The Rise of the European Emperor

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Just after Marin and the Hanseatic city of Hamburg reached an agreement to borrow a boat, Marin and his army were still waiting for the ship sent by Hamburg in the harbour west of the Duchy of Schleswig, while at the same time, in the Swiss region, Emperor Maxi Milian I, but according to Marin's suggestion, gathered tens of thousands of troops and marched mightily to the Aargau region...

Under normal circumstances, in order to ensure the safety of Austria and Burgundy, the Habsburg family set up a standing army of 16,500 people, all of whom were good mercenaries.

But since the occupation of the Graubünden area at Marin's suggestion, in order to prevent the Swiss counterattack, Emperor Maximilian I increased the standing army from 16,500 to more than 20,000, reaching 25,000. many.

Therefore, the dispatch of 10,000 people this time, for the Habsburg family, is not a full effort. However, this is also enough. Because, at this time, there were fewer soldiers in Switzerland.

However, this time, the emperor's troops did not attack from the Graubünden area in southeastern Switzerland, but from the Counties of Burgundy, which is the northwest of Switzerland.

Because the terrain of the Graubünden area is complex, if you want to send troops from the Graubünden area, you must first lead the army through the most powerful canton of Zurich in Switzerland, and then you can reach the canton of Aargau in the north.

This time, although the entire Swiss army, almost all went out. However, the canton of Zurich still left part of the army to guard. That number of troops, although only two or three thousand, was not enough to openly confront the emperor's troops. However, relying on the complex mountainous terrain and strong fortresses, it was still able to stop the emperor's army.

Moreover, the army of Maximilian I couldn't afford it either. Although Marin detained 18,000 Swiss mercenaries, there were still more than 10,000 Swiss mercenaries on the French side and the Gede company.

Once the army of Maximilian I was dragged back by the two or three thousand defenders of Zurich in Zurich and dragged back to the army of France and the Duchy of Gerdes, it would be difficult to say the outcome.

Therefore, Maximilian I decided to attack from the Counties of Burgundy in the northwestern region of Switzerland (that is, the later Franche-Comté region of France).

Because the canton of Aargau is located in the north of Switzerland, the canton of Zurich to the east, and the bishopric of Basel to the west. Moreover, the topography of Switzerland is high in the south and low in the north. Although it is not a plain to the north, the terrain has eased a lot. Sending troops from the Burgundy country also avoided going over the mountains as much as possible.

Originally, the City Council of Basel abolished the bishop's right to govern in 1501 and chose to join the Swiss Confederation. However, that happened in 1499 when Maximilian I fought in the Swabian War and lost to Switzerland.

Due to Marin's intervention, Maximilian I did not rashly participate in the Swabian War, nor was he defeated. Therefore, the Diocese of Basel still exists and is still a religious prince of the Holy Roman Empire, not yet part of the Swiss Confederation.

Therefore, when Maximilian I's army of 10,000 people entered the diocese of Basel from the county of Burgundy, they were not hindered in any way. Because the Bishop of Basel is also somewhat close to the Empire and does not like the Swiss.

However, the citizens of the Basel region are very close to the Swiss Union. However, because Switzerland has not defeated the emperor, the citizens of Basel have no confidence to depose the Bishop of Basel and throw them into the arms of Switzerland.

The most important thing is that Switzerland is now empty and the emperor's army is unstoppable at this time.

In normal times, if Maximilian I only sent 10,000 troops into Switzerland, he would definitely be beaten into a dog. However, the timing is too good now. There are more than 30,000 mercenaries in Switzerland, but most of them are outside, and Switzerland is very empty. Therefore, although Maximilian I only sent 10,000 troops, he still swaggered through the Basel area and entered the Aargau, the place where the Habsburg family made their fortune...

There was nothing Aargau could do about it, because at this time, there were only three or four hundred old, weak, sick and disabled in Aargau, and they were not opponents of the Habsburg family army at all.

As usual, Aargau can also ask for help from the most powerful Zurich Big Brother in the Swiss Alliance to the east, and ask Zurich to send troops to rescue.

