@@samsonsoturian6013it absolutely was real, it was just a accepted reality of the time but nobody really liked or trusted them, look into Francisco Sforza, a well known Condottieri. Machiavelli also hired a ton of mercenaries to defend a city and it ended up failing miserably, it was the reality of italy at the time. The power of arms was private, not in the hands of the states, so they would sell their swords to the highest bidder, you had to pay them naturally, because if you didnt they would mess you up, or go have someone pay them to mess you up.
@@MarkMark-kj9xp Right! This was brought to my attention when learning about Federico da Montefeltro and the city of Urbino during his younger years of raiding and taxation to save his town.
6:07 Got to love the scene transition from Werner's understanding of the nature of war whilst sporting a 1000-yard stare to a cheeky animated frog hiding in the water as if knowing what's to come.
It's hella interesting to wonder if the bronze age collapse was in part due to such organic growth of mercenary bands (due to displacement, incentives, etc) when their power is unchecked.
The "sea people" could have been mercenaries but they didn't leave any of their own equipment behind that indicated a heavily armed invasion force. Maybe it was a couple hundred people paid to f-off one lawn to another until their ruined trade routes left them with nothing to stick around for.
@@donaldpetersen2382when you’ve either been paid to fug off everywhere or the remaining places are too strong to challenge “Dunno, that place with a big river looks promising”
Actually, it's kind of understandable when you set yourself in a day-to-day ancient mindset. Information, accuracy and punishment for atrocities are a relatively modern creation and concept. For most human history, you could mount a horse and sack and run your way through every country and territory you found, simply because there were no such means to catch up to you phisically or to outrun you even to just warn about incoming harm. Greater social cooperation and social improvement and maintenance of higher technology resulted in a real control of society of unchecked crimes and/or abuses. But when you think about, these social-techonological paradigms are kind of humbling and amazing to an equal degree.
@@donaldpetersen2382 The Late Bronze Collapse was pretty catastrophic, not just a couple of hundred soldiers. They left enough behind. I always thought on it more in terms of Viking raids and conquest, but mercenary armies playing the cities in East Mediterranean area against each other sounds plausible.
hes using AI images... his older videos are highly produced this is visually very lazy. Im saying this as a longtime viewer and only want the best for his channel and dont want him using lazy tactics that take no effort
@@FutureBoyWonderthe research and the presentation of it given are not AI generated. if they're able to use their time for more of this, then i don't care much about the use of AI generated images
@@FutureBoyWonder I'd rather having him use AI to make these images but having a well researched subject because making these images takes less time now than otherwise. If Ai has to be used, I prefer it to be used this way.
15:31 Konrad von Landau was a relative of the Counts and Later Dukes of Württemberg, a very famous and successful Swabian Dynasty (just as the „von Urslingen“ who were also Swabians.) he also married a Bastard daughter of Bernabo Visconti of Milan, while his relative, Count Eberhard III „the Mild“ of Württemberg married a legitimate daughter of Bernabo (Antonia Visconti). The „von Landau“ had been the more successful branch of the Württemberg Family, they even were Imperial Banner bearers in the 13th century, but after the late 13th century they went down hill, lost their seat and became mercenaries. It payed off though, as after their first few years as mercenaries, they came back as rich men, and bought their Castles back.
@@stefankatsarov5806 The papacy of that time, residing in Avignon, had degenerated into a French puppet. There was another power spike after that time and before the reformation ... which partly caused the reformation.
Not really. This would have been a rough time for the Papacy. Between the west-east schism and the growing resentment of the multiple emperors of Europe the popes had to be careful.
Lots of names can be literally translated... Charlemagne in german would be literally "charles the great"- karl der große. Cant think of other examples right now. Oh, balduin is baldwin in english...
@@AllisterCaine I know the Frankish Emporor as Kārlis Lielais. The english and french are weird for thinking his name doesnt start with a /k/. But if were going by translating to english than the name is Luis not Lui, the english pronounce the final s, just like in english its Paris not Pari.
Fascinating to think that in a time when militaries were so expensive even kings struggled to keep a standing army, mercenaries managed to band together in such numbers.
