The Founding of the Swiss Military System, 1300-1400

The Founding of the Swiss Military System, 1300–1400 examines how four key fourteenth-century battles helped shape the military and political foundations of the Swiss Confederation. It focuses on the rise of Swiss infantry tactics, the military role of free peasants, and the defeat of feudal forces. The book also traces the early development of one of Europe’s most respected military traditions, a subject that remains little known among English-speaking scholars.

Drawing extensively on often-overlooked medieval sources—including chronicles, histories, reports, historical poems, and legal charters—the study explains how the Swiss challenged and ultimately overcame the dominance of the mounted knight, a decisive force in warfare that had controlled the battlefield for centuries. In doing so, they helped initiate a tactical revolution in military history.

Combining detailed battle analysis with extensive use of contemporary medieval sources, this book shows how the Swiss developed an increasingly sophisticated military system that secured their independence and helped transform the practice of warfare in late medieval Europe.