Landsknechte
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The (singular: , ), also rendered as Landsknechts or Lansquenets, were German mercenaries used in
pike and shot Pike and shot was a historical infantry tactical formation that first appeared during the late 15th and early 16th centuries, and was used until the development of the bayonet in the late 17th century. This type of formation combined soldiers ...
formations during the
early modern period The early modern period is a Periodization, historical period that is defined either as part of or as immediately preceding the modern period, with divisions based primarily on the history of Europe and the broader concept of modernity. There i ...
. Consisting predominantly of pikemen and supporting foot soldiers, their front line was formed by '' Doppelsöldner'' ("double-pay men") renowned for their use of '' Zweihänder'' and
arquebus An arquebus ( ) is a form of long gun that appeared in Europe and the Ottoman Empire during the 15th century. An infantryman armed with an arquebus is called an arquebusier. The term ''arquebus'' was applied to many different forms of firearms ...
. They formed the bulk of the Holy Roman Empire's Imperial Army from the late 15th century to the early 17th century, fighting in the Habsburg-Valois wars, the Habsburg-Ottoman wars, and the
European wars of religion The European wars of religion were a series of wars waged in Europe during the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries. Fought after the Protestant Reformation began in 1517, the wars disrupted the religious and political order in the Catholic Chu ...
. Although prone to mutiny if unpaid and divided within their ranks between
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and
Lutherans Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...
, the ''Landsknechte'' were well-armed and experienced warriors, recruitable in large numbers throughout Germany and Austria by the
Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...
. This guaranteed both quantity and quality to the Imperial military for a century and a half. At their peak during the reign of Charles V of Habsburg, and under the leadership of notable captains such as
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 ...
and Nicholas of Salm, the Imperial Landsknechts obtained important successes such as the capture of the French King Francis I at the
Battle of Pavia The Battle of Pavia, fought on the morning of 24 February 1525, was the decisive engagement of the Italian War of 1521–1526 between the Kingdom of France and the Habsburg Empire of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, Holy Roman Empero ...
in 1525 and the resistance against the Ottoman Turks led by
Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...
at the Siege of Vienna in 1529, while also being responsible for the Sack of Rome in 1527.


Etymology

The Germanic compound (earlier ''Lantknecht'', without Fugen-"s") combines ''
Land Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of Earth not submerged by the ocean or another body of water. It makes up 29.2% of Earth's surface and includes all continents and islands. Earth's land sur ...
'' and '' Knecht'' to form "servant of the land". The compound ''Lantknecht'' was used during the 15th century for bailiffs or
court usher An usher is a person who welcomes and shows people where to sit, especially at a church, theatre or when attending a wedding. History The word comes from the Latin ''wikt:ostiarius, ostiarius'' ("porter", "doorman") through Norman French, and ...
s. The word first appeared in the
German language German (, ) is a West Germanic language in the Indo-European language family, mainly spoken in Western Europe, Western and Central Europe. It is the majority and Official language, official (or co-official) language in Germany, Austria, Switze ...
circa 1470 to describe certain troops in the army of
Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...
,
Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy () was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by the Crown lands of France, French crown in 1477, and later by members of the House of Habsburg, including Holy Roman E ...
. As early as 1500, the term was morphed into ''Lanzknecht'', referring to the unit's use of the pike as its main weapon.


