The small town of Meers at the intersection of the Tamina Gorge and the Rhine Valley in Switzerland is the intersection of the Graubünden region, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the state of St. Gallen, and belongs to the St. Gallen Land.
In the St. Gallen area at this time, the state of St. Gallen had not yet been established, and the political forces were relatively complicated. Some regions have joined the Swiss Confederation while others remain neutral. St. Gallen is, strictly speaking, a bishopric. However, forces such as Appenzell and Toggenburg in the jurisdiction are not controlled by the church. These forces are all inclined to the Swiss Union, but have not yet expressed their views on joining. After all, the Swiss have not yet completely defeated the emperor, and the three major forces decided to wait and see.
However, during the Swiss attack on Graubünden, the forces of St. Gallen acquiesced in the passage of the Swiss army. Because, entering Graubünden from the north, the only way to enter the Rhine Valley is from the Tamina Gorge in the southeast of the St. Gallen region. Then, go up the Rhine Gorge to the Graubünden region.
When he learned that the Swiss army was about to kill him, the emperor sent his troops to cross the fast-flowing upper reaches of the Rhine (in this area, the east valley of the Rhine belongs to Graubünden, and the small area west of the river belongs to St. Gallen), Occupied Meers and built strong fortifications to resist the Swiss attack.
Because the valley was narrow, the Swiss couldn't use it, so they had to mobilize artillery to bombard the defense line, trying to break through the Tamina Canyon. At the same time, the Swiss would send people to forcibly climb the city wall ordered by Maximilian I during the bombardment, trying to forcibly capture Meers and open the road.
The Swiss themselves did not have artillery, but King Louis XII of France supported the Swiss in taking Graubünden. Because, Louis XII wanted the Swiss to seize Graubünden and cut off Maximilian I's intervention in the Mistel Valley, the road to Italy. Therefore, the French sent a lot of artillery free of charge, and also sent artillery to assist the Swiss in attacking fortifications. Coupled with the Swiss's fearless attack, the Myers defense line was in danger many times.
But Maximilian I knew the importance of this place and sent many elite troops to guard it. If the Austrian soldiers were on the plains, they might not be able to beat the Swiss. However, relying on a solid line of defense, they can still barely withstand the Swiss attack. However, under the artillery fire of the French, they did not feel well, and the battle damage was relatively large.
At the end of November, Frundsberg finally entered the emperor's control area from the direction of Liechtenstein along the Rhine Valley with reinforcements.
The Principality of Liechtenstein and the League of Swabia are neighbors and have close relations. Therefore, Frundsberg's reinforcements passed smoothly, including 20 front-mounted bronze three-pounders brought by Frundsberg. Fortunately, it was a three-pound gun that was easy to maneuver. If it was a heavier gun, it would be impossible to pass through the rugged mountain road and reach Mels in the plateau canyon.
After arriving in Meers, Frundsberg went to Chur first, met with Maximilian I who was sitting here, and expressed his loyalty. The emperor was very happy that Marin could send reinforcements. Although I feel that there are few people, considering Marin's situation, I can also express my understanding.
After encouraging Frundsberg, Maximilian I sent Frundsberg to Meers again, and let them be responsible for blocking the Swiss attack. Of course, the emperor also needed to provide enough gunpowder and lead lumps, as well as artillery shells, for Frundsberg's army. After all, Frundsberg brought 800 musketeers and 20 three-pounders, and gunpowder was in great demand.
However, although it consumes a lot of gunpowder, it is very worthwhile. After Frundsberg led his men to the Meers defense line, the musketeer's power was immediately highlighted...
Although the Swiss are fearless and fearless, many pioneer warriors also wear breastplates and helmets, but when they encountered muskets, those Swiss mercenaries who bravely climbed the high wall had to be blasted off the city wall by the musketeers like dumplings...
