The nobles formed an army financed by wealthy cities and the Augsburg Fugger bank. The commander, Truchsess von Waldburg, was harsh and pitiless, but was hampered by the lack of reliable soldiers. The imperial army was fighting in Italy, so Truchsess opted for negotiations with the peasants. When thousands of veterans returned to Germany in the spring of 1525, he assumed the offensive. He crushed one peasant army after another, taking advantage of their poor coordination and lack of military training. On 15 May 1525, at the Battle of Frankenhausen, up to 10,000 peasants were massacred while the nobles lost only six men.