MAP80: Sword for Hire: Mercenaries in the Middle Ages

MAP80: Sword for Hire: Mercenaries in the Middle Ages

Author: The Archivist July 15, 2020 Duration: 31:18
Fight For Profit Soldiers in the Middle Ages fought for King and Country. But what did they do when the wars ended? Not all soldiers retired back to a life of farming or trade. Some men wanted to continue fighting and they fought for profit Medieval Mercenaries rose to prominence in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Mercenary Companies were made up of men from every corner of Europe; Germany, France, England, Spain, Scandinavia, Italy. Mercenary Companies The Mercenaries formed companies, small (and in some cases large) armies of men who would fight for the right price. The Catalan Company, always outnumbered but never at a disadvantage counted around 8,000 men in its ranks.   The White Company led by the infamous Sir John Hawkwood, employed over 15,000 men at its peak. Hawkwood was a longbowman for Edward III in the Hundred Years War and fought at both the Battle of Crécy and Poitiers. Further Reading If you are interested in learning more about Medieval Mercenaries below is a list of books I used while researching this episode. Caferro, William. John Hawkwood: an English Mercenary in Fourteenth-Century Italy. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 2015 Cooper, Stephen. Sir John Hawkwood: Chivalry and the Art of War. Pen & Sword Military, 2008 D’Amato, Raffaele, and Giuseppe Rava. The Varangian Guard: 988-1453. Osprey, 2010 Deiss, Joseph Jay. Captains of Fortune: Profiles of Six Italian Condottieri. New York, 1967 Keen, Maurice Hugh. Medieval Warfare: A History. Oxford University Press, 1999   Disclaimer: Affiliate links are used on this site. While they don’t cost you anything when you purchase through them they help support Medieval Archives. Lesson Notes In today's lesson we discuss: John Hawkwood and the White Company Albert Sterz Werner von Urslingen and the Great Company Konrad von Landau The Varangian Guard Roger de Flor and the Catalan Company

Step into the world of Medieval Archives, where host The Archivist guides you through the sprawling, complex landscape of a thousand-year era. This isn't just a parade of dates and famous names. Instead, each episode is a deep exploration, peeling back the layers of popular legend to examine the tangible realities of medieval life. You'll hear about the strategic calculations behind what we call epic battles, the fragile alliances within courtly intrigue, and the quiet rhythms of survival in villages far from castle walls. The podcast is built on a foundation of historical evidence, carefully separating enduring fact from compelling fiction. By focusing on the people-from monarchs and saints to merchants and peasants-and the beliefs that guided them, the narrative connects these distant events to our understanding of today. Whether discussing the rise of a kingdom, the fall of a dynasty, or the evolution of a simple tool, the aim is to provide context and clarity. Tune in for a thoughtful, accessible journey that treats history not as a static record but as a continuous, human story. The medieval world was one of profound transformation, and this series seeks to illuminate how it was truly lived, felt, and shaped by those who were there.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Medieval Archives
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