You know, Frundsberg brought 800 musketeers, shooting in three stages, and 266 musketeers fired at the same time in each round. But Myers' line of defense was not wide, and 266 muskets fired together, and the offensive of the Swiss mercenaries was immediately beaten back.
Unwilling, the Swiss stopped their storm, pulled out 20 rear-mounted bronze cannons presented by the French, and began to blast the city wall. But Frundsberg also brought artillery. So, Frundsberg pulled the front-loaded three-pound bronze gun to the city wall, and began to bombard the French gun...
You must know that the rear-mounted guns of this era (that is, the Fran cannons) are not as powerful as the front-loaded guns because of their poor air-holding performance. Therefore, in the artillery battle, Frundsberg's artillery had the upper hand, and the Swiss had to retreat.
After several days of fierce fighting, the Swiss suffered huge losses and had to stop their storming completely. Of course, Maximilian I also spent a lot of gunpowder, which made him very distressed. You know, gunpowder is very expensive these days. Therefore, while enjoying the victory, Maximilian I was also very distressed about the consumption of gunpowder. But in any case, winning is the most important thing. Compared with the control of the huge Graubünden region, the large investment of gunpowder is still insignificant.
Under the attack of the guns of the soldiers under Frundsberg's command, it was really difficult to storm Meers. In desperation, the Swiss had to find another way. After all, Graubünden still had passes to the west to attack. Therefore, only a part of the Swiss army on the north road was left, and the rest were pulled to the west, intending to open the defense of Graubünden from the west. As long as they enter the Graubünden area, the Swiss are fully confident in defeating the Austrian army and completing the occupation and control of the more than 7,000 square kilometers of the Graubünden area.
Even, after controlling the Graubünden region, the Swiss can directly threaten the western part of Austria, and can also cut off Austria's route to Italy.
It can be said that whoever controls Graubünden has the initiative. When Maximilian I took control of Graubünden, he had the ability to interfere in Italy, and at the same time he could use the steep terrain to stop the Swiss.
The Swiss also have their own strategic goals. They are not to occupy Graubünden, but because they can threaten Austria's security if they control Graubünden. Threats to the security of Austria can make Maximilian I succumb and agree to the autonomy of the Swiss.
The biggest wish of the Swiss is to hope that the Habsburg family will give up their coveting of the Swiss territory and allow Switzerland a high degree of autonomy. But this is very difficult, because most of Switzerland was originally the territory of the Habsburg family, but it was forcibly separated from the Habsburg family during the Luxembourg dynasty. Therefore, the Habsburg family has been brooding, hoping to regain these territories.
You know, the Swiss state of Aargau is the birthplace of the Habsburg family. Facing the ancestral land, the Habsburg family certainly refused to give up.
Therefore, the Swiss want to use force to force the Habsburg family to give up their coveting of Switzerland and obtain a high degree of autonomy (in fact, it is no different from independence).
In the original history, after being involved in the Swabian War, Maximilian I was defeated by the Swiss and forced to agree to the autonomy of the Swiss.
But because of Marin's intervention, in this time and space, Maximilian I was busy occupying Graubünden, so he was not in a hurry to get involved in the Jinshi Wabia War. Naturally, he was not overwhelmed by the Swiss and signed the terms of agreeing to the autonomy of the Swiss.
Therefore, the Swiss are not reconciled if their political goals have not been achieved. It turned out that Maximilian I did not get involved in the Jinshi Wabia War, and the Swiss were not good at provoking. But after Maximilian I finally couldn't help but get involved, the Swiss aimed at the emperor at once, in order to force the emperor to agree to the autonomy of the Swiss, and to ask the Habsburg family to give up their coveted land in Switzerland.
Therefore, the Swiss are unwilling to give up until this goal is achieved. Although Meers in the north of the Graubünden area failed to win, the Swiss quickly mobilized their main force to attack the pass west of Graubünden with all their strength. In short, the Swiss will not give up unless they enter Graubünden and force the emperor to agree to their political demands...