History

Over the
Burgundian Wars The Burgundian Wars (1474–1477) were a conflict between the Burgundian State and the Old Swiss Confederacy and its allies. Open war broke out in 1474, and the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, was defeated three times on the battlefield in th ...
, the well-organized and supplied armies of
Charles the Bold Charles Martin (10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), called the Bold, was the last duke of Burgundy from the House of Valois-Burgundy, ruling from 1467 to 1477. He was the only surviving legitimate son of Philip the Good and his third wife, ...
were defeated again and again by the
Swiss Confederation Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerlan ...
, which wielded an ''ad hoc'' militia army. Charles's army lacked ''
esprit de corps Morale ( , ) is the capacity of a group's members to maintain belief in an institution or goal, particularly in the face of opposition or hardship. Morale is often referenced by authority figures as a generic value judgment of the willpower ...
'' because of its composition by feudal lords, mercenaries, and levied gentry. The Swiss army, though poorly organized, were highly motivated, aggressive, and well-trained with their arms. The Swiss pikemen, called , repeatedly defeated and eventually killed Charles, eliminating Burgundy as a European power. Archduke Maximilian, who became co-ruler of Burgundian lands in 1477 by marrying
Mary of Burgundy Mary of Burgundy (; ; 13 February 1457 – 27 March 1482), nicknamed the Rich, was a member of the House of Valois-Burgundy who ruled the Burgundian lands, comprising the Duchy of Burgundy, Duchy and Free County of Burgundy, County of Burgundy a ...
, was greatly influenced by the Swiss victories. When the French contested the inheritance, Maximilian levied a Flemish army and defeated the French in 1479 at the Battle of Guinegate, mixing Swiss-styled square infantry formation and Hussite wagon forts tactics. The dissolution of his levied army at war's end found Maximilian wanting a permanent and organized military force like the Confederation's to protect his domain. The existing Burgundian structure was inadequate to this end, however, and moreover the French wielded a monopoly on the hiring of . Maximilian began raising the first units in 1486, amassing 6,000–8,000 mercenaries. One of these units he gave to Eitel Friedrich II, Count of Hohenzollern, who trained them with Swiss instructors in
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in 1487 to become the " Black Guard" – the first . In 1488, Maximilian organized the Swabian League, creating an army of 12,000 infantry and 1,200 cavalry to deter
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
and
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. This is considered to be the first army to be raised in Germany. Maximilian raised a strong army for the Austrian-Hungarian War of 1490, and succeeded in driving the Hungarians out of Austria. The in his army refused to serve after sacking Stuhlweissenburg (now Székesfehérvár,
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
), citing lack of pay and stopping Maximilian's advance on Buda. To prevent a repeat of Stuhlweissenburg, Maximilian now sought to homogenize the into a fully professional, and mostly Germanic military force. In the 1490s, the well-trained managed to defeat significantly greater Frisian armies. wrote of the siege of Älvsborg Fortress in July 1502, fighting for the king of Denmark: "We were 1800 Germans, and we were attacked by 15000 Swedish farmers ... we struck most of them dead." After the Battle of Novara in 1513, the Swiss executed the hundreds of German Landsknecht mercenaries they had captured who had fought for the French. At the Battle of Bicocca and the Battle of Marignano (1515), the performed well, defeating the famed . The Imperial were instrumental in many of the Emperor's victories, including the decisive
Battle of Pavia The Battle of Pavia, fought on the morning of 24 February 1525, was the decisive engagement of the Italian War of 1521–1526 between the Kingdom of France and the Habsburg Empire of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, Holy Roman Empero ...
in 1525. The same year, they also managed to defeat the
peasants' revolt The Peasants' Revolt, also named Wat Tyler's Rebellion or the Great Rising, was a major uprising across large parts of England in 1381. The revolt had various causes, including the socio-economic and political tensions generated by the Black ...
in the Empire. At their peak in the early 16th century, the were considered formidable soldiers who were often brave and loyal. However, these qualities may have declined afterward. The were also employed by the Habsburg emperor and the royal Valencian authorities in the suppression of the First Revolt of Espadà of 1526, which took place in the mountains of Espadà, in modern-day Spanish Castelló province (then in the Aragonese
Kingdom of Valencia The Kingdom of Valencia (; ; ), located in the eastern shore of the Iberian Peninsula, was one of the component realms of the Crown of Aragon. The Kingdom of Valencia was formally created in 1238 when the Moorish taifa of Valencia was taken in ...
), where thousands of
Valencian Valencian can refer to: * Something related to the Valencian Community ( Valencian Country) in Spain * Something related to the city of Valencia * Something related to the province of Valencia in Spain * Something related to the old Kingdom of ...
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''fellah''s took up arms against the decree of forced conversion issued that very year by the emperor. They are attested as deployed in the armies of Kings John III of Navarre and successor Henry II of Navarre during their campaigns to reconquer Navarre (1512–1524). In the same context, they are also found fighting on Charles V's side (battle for Hondarribia, 1521–1524) where they performed strongly. They also served in high numbers in the Imperial army during the campaigns of Austria (1532), France (1542), Germanic Reformed League (1547) and in of all the Italian wars. Others also fought on the Habsburg-Ottoman frontier. The army of the Holy Roman Emperor defeated the French army in Italy, but funds were not available to pay the soldiers. The 34,000 Imperial troops mutinied and forced their commander, Charles III, Duke of Bourbon, to lead them towards Rome. The Sack of Rome in 1527 was executed by some 6,000 Spaniards under the Duke, 14,000 under Georg von Frundsberg, some Italian infantry and some cavalry. Terence McIntosh comments that the expansionist, aggressive policy pursued by Maximilian I and Charles V at the inception of the early modern German nation (although not to further the aims specific to the German nation per se), mainly relying on German manpower as well as utilizing fearsome ''Landsknecht'' and other mercenaries (with the Battle of Pavia and atrocities like the Sack of Rome being associated with them), would affect the way neighbours viewed the German polity, although in the longue durée, Germany tended to be at peace. From the 1560s on, after the death of Frundsberg, the reputation of the steadily decreased. In the
French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion were a series of civil wars between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants (called Huguenots) from 1562 to 1598. Between two and four million people died from violence, famine or disease di ...
and the Eighty Years War, their bravery and discipline came under criticism, and the Spanish elements of the army of Flanders regularly deprecated the battlefield usefulness of the , somewhat unfairly. Their status also suffered from the rising reputation of the dreaded Spanish tercios who, however, were far less abundant and more expensive to train. When serving in southern Europe, were still considered elite troops. In the army of the Dutch rebels, many German mercenaries were hired but were forced to give up some traditions in order to increase their discipline in river crossing and their naval fighting abilities. Increasing ill-discipline within the ranks saw them replaced with an improved system of raising a German army, the ''Kaiserlicher Fussknecht'', which was far less reliant on mercenaries.


