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Doppelsöldner
Sign in to savethumb|A Doppelsöldner with arquebus '''' ("double-mercenaries", "double-pay men", from German doppel- meaning double, Söldner meaning mercenary) were Landsknechte'' in 16th-century Germany who volunteered to fight in the front line, taking on extra risk, in exchange for double payment. The stated ratio was that one in four would be a . The of each company were usually issued with ranged weapons, such as a crossbow or an arquebus, and arranged in the wings of a square, in front of the pikemen.
Article
4 sectionsContents
- Purported ''Zweihänder'' use
- See also
- References
- Further reading
thumb|A Doppelsöldner with arquebus '''' ("double-mercenaries", "double-pay men", from German doppel- meaning double, Söldner meaning mercenary) were Landsknechte in 16th-century Germany who volunteered to fight in the front line, taking on extra risk, in exchange for double payment. The stated ratio was that one in four would be a . The of each company were usually issued with ranged weapons, such as a crossbow or an arquebus, and arranged in the wings of a square, in front of the pikemen.
== Purported Zweihänder use == It has been suggested that trained in the use of the Zweihänder ("two-hander") sword qualified as , and that proficiency was demonstrated by holding the title Master of the Longsword from the Brotherhood of Saint Mark. However, while some Doppelsöldner may have used the Zweihänder and both the brotherhood and the title existed, no primary source confirms a direct connection, indicating that this link is likely a later myth.