Osprey Men-at-Arms 94 : The Swiss at War 1300-1500

During the 14th and 15th centuries military tactics in Europe underwent a period of sustained transformation of which the outcome was the rejuvenation of the footsoldier as the major tactical unit. One nation alone stands principally responsible for this development - the Swiss Confederation. For centuries the mounted knights had 'ridden roughshod over the populations of Europe'. It was in the Swiss halberdier and later the pikeman that the mounted men-at-arms were to meet their match. Douglas Miller provides an account of rise of the Swiss army to its tactical zenith, beginning with the classic encounter at Morgarten. It was here that 1,300 Swiss achieved an astounding victory over an Austrian force some seven times more numerable, including 2,000 mounted knights, thanks to a splendid tactical use of terrain and the element of surprise. This book also covers the battle of Grandson - one of the most significant battles in Swiss military history - the first encounter in which pike tactics were fully and effectively employed in typical squared formation. This account of how such radical tactics challenged the generally perceived notion that battles should be fought as a kind of tournament en mass, and the supremacy of the mounted knight, is wonderfully illustrated throughout, including museum photographs and eight full page colour plates by Gerry Embleton.

Contents

• Introduction
• Organization
• Tactics and Campaigns
• The Burgundian Wars
• The Plates