Landsknechts (German, Land "land, country" + Knecht "servant": i. e. originally "a soldier of the German empire" as opposed to a Swiss mercenary; plural sometimes also Landsknechte in English publications; French lansquenet) 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. Lansquenet (derived from the German landsknecht (servant of the land or country), applied to a mercenary soldier) is a card game. ... This article is about the continent. ... A mercenary is a soldier who fights, or engages in warfare primarily for money, usually with little regard for ideological, national or political considerations. ... A pike is a pole weapon once used extensively by infantry principally as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. ... Infantry in the First World War Infantry (or Infantrymen) are soldiers who fight primarily on foot, using personal weapons. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... This article is about the continent. ... By Region: Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance -French Renaissance -German Renaissance -English Renaissance The Renaissance was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ...

History

The first Landsknecht regiments were formed by Maximilian I, the Holy Roman Emperor and German monarch 1459 - 1519. 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. A regiment is a military unit, larger than a company and smaller than a division. ... Emperor Maximilian I Maximilian I of Habsburg (March 22, 1459 - January 12, 1519) was Holy Roman Emperor Life and reign in the Habsburg hereditary lands Maximilian was born in Vienna as the son of the Emperor Frederick III and Eleanore of Portugal. ... The Holy Roman Emperor was, with some variation, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, the predecessor of modern Germany, during its existence from the 10th century until its collapse in 1806. ... A monarch is a type of ruler or head of state. ... Events September 23 - Battle of Blore Heath. ... Events March 4 - Hernán Cortés lands in Mexico. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... A military campaign is defined as: A series of related military operations aimed at accomplishing a strategic or operational objective within a given time and space. ... The Arquebus (sometimes spelled harquebus or hackbut) was a primitive firearm used in the 15th to 17th centuries. ... Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ...

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. Swabia (German Schwabenland) is a historic region in Germany and a language area. ... Capital Strasbourg Area 8,280 km² Regional President Adrien Zeller Population  - 2004 estimate  - 1999 census  - Density 1,793,000 1,734,145 209/km² Arrondissements 13 Cantons 75 Communes 903 Départements Bas-Rhin Haut-Rhin Alsace (French: Alsace; Alsatian/German: Elsaß) is a région and also a traditional province of... Definitions Flanders (Dutch: Vlaanderen, French: Flandre or Flandres) has two main designations: a historical region (the County of Flanders), and an administrative region of Belgium (the Flemish Region and the Flemish Community). ... The Rhineland (Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. ...

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. Insignia of a United States Air Force Colonel Colonel is a military rank, usually the highest below general grades, and just above Lieutenant Colonel. ... A company in the broadest sense is an aggregation of people who stay together for a common purpose. ... Captain is both a nautical term and a military rank. ... A Lieutenant is a military, paramilitary or police officer. ... An ensign is a distinguishing token, emblem, badge, or flag such as a symbol of office. ... A court-martial (plural courts-martial) is a military court that determines punishments for members of the military subject to military law. ...

Weapons

On a wing of the Paumgartner Altarpiece, ca 1503, Albrecht Dürer painted Lukas Paumgartner as a landsknecht, with the banner of his patron, St. Eustace, on his pike.

Landsknechts were well-known as the most efficient pikemen, trained in the use of the famous long pikes. The majority of Landsknechts would use pikes, but others were more specialized, and used different weapons. An experienced Landsknecht would be called a Doppelsoeldner, 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, in order to break through enemy lines. Doppelsoeldner 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. Self-Portrait, 1493, Oil on Canvas Albrecht Dürer (May 21, 1471 - April 6, 1528) was a German painter, wood carver, engraver, and mathematician. ... Eustace may refer to the following persons: Eustace III of Boulogne Eustace IV of Boulogne Eustace, Bishop of Ely Saint Eustace (legend) Eustace, Dean of Salisbury Eustace Scrubb There is also the place named Eustace, Texas. ... A pike is a pole weapon once used extensively by infantry principally as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. ... Swedish halberds from 16th century A halberd is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 14th and 15th centuries. ... A partisan (also partizan) is a type of polearm that was used in Europe during midieval times. ... The Zweihänder (German for two hander) is a massive two-handed sword, designed to capitalize on brute force and shock effect, at the expense of some finesse. ... A two-handed sword, used as a general term, is any large sword that requires two hands to use. ...

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. Categories: Stub ... Black beret A beret (UK: , US: ; IPA) is a soft round cap with a flat crown which is worn by both men and women. ... For the H.A.T. TLAs, see HAT. There are many different styles of hats A hat is an item of clothing which is worn on the head – a kind of headgear. ... Leather shoes A shoe is an item of footwear. ...

Associations

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.

External links

• Pages of interest (http://www.geocities.com/wolfgng13/index.html)
• Landsknecht clothing (http://www.theweebsite.com/)