Landsknechts

The German Landsknechts, sometimes also rendered as Landsknechte (singular Landsknecht, pronounced [ˈlantsknɛçt]) were colourful mercenary soldiers with a formidable reputation who became an important military force through late 15th- and 16th-century Europe. Consisting predominantly of German mercenary pikemen and supporting foot soldiers, they achieved the reputation for being the universal mercenaries of early modern Europe.

The Germanic compound Landsknecht (earlier Lantknecht, without fugen-s) combines "land, country", here in the sense of "lowlands" and "servant, vassal", here in the sense of "foot-soldier". The compound Lantknecht was used during the 15th century of bailiffs or court ushers. In its application to mercenaries, it is first recorded in the 1480s, perhaps coined by Peter von Hagenbach and intended to indicate soldiers of the lowlands of Swabia as opposed to the "" Swiss mercenaries.

As early as 1500, the term was re-etymologized as Lanzknecht, suggesting a derivation from "lance; pike". The modern term is possibly based on Landsknecht, as is the name of the French card game Lansquenet.

The more common English-language plural form is Landsknechts, but the original German form Landsknechte is also in use. Since it is a common noun, it may also be written with lower-case "l", landsknechts (though in German it would be capitalized).

Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 to 1519, formed the first mercenary Landsknecht regiments in 1487. He called upon Georg von Frundsberg (1473–1528), sometimes referred to as the Father of the Landsknechts, to assist him in their organization. Landsknechts later went on to fight in almost every 16th-century military campaign, sometimes on both sides of the engagement.

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