Page 78 - All About History - Issue 59-17

Greatest Battles

Swiss form
Austrian 01a square
Habsburgs Having captured Sempach, Duke
Leopold III leads his Austrian
cavalry northeast towards the
infantrY 2,500 village of Hildisrieden. He runs
headlong into the Swiss vanguard
cavalrY 2,000 made up of the Lucerne militia
descending a terraced hillside.
Neither commander had sent
scouts to look for the enemy, so
the encounter is unexpected.
The Swiss deploy in a square on a
level space halfway down the hill.

Duke LeopoLD III
of austrIa Crossbow
leader 02barrage
The ambitious duke ruled the Leopold orders his crossbowmen
Habsburg family’s western domains to deploy as skirmishers. While
and was eager to acquire new lands. they fire a barrage of crossbow
Strengths Though he only brought bolts at the enemy meant to
a moderate-sized army to Sempach, soften up the Swiss square,
he had a sizeable base to cherrypick Leopold tells his vanguard to
recruits from. dismount and use their lances as
Weaknesses He was completely pikes. The rest of his forces are to 01
unprepared for the arrival of the remain on horseback to run down
enemy’s reinforcements. the enemy once their formation
has been broken.

10

knIghts
KeY unit Thirst for
The Austrians fought dismounted 03revenge
at Sempach because they had The Austrian knights let their
lost previous battles to the Swiss anger get the better of them.
fighting on horseback. Eager to avenge themselves
Strengths Their plate armour gave against the Swiss commoners,
them some protection that the they rush uphill towards the
Swiss lacked. enemy with little regard to
Weaknesses They could not maintaining a tight formation.
manoeuvre as well as infantry.

Lance
KeY Weapon 04 Crushing attack Reinforcements
The dismounted knights used their The well-armoured Austrians crash with great force 05to the rescue
lances as infantry spears throughout into the front ranks of the Swiss square. Although their dense A large body of Swiss reinforcements
the battle. formation imbues the Swiss troops with great confidence, it is not from the forest cantons arrives after a
a substitute for the longer weapons and better armour of their
Strengths Their poles outreached opponents. In the fierce melee, the Austrians not only slay Swiss forced march. Leopold had assumed
the short-shafted Swiss halberds. commander Petermann von Gundoldingen, but also capture the that he was fighting the entire
Weaknesses They were unwieldy banner of Lucerne. Victory is within Leopold’s grasp. Swiss army and is stunned by the
in close combat. appearance of the fresh troops.

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