Coat of arms of the Swabian League, with a flag of St. George. A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people The Flag of England is the St George's Cross. The red cross appeared as an emblem of England during the Middle Ages and the Crusades and Two putti support a red cross in a white field; the motto: Wen Gott verbunden, trennt der Mensch nicht. The putto (pl putti) is a figure of a pudgy Human baby, almost always male often naked and having wings found especially in Italian Renaissance Colored woodcut by Hans Burgkmair, 1522.

The Swabian League was an association of German cities, principalities and knights principally in the territory which had formed the old duchy of Swabia. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A duchy is a territory fief, or domain ruled by a Duke or Duchess. Swabia, Suabia, or Svebia ( German: Schwaben, Schwabenland or Ländle) is both a historic and linguistic The name is not applicable to several earlier leagues (e. g. those of 1331, 1376), since those leagues were City Leagues only. Their intention being a defensive league against the principalities, mainly Württemberg and the knights. Württemberg, formerly known as Wirtemberg, is an area and a former state in Swabia, a region in southwestern Germany. Whereas in the Swabian League these former adversaries cooperated towards new ends: The keeping of the imperial peace and at least in the beginning curbing the expansionist Bavarian dukes. Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12

The Swabian cities had attained great prosperity under the protection of the Hohenstaufen emperors, but the extinction of that house in 1268 was followed by disintegration. Cities and nobles alike, now owing allegiance to none but the emperor, who was seldom able to defend them, were exposed to the aggression of ambitious princes.

Formation and defeat of successive leagues

In 1331, 22 Swabian cities, including Ulm, Augsburg, Reutlingen and Heilbronn, formed a league at the instance of Emperor Louis the Bavarian, who in return for their support promised not to mortgage any of them to a vassal. Ulm (ˈʊlm is a City in the German Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. Augsburg is an independent City in the south-west of Bavaria. Reutlingen is a city in southern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Heilbronn (haɪlˈbʁɔn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany Louis IV ( 1 April[[ 282]] &ndash 11 October 1347) called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the Duke of Bavaria A vassal (also called feodary or fedary) in the terminology that both preceded and accompanied the feudalism of Medieval Europe, The count of Württemberg was induced to join in 1340. History of Württemberg Origins The origin of the name Württemberg remains obscure scholars having universally rejected the once popular derivation from "Wirth Under Charles IV, the lesser Swabian nobles began to combine against the cities, and formed the Schleglerbund (from Schlegel, a maul). Charles IV ( Czech: Karel IV, German: Karl IV, Hungarian: IV Károly; 14 May 1316 &ndash With civil war ensuing in 1367, the Emperor, jealous of the growing power of the cities, endeavoured to set up a league under his own control, for the maintenance of public peace (Landfriedensbund, 1370). The defeat of the city league by Eberhard II, Count of Württemberg in 1372, the murder of the captain of the league, and the breach of his obligations by Charles IV, led to the formation of a new league of 14 Swabian cities led by Ulm in 1376. Eberhard II, called "der Greiner" (the Jarrer (after 1315 &ndash 15 March 1392, Stuttgart) Count of Württemberg This league triumphed over the count of Württemberg at Reutlingen in 1377], and the emperor having removed his ban, it set up an arbitration court, and was rapidly extended over the Rhineland, Bavaria, and Franconia. The Rhineland ( Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 Franconia (Franken is a historic region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria and the area to its immediate west However, Württemberg struck back and defeated the league in 1388.

Esslingen league and disbandment

In 1488 a new Swabian league was formed, at Esslingen, not only of 22 imperial cities but also of the Swabian knights' League of St. Esslingen am Neckar is a city in the Stuttgart Region of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, capital of the District of Esslingen as well as the largest George's Shield, bishops, and princes (Ansbach, Baden, Bavaria, Bayreuth, Hesse, Mainz, the Palatinate, Trier, Tyrol, and Württemberg). The Principality of Ansbach (Fürstentum Ansbach or Brandenburg-Ansbach was a Reichsfrei Principality in the Holy Roman Empire centered Baden is a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the right bank of the Rhine. The following is a list of rulers during the History of Bavaria. The Principality of Bayreuth (Fürstentum Bayreuth or Brandenburg-Bayreuth was a Reichsfrei Principality in the Holy Roman Empire The Landgraviate of Hesse (Landgrafschaft Hessen was a Landgraviate of the Holy Roman Empire. The Archbishopric of Mainz (Erzbistum Mainz or Electorate of Mainz (Kurfürstentum Mainz or Kurmainz) was an influential ecclesiastic and secular Prince-bishopric The Palatinate of the Rhine (Pfalzgrafschaft bei Rhein later the Electoral Palatinate (Kurpfalz was a historical territory of the Holy Roman Empire The Archbishopric of Trier (Erzbistum Trier was a Roman Catholic Diocese in Germany, that existed from Carolingian times until the end of the Tyrol is a region in Western Central Europe, which included the present day Austrian state of Tyrol (consisting of North Tyrol and East The league was governed by a federal council of three colleges of princes, cities, and knights calling upon an army of 13,000 men. It aided in the rescue of the future emperor Maximilian I, son of Emperor Frederick III, held prisoner in the Low Countries, and later was his main support in southern Germany. Frederick III of Habsburg ( September 21 1415 &ndash August 19, 1493) was elected as German King as the successor of The Seventeen Provinces were a Personal union of states in the Low Countries in the 15th century and 16th century roughly covering the current Netherlands In 1519, the League conquered Württemberg and sold it to Charles V after its count Ulrich attempted to seize the city of Reutlingen. Charles V (24 February 1500 &ndash 21 September 1558 was Herzog Ulrich von Württemberg ( February 8, 1487 &ndash November 6, 1550) succeeded his kinsman Eberhard II as Duke of It helped to suppress the Peasants' Revolt (1524–25). For other conflicts referred to as peasant wars or revolts see Peasant revolt (disambiguation. The Reformation caused the league to be disbanded in 1534. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time

Members

States were founder members in 1331 except where specified:

References