On this day, in 1531, the Second War of Kappel started. It was a battle between Old Swiss Confederate cantons divided between Catholic and Protestant. Zwingli was among the 2,000 men protecting Zürich as chaplain holding prayers and blessings before battle. They were heavily outnumbers but that did not stop them from putting a last ditch defence. It was recorded before the the start of battle, Zwingli shouted to his men "They may kill the body but they can never kill the soul".
Zwingli, and around over 500 soldiers died that day. After Zwingli's death, Heinrich Bullinger took over Zwingli's position as head of the Swiss Reformed Church.
