruck-born Hofrat and close friend of Archduke John of Austria.

An Austrian corps under General Johann Gabriel Chasteler de Courcelles operating from Carinthia occupied Lienz and marched against Innsbruck, but was defeated by Bavarian troops led by French Marshal François Joseph Lefebvre near Wörgl on 13 May.

Meanwhile, an army of Tyrolean citizen militia (Schützen), joined by peasants, craftsmen and other civilians, under the command of innkeeper, wine merchant and cattle dealer Andreas Hofer upon the war message had gathered around Sterzing and marched north towards the Brenner Pass.

Nevertheless, after the French again gained the upper hand at the Battle of Wagram on 5-6 July, Archduke Charles of Austria signed the Armistice of Znaim whereafter the Austrian forces withdraw from Tyrol.

In consequence of the civilian insurrection, Bavaria pressured by the French on 28 February 1810 had to cede large parts of Southern Tyrol with the Trentino to Italy and the eastern Hochpustertal with Lienz to the Illyrian Provinces.