Battle of Hard

date	February 22, 1499
place	Hard
output	Victory of the Confederation

Parties to the conflict
King Maximilian I. Swabian Federation	Old Confederation : Lucerne Zurich Uri Schwyz Unterwalden Zug
Troop strength
around 10,000 Swabian knights and mercenaries	outnumbered
losses
2,200	unknown

The Battle of Hard, southeast of Bregenz , took place on February 22nd, 1499 during the Swabian War between troops of the Swabian Confederation and the Roman-German King Maximilian I and the army of the Swiss Confederation . In the first great battle of the Swabian War, the outnumbered Swiss army clearly triumphed over the royal and Swabian mercenaries.

course

The troops of the Swabian Confederation and the Roman-German King camped south-east of Bregenz were attacked by the advancing federal army on the morning of February 22nd, 1499. At the first meeting of the two vanguard, 1,200 men of the Swabian League retreated to their fortified camp in front of 400 Confederates, whereupon the latter attacked the Swabian main force of allegedly 10,000 men, which had not been prepared for a fight. Immediately afterwards, the federal violence intervened. Only a few Swabian guns came to fire, and then the general escape began. Even so, it is said that only five guns fell into the hands of the Confederates. During the flight of the Swabian troops, over 2,200 opponents were killed by the Confederates, including many citizens of Upper Swabian imperial cities. Among the booty were the flags of Ulm , Ravensburg and the abbot of Salem .

literature

Hans-Rudolf Kurz : Swiss battles. Second, revised and expanded edition. Francke, Bern 1977, ISBN 3-7720-1369-4 , pp. 165-171.