However, Zurich only had two or three thousand second-line troops at this time, and they were considered old and weak among Swiss mercenaries. These people, relying on the local strong fortress in Zurich, may be able to withstand the 10,000 army of Maximilian I. However, coming to the rescue of Allgäu is definitely an act of courting death. After all, it is convenient for Austria to send 10,000 troops, and they are still elite German mercenaries.

And the candidate for the coach of the Wan Dajun is also very surprising. Because, this man is very young, his name is Franzberg...

That's right, this is that Frenzberg, the outstanding officer Marin gave to Maximilian I, the "father of German mercenaries" in history.

Originally, Maximilian I did not trust Frenzberg very much. After all, Frenzberg was sent by Marin. Organizational relations are still on Marin's side.

But later, because of the strong combat effectiveness of the Marin army, although Maximilian I did not directly reuse Frenzberg, he handed over the important task of training new recruits after the expansion of the army to Frenzberg.

So, according to the Spanish phalanx he learned from Marin, Frenzberg began to seriously train the recruits, so that the recruits quickly formed combat effectiveness. When guarding the Graubünden area, the trained recruits played a strong combat role. Relying on the mountainous terrain, they repelled several counterattacks by the Swiss and suppressed several local forces in the Graubünden area. the rebellion.

Then, in the eyes of Maximilian I, Frenzberg became more and more important. Like Marin at the beginning, Maximilian I officially appointed Franzberg as the phalanx commander of the new army, mainly managing the two phalanxes sent by Marin.

But Frenzberg's talent showed that he was capable of even commanding a few phalanxes. After all, in terms of commanding talent, Frenzberg's talent surpasses that of Marin's top general, Schwartz.

However, Frenzberg's patriotism was too serious, and he was more inclined towards Emperor Maximilian I in his heart. In the end, Marin chose to cultivate Schwartz who was more loyal to himself, kicked Frenzberg to the emperor, and brought two phalanx soldiers and horses, which was also considered a gift for Maximilian I. explain.

Just some time ago, there was news that Marin had publicly drawn a line with Maximilian I. Maximilian I, who has always valued Frenzberg very highly, felt that the opportunity had come...

What is the opportunity? A test of Franzberg's loyalty, of course. Although on the surface, Frenzberg was very loyal to the emperor Maximilian I (in fact, it was), Maximilian I, as an emperor, was not so easy to trust others.

Therefore, Maximilian I deliberately did not tell Franzberg the real reason, but deliberately said that Marin really wanted to draw a line with himself (he did not know that Marin really thought so). Then, His Majesty the Emperor gave Franzberg a choice - go back to East Friesland or stay...

If Frenzberg chooses to return to East Frisland, then, there is nothing to say. For his departure, Maximilian I is a pity, but it is not impossible to give up. After all, an unfaithful minion just walks away.

And if Frenzberg chooses to stay, it shows that Frenzberg is a talent worthy of being promoted and cultivated by Maximilian I. In the future, Maximilian I can safely reuse...

After all, Frederick II, Earl of Hohenzollern of Swabian, the number one general under Maximilian I, is not too young, and his military talent is also average, not as good as Frenzberg.

Franzberg didn't know that this was a test given to him by Maximilian I, and thought that Marin really parted ways with Maximilian I.

After a night of painful thinking, the next day, Frenzberg, with dark circles under his eyes, expressed to Emperor Maximilian I that he was willing to stay. Moreover, Frenzberg also wrote an apology letter, hoping that the emperor could send someone to help Marin...

Maximilian I was overjoyed, and after being convinced that Marin had not sent to contact Frenzberg recently, His Majesty the Emperor made the decision to reuse Frenzberg.

So, in the surprise and shock of everyone, Maximilian I appointed Franzberg as the acting commander of the army, commanding 10,000 soldiers and horses, from the direction of Burgundy, attacked the Aargau state to recapture the Habs The ancestral land of the Fort family and the land of Longxing, fulfilling the long-cherished wish of the Habsburg family for generations...