Battle of Laupen The Battle of Laupen was fought on June 21 , 1339 between the Bern and its allies on one side , and Freiburg together with feudal landholders from the County of Burgundy and Habsburg territories on the other . Bern was victorious , consolidating its position in the region . As a consequence of the conflict , the relations of Bern and the Swiss Confederacy tightened , resulting in Bern ' s permanent accession in 1353 . This is also the first battle that the white cross was documented as being used as a field sign worn by Swiss combatants . Background . Prior to hostilities the free imperial city of Bern had undergone heavy expansion , however this expansion came at high expense to the feudal lords in the area and led to increasing competition with the neighbouring city of Freiburg . Angered , the feudal lords , in league with Freiburg , created a combined force of 17 , 000 men , including 1000 feudal heavy cavalry under the command of Rudolf von Nidau and Gérard de Valengin . While the cavalry were a powerful force , much of the infantry , with the exception of the Freiburg contingent , were poorly equipped and motivated This force set out to confront Bern by besieging the border town of Laupen . To raise the siege , Bern raised a force of 6 , 000 , consisting of Bernese , supported by Forest Cantons of Uri , Schwyz and Unterwalden ( who had entered a military alliance with Bern in 1323 ) , and other allies ( Simmental , Weissenburg , Oberhasli ) . The battle . The Bernese army marched to the relief of Laupen , arriving in the afternoon of 21st . June . Rather than attempt an attack on the Freiburger siege lines , they drew up their army on a hill called the Bramberg , 3 km . NE of Laupen , as a challenge to their enemies to come and fight . The formation of the Bernese consisted of one or more " haufen " , deep bodies of infantry . To one flank , probably the left , stood the troops of the Forest Cantons . The arrival of the Bernese was noted by the Freiburgers and they rapidly armed and arrayed themselves for battle . Late in the afternoon , they launched their attack . The Freiburg force was led by their cavalry , followed by the larger body of infantry . An unknown number of troops were left in the siege camp , to protect the equipment and prevent a sally by the 600 strong Bernese garrison . The cavalry vanguard moved to threaten the Bernese , with a number of newly dubbed knights riding close to the Bernese lines waving their swords , but the Bernese force held its position . When the Freiburg infantry formed up , the cavalry launched an assault which brought them into contact with the Forest Canton contingent , who rapidly formed an all - round defensive formation known as a hedgehog ( " " ) . Away from this flank action , the Freiberger infantry advanced up the hill . The Bernese threw forward a screen of crossbowmen and stone - throwers to harass this advance but these quickly fell back as the Freibergers closed . This seems to have caused a panic in the rear ranks of the Bernese army and a large number ( up to 2000 ) men fled into the forest behind the Bramberg . Remarkably , the rest of the army held firm . The two infantry lines then clashed . Despite their numerical advantage , the Freiburgers were quickly broken and fled away towards Laupen , the flight being led by the feudal contingent from Vaud . The contingent from Freiburg suffered particularly heavily , losing their Burgomeister and the City standard bearer . Showing great control , a part of the Bernese army reordered itself and marched to relieve the Forest Cantons , who were still surrounded by the Freiburger ' s cavalry . The action here was possibly the fiercest of the day , with the horsemen now fighting on two fronts themselves . After a short bloody struggle , the cavalry were routed and suffered heavy casualties . At least 80 nobles fell , including the Counts of Nidau , Valengin and Aarburg and the son of Louis II of Vaud . The evening was now drawing on , which limited pursuit , but the Bernese forces marched into Laupen , where celebrations and services of thanksgiving for the victory were held . Aftermath . The victory of the Bernese / Swiss against all odds , outnumbered two - to - one by an army containing such a force of mounted chivalry , came as a surprise , and chroniclers record that comments like " God himself must have become a Bernese citizen " were heard among the retreating Habsburg troops . Bern and Freiburg avoided further warfare . Bern was drawn into closer association with the Swiss Confederacy , becoming one of the Eight Cantons in 1353 . Freiburg itself would become an associate of the Confederation in 1454 and a full member in 1481 . Wider significance . Comparable to the Battle of Bannockburn 25 years earlier , Laupen was one of a string of battles presaging the definite decline of High Medieval heavy cavalry ( knight s ) in the face of improving infantry tactics during the following century . The battle is also the first occasion for which use of the Swiss cross as a badge to identify confederate troops is attested ; it was shown on combatants ' clothing as two stripes of textile , contrasting with the red St . George ' s cross of Habsburg Austria , and with the Saint Andrew ' s cross later used by Burgundy and Maximilian I .