"Swiss Pikemen: The Most Fearsome Medieval Mercenaries" Topic

"One of the most formidable military infantries from the Middle Ages was the Swiss pikemen. Despite being a small contingent with little in the way of weaponry, these soldiers defeated their opponents with speed and ingenuity. They were both feared and respected across Europe, and they brought warfare back to the people, as opposed to the nobility who had taken it for themselves.

The origin of the Swiss pikemen dates back to the 1300s, when Switzerland split from the Holy Roman Empire. Its cantons declared the Swiss Confederacy, wherein each person was free to live outside the rule of an overarching leader. At the time, they were the only European enclave to have such a distinction.

The split angered Leopold I, Duke of Austria. In 1315, he sent the Hapsburg Army into Switzerland to force the cantons to return to the Empire. He thought it an easy victory, as the Swiss were peasants without much in the way of armor or weaponry. However, he was greatly mistaken…"

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Armand

>back to the 1300s, when Switzerland split from the Holy Roman Empire.

Ouch. Switzerland officially split from the HRE in 1648, and did not part from the Empire in practice before 1499. Their war against Burgund was justified by a call to arms by the Emperor, reacting to Charles the Bolds siege of Neuss in 1474.

The rest of the text is not that bad, but eg. Tercios were not in existence in 1522 – though the Spanish forces, especially the handgunners, did play their part.

Overall I would rate that with a C-

Fairly strange that it should be seven paragraphs before the mention of halberds, which was the weapon with which the Swiss infantry established their reputation.

I thought their first victories were taking their enemies out by rolling logs and such down on to narrow mountain trails?

Thanks.

Armand

The outbreak of full-scale war as preceded by a number of years of punitive raids by each side across the Rhine river. Both sides committed extensive acts of wanton destruction and loss of life was high. The Swabians were intensely hated by the Swiss, which is reflected by the Swiss never offering quarter and killing enemy nobility. It served to create a fear in their opponents who never forgot the reputation of the Swiss.