▁ ▁This ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁battle ▁that ▁the ▁white ▁cross ▁was ▁documented ▁as ▁being ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁field ▁sign ▁worn ▁by ▁Swiss ▁combat ants . ▁ ▁Background ▁Prior ▁to ▁host ilities ▁the ▁free ▁imperial ▁city ▁of ▁Bern ▁had ▁under g one ▁heavy ▁expansion , ▁however ▁this ▁expansion ▁came ▁at ▁high ▁exp ense ▁to ▁the ▁fe ud al ▁l ords ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁and ▁led ▁to ▁increasing ▁competition ▁with ▁the ▁neighbour ing ▁city ▁of ▁Fre ib urg . ▁An ger ed , ▁the ▁fe ud al ▁l ords , ▁in ▁league ▁with ▁Fre ib urg , ▁created ▁a ▁combined ▁force ▁of ▁ 1 7 , 0 0 0 ▁men , ▁including ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁fe ud al ▁heavy ▁caval ry ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Rudolf ▁von ▁N id au ▁and ▁G ér ard ▁de ▁Val eng in . ▁While ▁the ▁caval ry ▁were ▁a ▁powerful ▁force , ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁inf antry , ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁the ▁Fre ib urg ▁cont ing ent , ▁were ▁poor ly ▁equ ipped ▁and ▁un mot iv ated ▁This ▁force ▁set ▁out ▁to ▁confront ▁Bern ▁by ▁bes ie ging ▁the ▁border ▁town ▁of ▁Lau pen . ▁To ▁raise ▁the ▁sie ge , ▁Bern ▁raised ▁a ▁force ▁of ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 , ▁consisting ▁of ▁Bern ese , ▁supported ▁by ▁Forest ▁Cant ons ▁of ▁Uri , ▁Schw yz ▁and ▁Unter wal den ▁( who ▁had ▁entered ▁a ▁military ▁al liance ▁with ▁Bern ▁in ▁ 1 3 2 3 ), ▁and ▁other ▁al lies