Landsknecht
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Landsknechts (singular Landsknecht, German plural Landsknechte sometimes also in English publications) were European, most often German, mercenary pikemen and foot soldiers from the late 15th to the early 17th century, with the formidable reputation for being the most effective fighting troops during the European Renaissance.
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Etymology
The term is from German, Land "land, country" + Knecht "servant", attested from ca. 1480. It was originally intended to indicate soldiers of the lowlands of the Holy Roman Empire as opposed to the Swiss mercenaries. Already from 1500 the misleading spelling of Lanzknecht, became common by association with Lanze "lance".
The term Landser current in WWII is directly based on Landsknecht, as is the name of the French card-game lansquenet.
History
The first Landsknecht regiments were formed by Maximilian I, the Holy Roman Emperor and Austrian-German monarch 1459 - 1519. He called upon Georg von Frundsberg, known by many as the Father of the Landsknechts, to assist him in their organization. They later went on to fight in almost every 16th century military campaign, sometimes on both sides of the engagement. The landsknechts took over from the redoubtable Swiss mercenaries when the rigid Swiss battle formations became vulnerable to the increased fire power of arquebus and artillery. The landsknechts used much more efficient tactics better suited to these recently introduced weapons technologies, and soon adopted the new weaponry as well.
The landsknechts typically came from Swabia, Alsace, Flanders, and the Rhineland, but ultimately the regiments were made up of men from all parts of Europe.
Organization
The regiments often expanded from 4,000 to 10,000 men according to circumstances, and it was this flexibility which allowed them to be used in various battle conditions. Oberste (colonels) were given recruiting commissions by the Emperor to form regiments, with a lieutenant-colonel and various regimental staff, and units divided into Fähnleins (companies) with a Hauptmann (captain) in charge, as well as lieutenants and Fähnriche (ensigns). Other ranks included majors of the court-martial and officers in charge of camp followers.
Weapons
Landsknechts were well-known as the most efficient pikemen, trained in the use of the famous long pikes and used the pike square formations developed by the Swiss. The majority of Landsknechts would use pikes, but others were more specialized, and used different weapons. An experienced Landsknecht would be called a Doppelsöldner, and instead of wielding a pike along with the new recruits, would employ a six to eight foot long halberd or partisan, or a zweihänder, two-handed swords as long as 6 feet. These great war swords could be used to hack off the heads of enemy pikes, or more likely; to knock the pikes aside and create disorder in the tightly arranged line of pikes, in order to break through enemy lines. Doppelsöldner meant double soldier/mercenary, because they were paid double the wages of their less experienced counterparts. Other Landsknechts would use Arquebuses, the precursor to muskets. When the Landsknechts were first formed, Arquebusiers took up a quarter of the total number of soldiers, but the number gradually grew to be about half.
Clothes
However, what made the landsknechts so conspicuous was their elaborate dress. Doublets, deliberately slashed at the front, back and sleeves with shirts and other wear pulled through to form puffs of different-colored fabric, so-called slash and puff; parti-colored hose; jerkins; ever-broader flat beret-type hats with tall feathers; and broad flat shoes, made them bodies of men that could not be mistaken.
Modern Image
There are Landsknecht associations in various European countries, as well as in the USA, which promote interest in the Renaissance tradition of the landsknechts and who often stage revivals and festivals.
Their popularity has also been increased in part by their inclusion as powerful units in Age of Empires III, and by the similarity they bear to Empire soldiers in Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy Battles.
External links
- Das Todesengel FaehnleinSt. Maximilian Landsknecht Re-enactment Guild.
- No Money No LandsknechtWebsite of Wolfgang von Orlok, Landsknecht of the Bristol Renaissance Faire.
- Landsknecht clothingde:Landsknecht
es:Lansquenete fr:Lansquenet it:Lanzichenecchi pl:Landsknecht