Huldrych
Zwingli, the Swiss leader of the Reformation, was present at the battle
as chaplain of the soldiers of Glarus. According to his successor
Heinrich Bullinger he “behaved honorably and bravely during the battles
[of Novara and Marignano] with advice, words and deeds.” The function of
chaplain was indeed crucial for morale.
The
battle was particularly bloody, with 5,000 to 10,000 casualties on the
French side, and 1,500 for the Swiss pikemen, mostly suffered from the
French artillery. After the battle, the Swiss executed the hundreds of
German Landsknecht mercenaries they had captured who had fought for King
Louis XII.
Novara
would be the last Confederate victory; Two years later, they were
defeated at Marignano by the French using a combination of artillery,
cavalry and infantry. Zwingly also participated in that battle. He died
at the battle of Kappel in October 1531 at age 47, his body was taken by
the victorious Catholic army and burned for heresy.
-Medieval Warfare Magazine, 2013 Vol III, No. 2.
-About
the artist: Mark Churms is a free-lance military artist. Originally
from the UK, Mark now lives and works in the USA. The artist’s website: https://markchurms.com/.
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