The Lausen Encounter

The main force of the Imperial Army, personally commanded by the Emperor, was currently advancing towards Winterthur, the gateway to Zurich.

During the past ten-odd days of marching, he had encountered almost no resistance, as if the Swiss had not deployed any defenses in the east.

If it weren't for the disastrous defeat of the Swabian army in Constance, Laszlo would have truly believed that the Swiss had chosen the 'boar skin' tactic.

That is, the so-called 'no matter how many routes you take, I will only take one.'

However, it was unlikely that the Swiss would do so, as even if the federal cantons prioritized collective interests, they would still be greatly influenced by their own cantonal interests.

If Zurich sent troops to resist Outer Austria's invasion of Aargau, what would happen if the Emperor marched straight from Tyrol and took Zurich?

Therefore, Winterthur was likely the decisive battleground chosen by the Swiss.

However, it was also possible that these Swiss intended to draw the Imperial Army near Zurich before launching an ambush.

In reality, the Zurich army initially gathered near St. Gallen by the river valley, believing the Emperor would send troops to attack St. Gallen to secure his rear.

Unexpectedly, Laszlo didn't even glance at St. Gallen, heading straight for Constance.

Helpless, the Swiss could only return to Zurich along the mountain roads and redeploy their defenses to intercept the Imperial Army.

However, the commander of the Zurich army, Immanuel, still dispatched small units to lie in wait by Lake Constance, intending to cut off the Imperial Army's supply lines.

Yet, Laszlo transported supplies by water across the lake, leaving the Swiss empty-handed once again.

Now the Emperor had reached Constance, and it would only take a few days to approach Zurich.

The Swiss usually opted for open-field battles, primarily due to insufficient supplies and the risk of being easily encircled if defending a city.

They also did not want their federal land to suffer prolonged occupation and ravaging by the enemy, which would only exacerbate their already difficult lives.

Therefore, for the Swiss, who were often at a numerical disadvantage, concentrating their forces to actively seek a decisive battle in the open field and quickly defeat the enemy was the best option.

A fierce battle was inevitable between Zurich and Constance.

Laszlo cautiously analyzed the current situation, leading his army carefully south, while also dividing his attention to the status of the other large army.

The Milanese side only had a containment mission; if they could take the Levantine Valley, that would undoubtedly be the best outcome.

It didn't matter if they couldn't; as long as they could force the Swiss to divert some of their already limited forces to defend the southern line, the Milan Army's mission would be complete.

But the situation on the Outer Austria side was very important.

From the situation in the past few days, since the Swiss did not directly gather a large army to fight him in a decisive battle, their main force was likely concentrated in the west.

However, the western force was strong in appearance but weak in reality, having scale but little combat power.

If they were defeated first, the Swiss might directly rush over and flank him.

If Laszlo were to be 'dumpling-wrapped' by the Swiss here, he would lose a significant number of troops even if he didn't die.

Therefore, as soon as Laszlo arrived in Constance, he immediately dispatched several capable scouts to the west to search for the Austro-Swabian allied forces.

However, before his scouts could even encounter the rapidly advancing western army, the Swiss had already grasped their movements.

Margrave Karl I of Baden was the first to lead his army to Freiburg, the capital of Outer Austria, bringing over three thousand troops.

Following him were the two Counts of Württemberg, Ulrich V and Eberhard V, each leading over a thousand troops.

The remaining several thousand troops were jointly assembled by numerous Swabian knights and other lower nobility.

The theoretical commander of this force was the Swabian military commander, General Ulrich, Count of Württemberg.

The troops he could command included his own main force, his nephew Eberhard V's army, and some Swabian noble armies willing to obey orders.

Margrave of Baden, on the other hand, controlled his own main force and the Swabian noble armies attached to him.

On the Austrian side, Hunyadi Matthias, the Governor of Outer Austria, was the nominal commander.

However, the Saxon Army was a self-contained unit, commanded by General Werner, and the situation with the Outer Austrian noble levy was also quite complex, though generally willing to obey the Governor's orders.

Considering Margrave of Baden's poor performance in the Mainz War, Laszlo did not appoint him as the supreme commander of the entire army, choosing Count of Württemberg Ulrich instead.

Margrave of Baden, Werner, and Matthias served as deputy commanders of this army, responsible for coordinating the entire force.

Laszlo was well aware that a chaotic command system and multiple forces fighting independently were almost unavoidable.

He could only hope that this joint command system would function as intended.

At worst, preserving the strength of the Austrian army and letting the Swabians perish was also acceptable.

These lords had come for profit, so dying for profit was no one's fault.

After the army, nearly twenty thousand strong, assembled in Freiburg, it immediately marched upstream along the Rhine River, reaching Basel in a few days. The Bishop of Basel donated some supplies to the army to spare his diocese from plunder.

Basel, a free city, nearly became the first target of the army's attack due to its alliance with the Swiss.

However, the city officials quickly announced that they had severed ties with the Swiss Confederation.

After providing some military supplies and paying a ransom of several thousand florins, the Imperial Army finally abandoned its plan to besiege the city.

