Georg von Frundsberg Georg von Frundsberg ( 24 September 1473 – 20 August 1528 ) was a South German knight and Landsknecht leader in the service of the Imperial Habsburg dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire . Frundsberg was born to Ulrich von Frundsberg and his wife Barbara von Rechberg at Mindelheim , into an old line of Tyrolean knights who had settled in Upper Swabia . He fought for the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I against the Swiss in the Swabian War of 1499 , and in the same year was among the Imperial troops sent to assist Ludovico Sforza , Duke of Milan , against the French . Still serving Maximilian , he took part in 1504 in the war over the succession to the duchy of Bavaria - Landshut , fighting against the Pfalz - Counts Philipp and Ruprecht . He distinguished himself during the Battle of Regensburg . Maximilian I personally bestowed knighthood on him . Later , he also fought in the Netherlands . Convinced of the necessity of a native body of trained infantry , Frundsberg assisted Maximilian in the organization of the Landsknecht s . One year later , he became the commander of the Landsknechts in the low countries . Thereafter , Frundsberg lived an uninterrupted life of war , campaigning for the Empire and the Habsburgs . In 1509 , Frundsberg became the " Highest Field Captain " of the Landsknecht Regiment ( occupation force ) and participated in the war against Venice , winning fame for himself and his men after defending the city of Verona against numerous attacks . In 1512 he was , together with Jakob von Ems , leading the Imperial contingent sent to aid Gaston de Foix to retake Brescia . After a short visit to Germany , he returned to the Italian peninsula , where between 1513 and 1514 he gained fresh laurels by his enterprises against the Venetians and the French . He was heading the Landsknechts at the side of Fernando d ' Avalos at the Battle of La Motta . Peace being made , he returned to Germany , and at the head of the infantry of the Swabian League assisted in driving Ulrich , Duke of Württemberg , from his duchy in 1519 . At the Diet of Worms in 1521 , he spoke words of encouragement to Martin Luther , and during the Italian War of 1521 – 1526 , Frundsberg helped lead the Imperial Army into Picardy . When King Francis I of France appeared on the battlefield with a force of approximately 40 , 000 men , the clever withdrawal of Emperor Charles V ' s army saved its existence . Frundsberg considered the withdrawal on Valenciennes as " the greatest luck and most appropriate measure during war . " After the French campaign in 1522 ended and Frundsberg resigned from the leadership of the Landesknechts , he returned to lead the march of 6 , 000 men on upper Italy . A difficult alpine crossing through deep snow led to the Battle of Bicocca near Milan in April . Swiss nationals on foot fought alongside Frundsberg , who led and fought from the front . The emperor ' s victory at Bicocca allowed the return of the old Kingdom ' s Parliamentary Cabinet Lands of Genoa and Milan and brought the greater part of Lombardy under the influence of Charles V . In 1525 , after a brief stop in Mindelheim as the " Highest Field Captain " of the entire German Nation ( with a force consisting of 12 , 000 men and twenty - nine flag bearers ) , Frundsberg moved again towards upper Italy to relieve Pavia and to save the Empire ' s Duchy of Milan . Despite an additional 6 , 000 men , of whom some were Spanish , in battle against an enemy that was twice as strong , Frundsberg won his most famous victory at Pavia , with the capture of the French king . Only one year later , when the war in Italy was renewed in 1526 , Frundsberg received a call for help from the Emperor ' s Army in Lombardy , to help decide the war . Albeit an insufficient amount , he obtained 36 , 000 German Thaler to organize the new army . During his occupation of Mindelheim , Frundsberg borrowed money and sold off his silver table settings and his wife ' s jewelry , in order to acquire the remaining funds to raise the army . In less than three weeks , Frundsberg organized over 12 , 000 men and crossed the Alps during the middle of November . He joined the Constable de Bourbon near Piacenza and marched towards Rome . However , order and discipline broke down near Modena on 13 March 1527 , when no decisive battle developed after months of campaigning in Italy . Payment for the mercenaries remained overdue and , in the end , even Frundsberg was unable to rally the Landsknechts and restore order . The matter shook the old commander to such an extent that he suffered a stroke . Unable to regain his physical strength , Frundsberg was moved to Germany after a long struggle in Italian hospitals . Tormented by great anxiety over the situation with his mercenaries or " beloved sons " , the loss of his personal estate and death of one of his sons , Frundsberg died in his castle in Mindelheim . He was considered a capable and chivalrous soldier , and a devoted servant of the Habsburgs . His son Caspar ( 1500 – 1536 ) and his grandson Georg ( died 1586 ) were both soldiers of some distinction . With the latter ' s death , the family became extinct . During World War II , the Waffen - SS ' s 10th Panzer Division was given the honorific title " Frundsberg " .