In 14th c. Switzerland, peasant militias massacred knights at Morgarten (1315) & Sempach (1386). Using pikes and terrain, they crushed heavily armored cavalry, killing many nobles, proving disciplined infantry could overthrow knightly dominance.
by I_am_white_cat_YT
7 Comments
The infantry revolution of the 14th century has gotta be my favorite subject.
Swiss Pikemen. So effective that even the Pope uses the Swiss as his personal bodyguards since 1506.
And the French would then use Swiss mercenaries right up until the French Revolution.
Sure, but in both battles it was Austrian knights which were crushed, not French ones.
Just wait till they find out what a bunch of wagons can do.
The French also got routed at Kortrijk/Battle of the Gilded Spurs in 1302 so the second part of the meme is a bit off
Theres a reason no one has picked a fight with the swiss for several centuries