Vratislaus invades Austria with an army of…
May 1082 CE
Vratislaus invades Austria with an army of six thousand soldiers from Bohemia and another two thousand mercenaries from Moravia and Bavaria.
Leopold and his army of about thirty-five hundred soldiers meet the invaders in a valley near Mailberg.
Leopold is probably supported by additional forces from the conquered areas who remain loyal to the Babenbergs.
According to reports by the historian Cosmas of Prague, Leopold arranges his troops in a wedge configuration, while Vratislav arranges his troops in three parallel columns: the Moravian troops on the left, the Bohemian troops in the center, and the heavily armed Bavarians on the right.
Vratislav and his allies achieve a complete victory.
The losses on the Bohemian side are minor, according to Cosmas.
The Austrians are taken prisoner and held for ransom.
Only a few of Leopold's men are able to escape.
In 1899, at a construction site near Mailberg, the remains of numerous soldiers and horses will be discovered—most likely from the Battle of Mailberg.
As a result of the battle, the northern areas of Lower Austria are devastated from pillage and famine.
The Bohemian border is moved closer to Mailberg, recapturing land that had been lost to the Austrians under Bretislaus I in 1041.
After the death of Leopold II in 1095, his daughter Gerbirg (Gerberga) will marry Borivoj II, the second son of Vratislav, in 1100.