By 1400 A.D., the Swiss Cantons had developed their infantry into the finest in the world. This was done out of necessity, in order to fend off the territorial ambitions of their neighbors and the heavy cavalry troops they possessed, which the Swiss did not. In 1401, the Swiss decided to assist their neighbors in Swabia, by driving out the repressive nobility there, and allowing the citizens to join the Confederation. Driving out the rulers of Swabia was an easy task for the Swiss eidgenossen ("oath-brothers"), and the peasants and artisans of Swabia soon petitioned for membership in the 'Everlasting League'.
In 1405, relations between the Swiss and their former nemesis, the Archduke of Austria, had improved to the point that the Cantons agreed to assist Albrecht Hapsburg in a bold move to seize Venice. The Swiss had already received entreaties from the citizens of Lombardy to free them from their local lord, so they might join in the economic and political freedom offered by joining the Confederation. A move through Lombardy accomplished that goal, but the planned move on the Venetians never came about, as Austria had suffered what was to be the first of several attacks by the Kingdom of Hungary and the Hussites of Bohemia. Fortunately, heavy losses forced the Hungarians and Hussites to retreat home before they were able to take Vienna.
In 1409, the Confederation joined into a defensive alliance, the "Grand Alliance", with many of the smaller states of central and southern Europe, including Milan, Venice, Austria, Saxony, Brandenburg, Florence, Genoa and Naples. The Swiss also helped broker a peace deal, which was promptly violated in 1410, when an army of 5,000 Hussite and Bohemian troops moved into Swabia. They were driven out by an army of 4,000 Swiss, after the charge of the Bohemian cavalry was shattered against the line of stalwart pike.
The Swiss agreed to accept a subsequent offer of reparations by Jan Hus, and a period of realtive peace and stability settled over central Europe, starting with the signing of the Treaty of Magdeburg in 1414. The Swiss turned their attention to economic growth, constructing the cities of Bergamo in Lombardy, and Freiburg in Swabia.Link to Lords 31 Website
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