Ep. 227: Landsknechte vs. Swiss Mercenaries – The Swabian (Swiss) War of 1499

Why are the Swiss called the Swiss? After all, Schwyz in only of 26 cantons, and not one of the largest ones. How did the proud and prosperous citizens of Zurich or Berne, mighty city states in their own right, decide they wanted to be named after a mountainous region largely inhabited by peasants tending to their gorgeous brown cattle, the Braunvieh. They even called their national airline Swissair, until my former colleagues at McKinsey let the air out of that one. So, why Swiss? The answer goes back to today’s topic, a war that the Swiss ca...