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Swiss mercenaries crossing the Alps; illustration from an illuminated manuscript of the Luzerner Schilling (1513).
The Swiss mercenaries (German: Reisläufer) were a powerful infantry force constituted by professional soldiers originating from the cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy.[1] They were notable for their service in foreign armies, especially among the military forces of the kings of France, throughout the early modern period of European history, from the Late Middle Ages into the Renaissance.[1] Their service as mercenaries was at its peak during the Renaissance, when their proven battlefield capabilities made them sought-after mercenary troops.[1] There followed a period of decline, as technological and organizational advances counteracted the Swiss' advantages. Switzerland's military isolationism largely put an end to organized mercenary activity; the principal remnant of the practice is the Pontifical Swiss Guard at the Vatican.
^ abcGilbert, Adrian, ed. (2013) [2000]. "Medieval Warfare – Toward a Professional Army". Encyclopedia of Warfare: From the Earliest Times to the Present Day (1st ed.). London and New York: Routledge. pp. 70–71, 74–76. doi:10.4324/9781315063034. ISBN 9781315063034.
The Swissmercenaries (German: Reisläufer) were a powerful infantry force constituted by professional soldiers originating from the cantons of the Old...
military. Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rather than for political interests. Beginning in the 20th century, mercenaries have increasingly...
Swiss Guards (French: Gardes Suisses; German: Schweizergarde; Italian: Guardie Svizzere) are Swiss soldiers who have served as guards at foreign European...
known as mal du Suisse "Swiss illness", because of its frequent occurrence in Swissmercenaries who in the plains of Switzerland were pining for their landscapes...
Holy Roman Empire in 1499, Switzerland has been involved in military operations dating back to the hiring of Swissmercenaries by foreign nations, including...
The Helvetic Mercenaries are an American football team based in Switzerland that plays in the European League of Football (ELF). On 4 April 2024, the owners...
The Swiss dagger (Schweizerdolch) is a distinctive type of dagger used in Switzerland and by Swissmercenaries during the 16th century. It develops from...
marked the beginning of the rise of Swissmercenaries on the battlefields of Europe. In the Burgundian Wars, the Swiss soldiers had gained a reputation of...
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France...
attempting to strike at Colonna's lines of communication. When the Swissmercenaries in French service did not receive their pay, however, they demanded...
Francis I, newly crowned King of France, against the Old Swiss Confederacy, whose mercenaries until that point were regarded as the best medieval infantry...
d'Orleans landed with 1,000 Swissmercenary infantry which was later reinforced overland by 2,000 more Swissmercenaries and a contingent of Genoese-Milanese...
guard. It was used as a type of side arm in the Old Swiss Confederacy and especially by Swissmercenaries, from the first half of the 15th century until the...
Confederation (Switzerland) regardless of ethno-cultural background or people of self-identified Swiss ancestry. The number of Swiss nationals has grown...
mostly because all major powers in Europe depended on Swissmercenaries, and would not let Switzerland fall into the hands of one of their rivals. Politically...
Swissmercenaries, enabled the French to move through Lombardy with little resistance; Trémoille, having seized Milan, besieged the remaining Swiss in...
Serge. Mercenaries of the Ancient World. Constable, 1997.[ISBN missing] Medieval France, John, ed. "Mercenaries and Paid Men: The Mercenary Identity...
the gendarmes and early cuirassiers, but the infantry troops of the Swissmercenaries and the Landsknechts also took to wearing lighter suits of "three...
1746 – 5 March 1798) was a Swiss military officer who commanded the Swiss Army during the French invasion of Switzerland in 1798. Erlach was born in...
partly because all major powers in Europe depended on Swissmercenaries and would not let Switzerland fall into the hands of one of their rivals. The Three...
October 2022). "The Bad War — The Bloody Rivalry Between the Swiss And German Mercenaries". Medium. Retrieved 13 May 2023. Reid, Stuart (1987). Gunpowder...
infantry consisted of 6,000 French foot soldiers and 17,000 foreign mercenaries: 8,000 Swiss, 5,000 Germans, and 4,000 Italians (Black Bands). The French cavalry...
a Swiss an almost irrepressible yearning for home", repeating 18th century accounts the mal du Suisse or nostalgia diagnosed in Swissmercenaries. Singing...
by Karl Ludwig Giesecke. It became a symbol of the sacrifices of Swissmercenaries in foreign service following popularization as Beresinalied by Otto...
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