Currently replaying Kingdom Come: Deliverance right now to prep for the upcoming sequel, I love your videos because they help me broaden the scope of the effects of the events of the game and context for the rest of Europe in the high middle ages
If I was an Italian city official. And I had to choose between hiring someone ballsy enough to call themselves the enemy of god and someone who wasn’t. I’d probably pick the enemy of god. It’s a great sales pitch
Werner von Urslingen has always fascinated me, ever since I played the first Medieval:Total War and had this random German with Beethoven hair and Max Dread get "randomly" recruited from Milan.
Excellent 👌 work! Well done, informative and on top of it there was a kind of a mini narrative (I call it mini only since it would be impossible to have a book length story in a short video) following the adventures of somebody.. I really hope all the best for you, you've been doing such a good job for a long time.
I highly recommend the Chivalry series by Christian Cameron. The protagonist, William Gold, comes into contact with the German company in Italy when he is a man at arms with Sir John Hawkwood’s White Company. Fantastic book series.
It is good to see some non-Anglocentric medieval history. I swear, if you were to listen to most English speaking historians/history enthusiasts, you would think that free companies were entirely an English invention. What I notice about Anglocentric medieval history is that it particularly ignores just how important Central Europe was, and in effect, the enormous importance of Germany, because of how relatively little England interacted with it when compared to France, for example. But Germany was IMMENSELY important during the Middle Ages, just like France was (and before anyone says that the concept of Germany didn't exist during the Middle Ages, don't, all you show is how you never opened a primary source in your life by saying that). Even the famous White Company so associated with the English, was formed by a German, Albert Sterz.
@@LaughingMan44 Don't strawman. I am talking about them describing the Middle Ages AT LARGE in a highly biased view. I am not talking about when they deliberately describe English medieval history, but Europeam medieval history. Like my free company example, they literally speak as if that phenomena IS English in itself. That has nothing to do with people talking about their own national history, that is about people distoring things in to becoming centric. And it is not just English speakers, a lot of people interested in medieval history who are not a part of the Anglosphere except using their language as the lingua france are starting to see medieval history from extremely English point of view, which is quite silly considering how England was a middling power.
@@Osvath97 US/UK productions will say something like "in the middle ages" and then focus solely on England all the time. The middle ages were a time, not a place.
@@Oscar-vd4cv That isn't the same as being centric, it isn't what I am referring to. I actually gave examples in my original comment about what I was talking about, like modern English history sometimes going as far as saying as they invented the free company, or at least spread it to Italy, when the Spanish invented it, the Germans spread it to Italy and in general there were quite a bit more Germans there than Englishmen (and indeed far more Italians than Englishmen). When stuff about the Middle Ages is produced in my country, we don't try to say that our specifics are universal accross Latin Europe, quite the opposite. We talk about how different and relatively insignificant we were geopolitically and geoculturally, in comparison to countries like the Holy Roman Empire.
Neat video! I always thought the stories of Konrad Von Landau and Fra Moriale were extremely interesting, even with their ultimate demise. I've looked at Abenteuerliche Geschichte Herzog Werners von Urslingen previously and translated a little of it with what German I know and I wish something would be written on the company today. A lot of the modern books I looked through a few years ago only briefly mentioned The Great Company and its leaders. While I didn't get far in translating the book by Bronner, and I probably mistranslated a lot of it(not the best German and fraktur is a joy) I thought the early scene Bronner plays out about the raid on the village/town was extremely neat. A small excerpt: "A son who hoped to save his battered father thought if he asked the general himself for help he might get a better response, he received a hint to the answer. Writing with silver letters in front of his chest hung: Werner, Duke of the Great Company, Enemy of God, of Pity, and Mercy. Desolated, He ran with horror from them."
I was once told that England dont need a good army because its posible to buy one , and at the time i accepted that argument as it seemed to add up, only after learning from history and wagner did i realizxe you cant buy an army for very obvious reasons !
Self-proclaimed tittle of "Enemy of God" for a dude who runs a nationwide "King of the Hill" racket succesfully... thats some legendary Boogaloo action right there (good or bad, well up to you to decide, Ive only watched 16 sec of the video thus far).
Could have told about the relationship between Gautier VI de Brienne, the ruler of Florence (for 10 months) and the Catalan Company that worked for his father and took the duchy of Athens from him (referencing your other video). It's a small world. By the way you stressed all the wrong Italian syllables.. ps. I'm a huge fan
As a swede how like European history I like this channal you made quit good videos on my contry where are you self from. I think from your accent that english is not your native Language
more mercenary companies! let's go! I hope to see more people not getting what this is in the comments just as in the other two videos where some lower IQ people pointed to Xenophon... not even close to what a free company is... but yeah excited for the comments, that's all.