They crossed the Rhine River from Basel and continued to advance southeast along the mountain roads, intending to head straight for Aarau, the capital of Aargau.

The road after leaving Basel became even more rugged and difficult than before, but thinking of the many villages and towns ahead waiting for them to conquer, the soldiers' fighting spirit was further ignited.

On the evening of the second day after leaving Basel, the army temporarily halted at Lausen village for rest.

This was a rare large flat area in the valley, and the allied forces set up camp near the village, preparing to spend the night there.

Margrave of Baden's army camped directly in the village, Count of Württemberg led his troops to the foot of the northern slope, while the Austrian army chose to camp on the open southern slope.

"Werner, don't you think the terrain around this village is a bit strange?"

While the camp was still being set up, Matthias approached Werner, who was personally supervising the camp construction, and voiced his concerns.

"Indeed, if you ask me, this place is like a kettle with a broken bottom.

If someone blocked both ends of the valley and then attacked from the slopes on both sides, I'm afraid those miscellaneous troops below wouldn't last long."

Werner looked at Lausen village, brightly lit with campfires below the slope, and the Württemberg camp to the north of the village, implying something.

He wasn't afraid of a Swiss sneak attack, but he couldn't help but consider the risks from the flanks or even the rear, as his allies were not particularly reliable.

Werner recalled a conversation with Gunter, the commander of the Independent Army.

Gunter scoffed at the combat effectiveness of the Swabian army.

They had been routed by the Palatinate army, and now facing the even stronger Swiss army, they would likely suffer an even worse defeat.

During the Mainz War, the Independent Army was protected by Wagenburg, which prevented them from being dragged down by the collapse of their allies.

However, due to the numerous mountains in western Switzerland, Werner had to leave most of the Hussite War Wagons in Freiburg.

These wagons required horses to pull them, which would not only greatly increase fodder consumption but also slow down the march in mountainous terrain.

Otherwise, he would not have abandoned such a useful war tool as the Hussite War Wagon.

Although he didn't bring many war wagons, he brought a full twenty cannons.

These light cannons, developed by the Graz arsenal at great expense, could fire powerful cast-iron cannonballs.

Moreover, the wheeled carriages and detachable structure of Austrian cannons were well-suited for mountain marches.

If he truly encountered the Swiss, these cannons and his crossbowmen would give those Swiss a great surprise.

"I have a premonition that the Swiss are now very aware of our movements, and they are likely to ambush us in this vicinity."

A worried expression appeared on Matthias's face.

When the Imperial Army arrived in Lausen, the residents had already fled without a trace.

It can be fully inferred from this that the Swiss who appeared probably already knew their marching route and position.

Now that the enemy is hidden in the dark, they must maintain sufficient vigilance to avoid a major defeat.

"Three groups of scouts have been sent out, and the replies received are all that no abnormalities have been found.

Unless the Swiss can use witchcraft to instantly transfer the army in front of us, there's nothing to worry about."

Although Werner was also somewhat worried, he still firmly believed the intelligence gathered by the scouts.

"I hope they aren't watching us from some hard-to-detect dark corner; I hate this feeling of anxiety."

Matthias sighed softly; fighting the Swiss in the mountains was arguably the most unfavorable situation he knew of.

He had witnessed the Swiss's strong willpower and discipline on the battlefield, which few armies in this world could probably match.

However, looking on the bright side, the Swiss suffered considerable losses in Italy, and they also provided many mercenaries for the French.

The number of battle-hardened veterans truly remaining in the mountains would definitely not be too many.

Most Swiss did not possess the high martial arts skills and firm will of the world-renowned Swiss mercenaries.

Moreover, the allied forces held an absolute numerical advantage; as long as they fought steadily and were not ambushed by the Swiss, their chances of winning were very high.

Night fell, and the cool breeze of the summer night passed through the dense forest, making a slight sound that was a bit harsh in the silent night sky.

The allied forces passed this night peacefully. However, early the next morning, a heavy horn blast woke many Swabian soldiers who were still asleep.

The Swabian nobles stationed at the easternmost end of the valley were the first to discover the Swiss army arrayed on the opposite bank of the stream running through the valley.

The narrow terrain of the valley meant that the Swiss army did not need many troops to completely cut off the entire valley; the depth of their phalanxes was astonishing.

In front of the Swiss phalanx, some skirmishers armed with bows and crossbows advanced more quickly towards the weakly defended Swabian army camps.

The Swabian soldiers on the edge of the camp could even hear the Swiss chanting in unison as they marched forward.

The Count of Württemberg, who was inspecting the camp, was the first commander to notice the Swiss's movements.

He immediately ordered his troops to assemble and simultaneously sent people to Lausen village and further south on the hillside to request support from the Baden and Austrian armies.

The area near Basel is hilly, and although the elevation is not high, small hills stretch endlessly, one after another.

The morning sun had just peeked out from the layers of mountains, and the Austrian army soldiers also emerged from their tents, preparing to eat before marching with the main force.