Organization and recruitment

The ''Landsknechte'', often recruited from South Germany, came from a society with exploding population growth, increasing unemployment, diverse cultural factors and depleting hierarchical structure (unlike the tightly organized society of the Swiss). In addition to dispossessed craftmen and peasants, there were burghers, aristocrats and runaway serfs as well. They were also used to freedom of carrying weapons. The result was that soldiers leaned towards a libertine (and also brutal) lifestyle. Thus, the role of the regiment, leadership by example (commanders tended to dismount to fight with the troops) and harsh discipline (involving capital punishment) were emphasized to compensate. As with the , 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 ...
(a typical ''Landsknecht'' regiment consisted of 4,000 men) of was raised by a lord with a letter patent (''Bestallungsbrief'') that named the unit
colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
(''Obrist''). This document laid out the size and structure of the unit, the pay of its men, and contained its
Articles of War The Articles of War are a set of regulations drawn up to govern the conduct of a country's military and naval forces. The first known usage of the phrase is in Robert Monro's 1637 work ''His expedition with the worthy Scot's regiment called Mac-k ...
(''Artikelsbriefe''). Upon accepting the commission and securing funding, either through a bank loan or a grant from the lord, the colonel assembled his chain of command. His captains, once appointed, would then go to a locality he knew with drummers and fifers. Recruits gathered at a specified place and time for the muster. There, they would parade under an arch and be inspected by the colonel and his captains, then be paid their first months' salary. The colonel next read the ''Bestallungsbrief'' in full to the soldiers, who then swore oaths of allegiance to cause, officers, and the
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. This ceremony also saw the appointing of the unit staff and its standard bearers, or '' Fähnriche'' (
ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...
s), who swore to never lose the standard. The colonel was the highest–ranking officer in a regiment, but if his force contained more than one regiment he could become a ''Generalobrist''. If it contained cavalry and artillery in addition to its infantry, then he could be a ''Feldobrist'' or ''Generalfeldobrist''. The regiment would be commanded by a lieutenant colonel in the colonel's stead. The regiment itself was formed by ten '' Fähnlein'', equivalent to a
company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
and commanded by a captain. A ''Fähnlein'' was made up by 400 men, including 100 veterans. ''Rotten'', equivalent to a
platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...
, were the building blocks of the ''Fähnlein'' and contained either ten ordinary or six ''Doppelsöldner'', led by a ''Rottmeister'' elected by his unit. In totality, the regiment averaged 4,000 men; ten ''Fähnlein'', containing 40 ''Rotten''. Unit
sergeant major Sergeant major is a senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned Military rank, rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's ...
s, called '' Feldweibel'', were tasked with training
drill A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a drill bit for making holes, or a screwdriver bit for securing fasteners. Historically, they were powered by hand, and later mains power, but cordless b ...
and formation. The regimental sergeant major, ''Oberster-Feldweibel'' was responsible for drill on the battlefield. ''Rotten'' sergeants, ''Weibel'', were charged with ensuring discipline and relaying liaisons between enlisted men and their officers. One of these men, the ''Gemeinweibel'', was the spokesman for the men and was elected monthly. According to Imperial law, a colonel could have a staff of 22 officers but in practice this depended on the colonel's wealth. Included in that staff were a chaplain, a
scribe A scribe is a person who serves as a professional copyist, especially one who made copies of manuscripts before the invention of Printing press, automatic printing. The work of scribes can involve copying manuscripts and other texts as well as ...
, a doctor, a scout, his personal quartermaster and ensign, a drummer and fifer, and a bodyguard (''
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en'') of eight men. Captains also had a staff that included much of the same, but with additional musicians and two ''Doppelsöldner'' to protect him. A provost marshal and '' Schultheiss'' were appointed by the colonel to maintain military discipline and to prosecute the ''Artikelsbriefe'' respectively. The provost was unimpeachable, and feared. Harsh punishments could be expected for offenses such as
mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military or a crew) to oppose, change, or remove superiors or their orders. The term is commonly used for insubordination by members of the military against an officer or superior, ...
or drunkenness on duty. A provost had a retinue of a jailer, bailiff, and executioner (''Freimann'').


