Study the rise of condottieri warfare in Italy. What political and economic factors led to the employment of condottieri? Describe their tactical organization, weapons and tactics. Although Italy was not immune to the mercenary-phenomenon that was spreading fast throughout Western Europe, the for-hire professional soldier did not consume the Italian armies until approximately 1320-30. Italy was absorbed with the current Renaissance, and therefore the majority of its attention dealt with the heightened appreciation of its …
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showed last 75 words of 786 total
…sometimes a few) Italian state--such as Hawkwood's 'White Company' (1363-75). However, even with the adaptation of loyalty, the Italians saw the dangers of hiring purely non-Italian forces to keep its defense (as well as the companies saw the dangers in 'playing the field' as disloyalty often met with mass executions of part or all of the men attached to a renegade company), and therefore sought to emplace Italian mercenaries by the end of the 1380s.