war war called swiss war germany war austria major armed conflict begun local conflict control soon got hand parties called allies help demanding support turning swiss hostilities quickly spread rhine valley lake southern westernmost battles fought january july minor skirmishes experienced swiss soldiers defeated armies victories swiss battle tested troops commanders distrust knights foot soldiers disagreements military leadership general reluctance fight war counts considered interests powerful interest proved fatal military high commander fell battle swiss won final decisive victory king choice agree peace treaty signed september treaty granted confederacy far reaching independence empire officially remained empire treaty peace imperial jurisdiction imperial taxes facto acknowledged separate political entity background source conflict ancient distrust rivalry hostility risen throne late 13th century members gradually taken control territories belonged realm swiss attained status imperial subject emperor intermediate princes lords status granted far reaching autonomy emperor distant overlord empire emperor swiss previous emperors repeatedly supported struggles saw strong rivals confirmed imperial swiss occasions swiss succeeded defending privileged status tried regain territories holy roman empire 15th century ascended throne swiss suddenly faced new situation longer count support empire worse conflicts threatened conflicts empire frederick reign occur frederick sided confederacy supported city refused imperial members confederacy frederick troubled reign leave room military operations swiss austria frederick conflict brother albert faced pressure drove vienna forced frederick court assume lifestyle empire frederick faced opposition dynasty cousin duke austria conflict swiss confederacy banned pope conflict nomination bishop swiss annexed territories clashed swiss war end significant territorial losses paying large ransom financed territories charles bold charles help swiss bought territories concluded peace treaty confederacy emperor recognized following swiss fought arranged marriage frederick daughter duke bavaria father signed away territories austria frederick intervened force founded alliance cities knights counts help forced house return territories signed forced turn territories frederick son married death wars inherited territories county netherlands took expanded administration centralized style government caused outbreak rebellion cities counts allied france french immediately claimed phase conflict keeping occupied low countries fell hands enemies held months freed father sent army command duke albert rescue subsequently returned germany leaving cousin albert representative albert following years manage assert netherlands elected king romans father initiative ruling jointly death frederick took father possessions united territory hands year peace marked end wars french possessions kept territories netherlands french king controlled territories nearly encircled east austria north west swiss asked emperor frederick join refused saw reason join alliance designed interests wary new relatively closely powerful alliance arisen northern frontier furthermore resented strong aristocratic element different organization grown years precisely aristocratic rule similar concerns existed common people independence freedom powerful attractive role model baron southern feared subjects revolt seek adherence swiss confederacy fears entirely foundation swiss begun form alliances north rhine river concluding treaty treaties cities far away city bishop caught middle blocks held possessions city exercised high justice swiss assumed low justice annexation foundation prompted swiss city states propose accepting swiss confederacy negotiations failed opposition founding confederacy particular split jurisdiction cause city confederacy disagreement answered expedition soldiers city pay sum retreat cease swiss confederacy involved administration finally joined member november definitively define position city reformation allied defeat close connections finally severed factor contributing growing swiss competition swiss mercenaries fought armies europe opposing battlefield competing contracts intensified contemporary chronicles agree reports swiss considered best soldiers europe time victories subject abuses called ridiculed ways insults given taken lightly frequently led incidents contribute war triggering skirmishes looting expeditions military commands wanted planned imperial reform like holy roman emperors face struggles powerful princes empire sought secure position imperial monarchy held worms partly successful concessions favor princes imperial reform proclaimed eternal public peace end feuds anarchy barons defined new standing enforce peace imperial estate send troops mandated common penny new head tax finance army concessions institution new supreme court separating highest judicial authority person whereabouts emperor agree formation governmental council princes called play significant role convened time dissolved years later swiss accept resolutions explicitly refused pay common penny interest whatsoever sending troops serve army authority paying taxes accept foreign court jurisdiction succeeded securing public peace territories reasonably simply considered proposal freedom swiss far members empire refused accept resolutions use refusal later pretext place swiss confederacy imperial ban course war open war broke territorial conflict 15th century federation similar developed like swiss leagues achieved far reaching autonomy involved constant struggles ruled neighbouring territories east kept trying bring influence duke succeeded acquiring step step high justice league jurisdictions youngest leagues sprung having founded continued strategy pressure prompted leagues sign close military alliance swiss confederacy time involved major power struggle french kings control remains realm daughter married second marriage milan got directly involved italian wars french kings control direct