Equipment

Just like the , formations consisted of men trained and armed with pikes, halberds, and swords. 300 men of a ''Fähnlein'' would be armed with a pike, though a 's pike was generally shorter than a 's at about . Experienced and well-equipped soldiers, receiving double a normal 's pay and getting the title '' Doppelsöldner'', made up a quarter of each ''Fähnlein''. 50 of these men were armed with a halberd or with a two-handed sword called a '' Zweihänder'' while another fifty were arquebusiers or crossbowmen. The focus on firearms, rather than crossbows, as ordained by Maximilian, was where they were different from the Swiss. Maximilian abolished the crossbow in military use in 1517 (although other countries continued to use them). Most , regardless of primary weapon, carried a short sword called a '' Katzbalger'' for close combat. By the end of the 16th century, however, the number of pikemen in a ''Fähnlein'' had diminished to around 200.


Tactics

They also copied the Swiss in tactics. fought in a pike square they called the ''gevierte Ordnung'', forty to sixty men deep. ''Doppelsöldnern'' made up the formation's first two ranks. Then came the ensigns, and then the squares themselves. Pikemen, supported by halberdiers, formed the square while swordsmen made up their front and rear. The most experienced soldiers were located at the back of the formation and arquebusiers were placed on its flanks. In the attack, a band of soldiers called a forlorn hope preceded the pike square to break enemy pikes. The pikemen were supported by halberdiers, who would rush a gap in an opposing line, a tactic also copied from the Swiss. As their solidarity grew, commanders emphasized finesse and timing, rather than the head-down battering charge of the Swiss. As the ''Landsknechte's'' fighting techniques were developed, they no longer preferred fighting along a straight line (as exercised by even the Swiss until the end of the fifteenth century), but leaned towards a circle-wise movement that enhanced the use of the space around the combatant and allowed them to attack the opponents from different angles. The circle-wise formation described by
Jean Molinet Jean Molinet (1435 – 23 August 1507) was a French poet, chronicler, and composer. He is best remembered for his prose translation of '' Roman de la rose''. Born in Desvres, which is now part of France, he studied in Paris. He entered th ...
as the "snail" would become the hallmark of ''Landsknechte's'' combat. The new types of combat also required the maintenance of a stable bodily equilibrium. Maximilian, an innovator of these types of movements, also saw value in their effects over the maintenance of group discipline (apart from the control of centralised institutions). As Maximilian and his commanders sought to popularize these forms of movements (which only became daily practice at the end of the fifteenth century and gained dominance after Maximilian's death in 1519), he promoted them in tournaments, in fencing and in dancing as well. The courtly festivals became a playground for innovations, foreshadowing developments in military practices.


Camp

The '' Tross'' were the camp followers or baggage train who travelled with each unit, carrying military necessities, the food, and the belongings of each soldier and his family. The ''Tross'' was made up of women, children and some craftsmen. Women and young boys set up camps, cooked, mended injuries, and dug and cleaned latrines. A was usually forbidden by his ''Bestallungsbrief'' from having more than one woman in the baggage train. The ''Tross'' was overseen by a "whore's sergeant" (''Hurenweibel'').


See also

* Peter Hagendorf, a Landsknecht whose diary from 1625 to 1649 has survived * Burgmann * Feldhauptmann *
Free company A free company (sometimes called a great company or, in French, ''grande compagnie'') was an army of mercenaries between the 12th and 14th centuries recruited by private employers during wars. They acted independently of any government, and were ...
*
Freikorps (, "Free Corps" or "Volunteer Corps") were irregular German and other European paramilitary volunteer units that existed from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. They effectively fought as mercenaries or private military companies, rega ...
* Trabant (military) * Heerhaufen * Kabukimono,
samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
gangs also known for their extravagant dress * Lansquenet, a card-game with the French spelling of


Notes


Citations


References

* * * * * *


External links

*
"Landsknechte"
at
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{{Authority control German words and phrases Military history of the Holy Roman Empire Military units and formations established in the 15th century Pikes (weapon) Mercenary units and formations of the early modern period