Excuse me, but to what extent are the sources war propaganda? Because while mercenary companies did attract literal thugs in their work, it sounds like some of this info is coming from Italians that fought said mercs
Use code sandrhomanhistory at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan: incogni.com/sandrhomanhistory
Small correction, but he was Lackfi, not Lacki.
Small Warning Louis comments are way bigger
No wonder a lot of people like Machiavelli hated mercernaries guts.
Machiavelli is also a source for this video and he was partisan so I wonder how much of the thuggery was real.....
@@samsonsoturian6013it absolutely was real, it was just a accepted reality of the time but nobody really liked or trusted them, look into Francisco Sforza, a well known Condottieri. Machiavelli also hired a ton of mercenaries to defend a city and it ended up failing miserably, it was the reality of italy at the time. The power of arms was private, not in the hands of the states, so they would sell their swords to the highest bidder, you had to pay them naturally, because if you didnt they would mess you up, or go have someone pay them to mess you up.
@@samsonsoturian6013 How much of modern day PMC crimes to people admit is real or even care?
@@MarkMark-kj9xp Right! This was brought to my attention when learning about Federico da Montefeltro and the city of Urbino during his younger years of raiding and taxation to save his town.
@@MarkMark-kj9xpif they sold their swords, what did they fight with?
Edgy teen medieval mercenaries are at it again.
Right? Lol
„The Captain said its my turn on the Xbox“
>be called free company
>cost money to hire
smh
Free for anybody to hire
Their marketing department was second to none
6:07 Got to love the scene transition from Werner's understanding of the nature of war whilst sporting a 1000-yard stare to a cheeky animated frog hiding in the water as if knowing what's to come.
The Papal States hiring the enemy of God 😂
And the enemy of god’s last known employer for that matter
Keep your enemies close lol
Not ironic, literally what the bible says to do
Not surprising given Papal tendencies
Given the history of the papacy, it checks out
It's hella interesting to wonder if the bronze age collapse was in part due to such organic growth of mercenary bands (due to displacement, incentives, etc) when their power is unchecked.
Probably was the mechanism. With climatic changes for added motivation.
The "sea people" could have been mercenaries but they didn't leave any of their own equipment behind that indicated a heavily armed invasion force. Maybe it was a couple hundred people paid to f-off one lawn to another until their ruined trade routes left them with nothing to stick around for.
@@donaldpetersen2382when you’ve either been paid to fug off everywhere or the remaining places are too strong to challenge
“Dunno, that place with a big river looks promising”
Actually, it's kind of understandable when you set yourself in a day-to-day ancient mindset. Information, accuracy and punishment for atrocities are a relatively modern creation and concept. For most human history, you could mount a horse and sack and run your way through every country and territory you found, simply because there were no such means to catch up to you phisically or to outrun you even to just warn about incoming harm. Greater social cooperation and social improvement and maintenance of higher technology resulted in a real control of society of unchecked crimes and/or abuses. But when you think about, these social-techonological paradigms are kind of humbling and amazing to an equal degree.
@@donaldpetersen2382 The Late Bronze Collapse was pretty catastrophic, not just a couple of hundred soldiers. They left enough behind. I always thought on it more in terms of Viking raids and conquest, but mercenary armies playing the cities in East Mediterranean area against each other sounds plausible.
The germans have always been cool to me, you guys should cover the italian wars in the future!
Especially the War of the League of Cambrai!
Sandrhoman back!
Thank you for your tireless work,
"Got a job for you 621"
What’s your pfp from? I swear it was a 70s/80s comedy about the British army
@@that1ginger22 Blackadder
@@nobleman9393 is that played by stephen fry the pedophile?
"..my hound always delivers."
This is actually quite highly produced
hes using AI images... his older videos are highly produced this is visually very lazy. Im saying this as a longtime viewer and only want the best for his channel and dont want him using lazy tactics that take no effort
@@FutureBoyWonderthe research and the presentation of it given are not AI generated. if they're able to use their time for more of this, then i don't care much about the use of AI generated images
@@FutureBoyWonderSomething tells me you just hate anything Ai
@@FutureBoyWonder I'd rather having him use AI to make these images but having a well researched subject because making these images takes less time now than otherwise. If Ai has to be used, I prefer it to be used this way.