connection milan particular strategically important pass connects valley southern northern italy furthermore judicial rights region time january troops occupied valley plundered soon driven forces leagues armistice signed february village upper leagues called swiss help troops arrived learning truce withdrew met small troop soldiers way home engaged usual insults swiss crossed rhine killed retaliation troops sacked village february called help days later swiss troops assembled village moved lake way february met army defeated battle hard shores lake near estuary rhine time swiss troops invaded region sites swiss retreated days completed recruitment undertook raid march suffered defeat numerically inferior swiss troops battle evening early april sides raided territories rhine swiss conquered villages west larger attack took place april troops occupied plundered villages southern shore lake south expedition ended defeat open flight swiss soldiers main camp miles south arrived met battle lost soldiers city swiss captured heavy equipment including artillery swiss raided fortified smaller cities retreating war characterized smaller raids expeditions sides larger battles eastern new attack rhine valley provoked remained victorious battle near april continued defeats armies king hitherto occupied netherlands travel assume leadership operations declared imperial ban swiss confederacy attempt gain wider support operation german princes declaring conflict imperial war success decided decisive attack place didn troops near risk attacking abandoned attack attempt west early drawn significant swiss forces subsequently raided swiss undertook raid abandoned operation week later city siege long relief troops come dangerously close simultaneously leagues attacked troops camped arrive reinforcements overran fortifications routed austrian army battle ravaged retreating days troops arrived week late revenge troops valley retreated quickly reinforcements swiss confederacy arrived refusal military leaders withdraw troops northern send demanded king return lake differences preferred strike north king hoped convince help win struggle led pause hostilities troops assembled attack occur july significance happened mid july leaders suddenly pressure troops west lay army command count large contingent mercenaries flanders knights threatened leave received pay foot soldiers troops complained peasants preferred home bring harvest forced act attack sea lake july successful operations small swiss detachment taken surprise villages plundered burnt larger attack army soldiers west met quickly assembled strong swiss army battle july mercenary troops suffered heavy defeat long hard battle general fell early fight swiss soldiers died lost artillery skirmishes war took place july army marched met fierce defense small force defenders finally overcome village defenders inflicted heavy casualties attack held long swiss send troops meet field knights foot soldiers retreat nightfall prevented larger battle major problem swiss lack unified command contingents took orders leaders complaints common adopt resolution march shall impress soldiers arms shall obey officers war paid largely french italian allies swiss prisoners war peace negotiations early attempts march failed mutual distrust parties battle war weary lost confidence king abilities military leader refused demands muster new army armies suffered far higher human losses swiss short artillery repeatedly having lost equipment swiss swiss interest war refused peace proposal presented august events italian wars helped bring war end french king tried bring control long war continued ruler niece married expect help swiss mercenaries envoy tried swiss king french delegation federal diet war council swiss tried prevent agreement reason delegation prevailed succeeded persuade sides moderate demands finally peace treaty swiss signed september peace treaty carefully played war imperial war tried declaring ban confederacy actually war equal members empire imperial estate house swiss confederacy document referred duke king germans holy roman emperor peace relations empire returned status quo imperial ban dropped accept refusal abandon claims territories acknowledging independence consequently members swiss confederacy remained exempt jurisdiction swiss henceforth exercised high justice war caused territorial changes area city succeeded assert places belonged situation reverted pre war conditions rights accept league alliance leagues swiss confederacy ultimately arrangement lead losing leagues exception temporary occupation thirty years war nearly years later consequences remained neutral war allied strong economic ties rhine events war strengthened pro confederate party city council swiss recognized city strategic position rhine like june delegation swiss representatives signed alliance contract city council ratified july fought alongside war acceptance confederacy mere city imperial city associate state confederacy year contract renewed august twelfth member confederacy end war swiss troops longer bound rhine concluded new mercenary contracts called soon got deeply involved italian wars swiss mercenaries ended fighting sides involvement acting interests wars brought end defeat french forces battle subsequent peace treaty french king called eternal peace swiss mercenaries individual federation continued participate italian wars middle 16th century service parties following peace france particular service french king swiss confederacy remained independent wasn obliged participate relation degraded purely formal lose significance 16th century swiss considered members empire status imperial empire considered foundation privileges rights political identity witnessed continued use imperial insignia relations confederacy fully normalized renewal earlier treaty finally officially gave territorial claims old designated confederacy protecting power treaty members associate states confederacy gain official exemption empire recognition national political entity right
Swabian War