A battle
followed and the Austrians were defeated and driven from Altorf.
This victory was followed by others.
A few years later, the duke himself came with a large army,
determined to conquer the mountaineers. He had to march through
a narrow pass, with mountains rising abruptly on either side. The
Swiss were expecting him and hid along the heights above the pass,
as soon as the Austrians appeared in the pass, rocks and trunks of
trees were hurled down upon them. Many were killed and wounded.
Their army was defeated, and the duke was forced to recognize the
independence of the Forest Cantons.
This was the beginning of the Republic of Switzerland. In time
five other cantons joined them in a compact for liberty.
II
About seventy years later the Austrians made another attempt to
conquer the patriots. They collected a splendid army and marched
into the mountains. The Swiss at once armed themselves and met
the Austrians at a place called Sempach. In those times powder
had not been invented, and men fought with spears, swords, and
battle-axes. The Austrian soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder,
each grasping a long spear whose point projected far in front of
him.
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