Matthias, Werner, and Baron Eggenberg, an important military noble from Outer Austria, gathered together, drinking broth and discussing the possible movements of the Swiss.

Just then, a messenger from the Württemberg army rode at top speed into the Austrian army camp on the slope, coming directly before the three.

"Sirs," the breathless messenger reported to the three, "The Swiss, so many Swiss, they've come through the eastern pass! Count Ulrich needs your reinforcements."

The three men's expressions changed in surprise. Matthias suddenly stood up and instructed the messenger, "Tell the Count of Württemberg to hold on; we will reinforce him immediately."

"Thank you, sir."

The messenger did not dare to delay for a moment, immediately mounted his warhorse, and galloped down the mountain, preparing to report the news to the Count of Württemberg, whose situation was currently unknown.

"The despicable Swiss really know how to pick their time; we'll probably have to fight on empty stomachs."

Baron Eggenberg said with some resentment.

"Let's assemble the troops first; we don't have much time to waste. Tell everyone to quickly eat a few more bites so they'll have the strength to deal with those mountaineers later."

The three quickly began to assemble the army. Since the Austrian army's camp was very far back, there was no need to worry about Swiss harassment, and the army was quickly assembled.

When they led their troops to the battlefield, the Count of Württemberg's army had already completely collapsed; rather, they simply couldn't organize any decent resistance.

The main Swabian army led by the Margrave of Baden was in a meat grinder with the Swiss not far from the entrance of Lausen village.

Both sides were on a small flat area between two hills, so neither could fully deploy.

The hills on both sides were covered by dense forest, making it almost impossible for troops to move through them, which well protected both sides' flanks and avoided the danger of cavalry harassment.

Of course, this terrain was very disadvantageous for the allied forces. The Swabian army had over two thousand cavalry, while the Swiss only had over a hundred light cavalry, and they only served reconnaissance duties.

"The Swiss have chosen a good terrain. If this grinding continues, the Swabians will collapse."

Matthias frowned, watching the increasingly high-spirited Swiss, carefully observing their situation.

The Swiss phalanx formation was very orderly. The wealthy, battle-hardened veteran mercenaries were arrayed at the very front of the battle line.

Most of them wore half-plate armor, helmets, and carried reinforced pikes, with equipment not much different from the Austrian standing army. These men were the core and backbone of the Swiss phalanx.

Behind them, several rows were almost entirely new recruits wearing light armor or even no armor. They were all young men temporarily conscripted from Swiss villages.

The Swiss soldiers in the back rows held obviously lengthened pikes, forming a dense wall of spears, while the Swabian knights gripped their lances under their arms, forming a wall to confront the Swiss elite mercenaries head-on.

The old Swabian farmers stood next to their knight lords, also raising their pikes in a proper manner and poking at the Swiss opposite them.

Within the Swiss phalanx, some also used more powerful halberds, inflicting heavy casualties on the Swabians.

Even on the flanks of the Swiss phalanx, Matthias saw some two-handed greatswordsmen who would cut down the Swabians' pikes from the side, attempting to create breakthroughs.

Without exception, the Swiss all used the white Swiss cross to identify themselves.

Their phalanx seemed capable of blocking any enemy charge.

However, their weakness was also obvious: the lack of ranged firepower.

The Swabian crossbowmen, positioned behind the first line, furiously vollied arrows at the Swiss phalanx.

Although they were facing the sun, which made aiming difficult, their accuracy was quite good, and occasionally, Swiss soldiers with weak protection in the back rows would fall after being hit by arrows.

This was mainly because both sides were currently still in formation, pushing against each other, and had not yet fallen into complete chaos.

But undoubtedly, the Swabian infantry could not hold out for long; they had to make a decision now.

"We've scouted this place. I remember there's a small path to the south that can quickly bypass the Swiss and get behind them."

Eggenberg saw the battlefield sandwiched between two small hills and shared his idea with the two commanders.

"The Swiss are masters of mountain warfare; they wouldn't possibly expose such an obvious weakness."

Although Werner also wanted to attack the Swiss from behind, such a good opportunity was clearly impossible during a Swiss surprise attack.

"When the Swiss have sufficient troops, they like to leave a considerable number of rearguard units. Even if we risk falling into an ambush to go around, we might not be able to break through the Swiss rearguard."

Matthias had thoroughly researched the Swiss's fighting methods. When fighting the Swiss in the mountains, taking risks was a big taboo.

"Then what should we do?"

Eggenberg also realized that he had indeed been too eager.

"Governor Hunyadi, you and Eggenberg take your men to guard the southern path, and also serve as a reserve force ready to support the front at any time.

I'll take men to reinforce the Swabians. How does that arrangement sound?"

"Hmm, I'll leave the front to you, General Werner."

"Don't worry, God and the Emperor will protect us both."

Werner quickly led his troops towards the area where the Swiss and Swabians were engaged in battle.

Matthias, on the other hand, led the Outer Austrian army, both guarding against possible enemy encirclement from the small path and observing the situation on the battlefield.