The ''Feldhauptmann'' (plural: ''Feldhauptleute'') was a historical military appointment, during the time of the ''

Landsknecht The (singular: , ), also rendered as Landsknechts or Lansquenets, were German mercenaries used in pike and shot formations during the early modern period. Consisting predominantly of pikemen and supporting foot soldiers, their front line was ...

e'' or

mercenaries A mercenary is a private individual who joins an War, armed conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military. Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rath ...

in European warfare, who commanded a '' Fähnlein'', a unit of roughly battalion-size. A literal translation is "field captain". The commander of a

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

, who initially still commanded his own ''Fähnlein'', was designated as the ''Obristfeldhauptmann'' ("senior field captain"), the most senior of the ''Feldhauptleute'' in the regiment. Orally this was abbreviated to '' Obrist'', the equivalent of "colonel" (likewise the rank of

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

arose from '' Generalobrist''.)

Georg von Frundsberg Georg von Frundsberg (24 September 1473 – 20 August 1528) was a German people, German military and Landsknecht leader in the service of the Holy Roman Empire and Imperial House of Habsburg. An Early modern period, early modern proponent of in ...

, but later Tilly and

Wallenstein Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein, Duke of Friedland (; 24 September 1583 – 25 February 1634), also von Waldstein (), was a Bohemian military leader and statesman who fought on the Catholic side during the Thirty Years' War (1618–16 ...

as well, were often referred to by their contemporaries as ''Feldhauptleute''. In

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

there were ''Feldhauptleute'', the so-called capitani. See also '' Generalkapitän''.

Sources

German dictionary by Jacob and Wilhelm Grim
General
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221051911/http://www.woerterbuchnetz.de/woerterbuecher/dwb/wbgui?lemid=GG07915 , date=2008-02-21 Military ranks Generals Military units and formations of the Middle Ages Warfare of the early modern period