15世纪末至16世纪的德意志长矛兵

The Landsknecht in the Late 15th Century and the 16th Century

在15世纪末至16世纪初,欧洲野战方式发生了很大变化。奥地利大公马克西米连一世效仿瑞士长枪方阵的战术和组织方式创建了德意志长矛兵。德意志长矛兵除了效力于哈布斯堡王朝以外,还不加选择地为神圣罗马帝国内外的其他雇主效力。长矛兵的首领们,有的出身于贵族家庭,也有的出身于富有平民家庭;他们用自己的或借贷来的资金投资于所从事的雇佣兵事业,把它作为一项生意来经营。他们中的许多人,还把自己的子孙也培养成雇佣兵首领。

The Landsknecht was created by Maximilian I,imitating the tactics and organization of the Swiss pike phalanx,in order to adapt to the changes in fighting methods of European warfare in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.Besides serving for the Habsburg,the Landsknecht worked almost indiscriminately for all employers within and outside the Holy Roman Empire.The leaders of the Landsknecht came from noble families as well as wealthy commoners.They used their own or borrowed money to invest in the mercenary business they were engaged in,and the offspring of many of them became mercenary leaders too.