The Battle of Mount Morgarten on November 15, 1315, was a significant early victory for the Swiss Confederacy against the Habsburgs of Austria. The conflict arose as the Swiss sought to defend their independence from the expanding influence of the Habsburgs, who aimed to control the strategically important Alpine passes.
The Swiss, primarily peasants from the cantons of Schwyz, Uri, and Unterwalden, used guerrilla tactics to ambush the much larger and heavily armored Habsburg army led by Duke Leopold I. The ambush took place in a narrow mountain pass near Lake Ägeri, where the Swiss used rocks, logs, and surprise attacks to crush the Habsburg knights. The battle ended in a decisive Swiss victory, solidifying the Confederacy's independence and marking the beginning of Swiss military tradition. The success at Morgarten was a key moment in Switzerland’s eventual emergence as a self-governing state.

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