rdfs:comment
| - As in OTL, in 1291 the first three cantons of Switzerland (Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden) made an alliance directed against the Habsburgs. Since the Habsburgs didn't get Austria, Styria and Carinthia, they were much weaker, and also more concentrated on their lands in SW Germany. Very soon, in 1294, the Habsburgs tried to annex the Swiss Confederation, but were defeated at the battle of Morgarten, and the Roman king (who'd been in competition with the Meinhardiner in Tyrol, relatives of the Habsburgs) rather supported the Swiss. The fact that the Habsburg lands were divided after the death of Rudolf helped too. The confederation grew fast: 1310, Luzern and Zug joined the Swiss; 1334, Zürich, Glarus and Bern followed.
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abstract
| - As in OTL, in 1291 the first three cantons of Switzerland (Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden) made an alliance directed against the Habsburgs. Since the Habsburgs didn't get Austria, Styria and Carinthia, they were much weaker, and also more concentrated on their lands in SW Germany. Very soon, in 1294, the Habsburgs tried to annex the Swiss Confederation, but were defeated at the battle of Morgarten, and the Roman king (who'd been in competition with the Meinhardiner in Tyrol, relatives of the Habsburgs) rather supported the Swiss. The fact that the Habsburg lands were divided after the death of Rudolf helped too. The confederation grew fast: 1310, Luzern and Zug joined the Swiss; 1334, Zürich, Glarus and Bern followed. 1354 the Swiss were strong enough to conquer the lands of the Rudolfine sideline of the Habsburgs, Aargau and Thurgau. The Habsburgs were angry, and the Roman emperor even was on their side this time, but when he died 1359, the Habsburgs had to fight alone and lost. An important development came 1375-78: The Süddeutscher Städtebund (South German league of cities) was formed. Various South German princes, led by those of Württemberg and Habsburg, fought them. With the help of the Swiss, the cities stayed victorious, and other than IOTL, their alliance wasn't interdicted by the Roman king. In this war, the Habsburgs lost most of their territories except Freiburg with the Black Forest. Now, the Swiss influence reached far north of the Rhine. In 1421/22, the Swabish War happened in the Holy Roman Empire. The Empire proved again unable to force Switzerland and its allies of the South German city league back into the fold. 1456-69, the Swiss Civil War between "Upper Switzerland" (south of the Rhine) and "Lower Switzerland" took place. During the Twenty-Year War, the Swiss used the opportunity and conquered the remaining lands of their archenemies, the Habsburgs, in the Black Forest.
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