@@Smokedouttasianlike normal people? not druggies like you
excellent video, incredibly high quality/well produced, unbelievably informative, and absolutely entertaining. great job again guys
15:31 Konrad von Landau was a relative of the Counts and Later Dukes of Württemberg, a very famous and successful Swabian Dynasty (just as the „von Urslingen“ who were also Swabians.)
he also married a Bastard daughter of Bernabo Visconti of Milan, while his relative, Count Eberhard III „the Mild“ of Württemberg married a legitimate daughter of Bernabo (Antonia Visconti).
The „von Landau“ had been the more successful branch of the Württemberg Family, they even were Imperial Banner bearers in the 13th century, but after the late 13th century they went down hill, lost their seat and became mercenaries. It payed off though, as after their first few years as mercenaries, they came back as rich men, and bought their Castles back.
Calling oneself Enemy of God at a time when the pope was probably the most powerful man in Europe is truly badass
At the time he had little real power
@@Teutonic_Ice
This was before the Hussite wars and the reformation so the Pope still had a vig voice
UA-cam comments idolising brutal murderers and rapists as usual
@@stefankatsarov5806
The papacy of that time, residing in Avignon, had degenerated into a French puppet.
There was another power spike after that time and before the reformation ... which partly caused the reformation.
Not really. This would have been a rough time for the Papacy. Between the west-east schism and the growing resentment of the multiple emperors of Europe the popes had to be careful.
No wonder Id never heard of any Lui rulers of Germany, their name was Ludwig.
Fun Fact: King Ludwig I of Bavaria was named after his godfather, King Louis XVI of France.
Lots of names can be literally translated... Charlemagne in german would be literally "charles the great"- karl der große. Cant think of other examples right now. Oh, balduin is baldwin in english...
@@AllisterCaine I know the Frankish Emporor as Kārlis Lielais. The english and french are weird for thinking his name doesnt start with a /k/.
But if were going by translating to english than the name is Luis not Lui, the english pronounce the final s, just like in english its Paris not Pari.
Louis-Ludwig-Lodewijk-Lajos-Ludovico-Luigi-Luis
@@quantjonna293 I see these as completely seperate wrods.
My people would say
Luijs-Ludvigs-Lodevijks-Lajoss-Ludoviks-Luīdžijs-Luiss
Great video! I'm loving the merc series, keep it up
Fascinating to think that in a time when militaries were so expensive even kings struggled to keep a standing army, mercenaries managed to band together in such numbers.
its always a good morning when I get enjoy sandrhoman with my coffee
12:59 - A clash near Capua? Where was the House of Batiatus?
Currently replaying Kingdom Come: Deliverance right now to prep for the upcoming sequel, I love your videos because they help me broaden the scope of the effects of the events of the game and context for the rest of Europe in the high middle ages
Where in medieval Europe is set up this game?
@@caioalmeida4139 Czechia (bohemia)
@@caioalmeida4139 it’s set in Bohemia (Czechia) in the early 15th century
@@jackhames3874 very cool!! Looks like a very unique scenario
"I'm feeling quite hungry"
If I was an Italian city official. And I had to choose between hiring someone ballsy enough to call themselves the enemy of god and someone who wasn’t. I’d probably pick the enemy of god. It’s a great sales pitch
Werner von Urslingen has always fascinated me, ever since I played the first Medieval:Total War and had this random German with Beethoven hair and Max Dread get "randomly" recruited from Milan.
I love the animation style so much, keep up the good work.
Awesome, thanks for the info!
Fantastic video man!!
Great video! Btw the leader of the Hungarian army, the Voivode of Transylvania was Stephen (István) Lackfi, correctly pronounced as "Laats-k-fee".
Excellent 👌 work! Well done, informative and on top of it there was a kind of a mini narrative (I call it mini only since it would be impossible to have a book length story in a short video) following the adventures of somebody.. I really hope all the best for you, you've been doing such a good job for a long time.
POV: You march against the papal state and see a German guy with "ENEMY OF GOD" on his armor leading the papal army XD
9:45 Fear as their primary weapon? Or wait, fear and surprise. No, wait, three pirmary weapons...
And a fanatical dedication to the pope! (j/k)
Nice video, interesting topic
I highly recommend the Chivalry series by Christian Cameron. The protagonist, William Gold, comes into contact with the German company in Italy when he is a man at arms with Sir John Hawkwood’s White Company. Fantastic book series.
