Peasants Defeat Dukes: Hemmingstedt Victory for Freedom
The peasants of Dithmarschen flooded their own fields the night before the battle. When Duke Friedrich's armored knights charged at dawn, their horses sank into knee-deep mud. The peasants — farmers with pitchforks — killed over 4,000 professional soldiers. They lost twelve men. Friedrich's army included Swiss mercenaries and heavy cavalry, the best money could buy. The farmers had studied the tide tables. Dithmarschen stayed independent for another 59 years.
February 17, 1500
526 years ago
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