Urslingen - Bear's Lay. Werner from Bear's Lay . Nice. Werner from Bumfuckville...
Highly rated. Pope would be pleased.
the fact that this time isnt portrayed in 100 movies and tv shows is criminal
Names that end in S like Louis do not get an S character or sound added to them when made possessive. So it's Louis' power.
@8:20 I remember wearing this in Mordhau before it died.
Can you please do a video about Medieval ships? Thank you!
What a clever ad. Subbed
Love ur work man
Babe! Wake up, Sandrhoman dropped a new video!
A perfect setting for a well researched work of historical fiction.
Germans in the 1300s: terrorized Italy
Germans in the 1940s:
hey, we're sorry can we become allies now
Germany in 1943: terrorized Italy
Did the Lombards left some cultural or genetic heritage in north italy by that time?
12:17 The Defenestration of Aversa
It is good to see some non-Anglocentric medieval history. I swear, if you were to listen to most English speaking historians/history enthusiasts, you would think that free companies were entirely an English invention.
What I notice about Anglocentric medieval history is that it particularly ignores just how important Central Europe was, and in effect, the enormous importance of Germany, because of how relatively little England interacted with it when compared to France, for example. But Germany was IMMENSELY important during the Middle Ages, just like France was (and before anyone says that the concept of Germany didn't exist during the Middle Ages, don't, all you show is how you never opened a primary source in your life by saying that). Even the famous White Company so associated with the English, was formed by a German, Albert Sterz.
wow, Anglos talking mostly about Anglo history? CRAZY! That's so wild bro, wtf
@@LaughingMan44 Don't strawman. I am talking about them describing the Middle Ages AT LARGE in a highly biased view. I am not talking about when they deliberately describe English medieval history, but Europeam medieval history. Like my free company example, they literally speak as if that phenomena IS English in itself. That has nothing to do with people talking about their own national history, that is about people distoring things in to becoming centric. And it is not just English speakers, a lot of people interested in medieval history who are not a part of the Anglosphere except using their language as the lingua france are starting to see medieval history from extremely English point of view, which is quite silly considering how England was a middling power.
@@Osvath97 US/UK productions will say something like "in the middle ages" and then focus solely on England all the time. The middle ages were a time, not a place.
@@Oscar-vd4cv That isn't the same as being centric, it isn't what I am referring to. I actually gave examples in my original comment about what I was talking about, like modern English history sometimes going as far as saying as they invented the free company, or at least spread it to Italy, when the Spanish invented it, the Germans spread it to Italy and in general there were quite a bit more Germans there than Englishmen (and indeed far more Italians than Englishmen).
When stuff about the Middle Ages is produced in my country, we don't try to say that our specifics are universal accross Latin Europe, quite the opposite. We talk about how different and relatively insignificant we were geopolitically and geoculturally, in comparison to countries like the Holy Roman Empire.
Mercs running out of alcohol: oh boy, here I go pillaging again
Neat video! I always thought the stories of Konrad Von Landau and Fra Moriale were extremely interesting, even with their ultimate demise. I've looked at Abenteuerliche Geschichte Herzog Werners von Urslingen previously and translated a little of it with what German I know and I wish something would be written on the company today. A lot of the modern books I looked through a few years ago only briefly mentioned The Great Company and its leaders. While I didn't get far in translating the book by Bronner, and I probably mistranslated a lot of it(not the best German and fraktur is a joy) I thought the early scene Bronner plays out about the raid on the village/town was extremely neat.
A small excerpt: "A son who hoped to save his battered father thought if he asked the general himself for help he might get a better response, he received a hint to the answer.
Writing with silver letters in front of his chest hung:
Werner, Duke of the Great Company, Enemy of God, of Pity, and Mercy.
Desolated, He ran with horror from them."
Can you do The Battle of Copenhagen of 1801 some time?
Being called "The enemy of God" is unfair regarding the Pope, who certainly was God most vicious enemy.
Love your channel. You make me want a world with 21st century technology and 17th century politics and culture (minus the nukes)
Saved my day
DUDE THEY'RE LIKE NORMANS, WITH GUNS!
14:42 the name is mistaken. It is Lackfi - a "f" is missing. Stephen I Lackfi is the Voivode's name.
Other then that, great video!
This is such a good promo for Crusader Kings 2.
I was once told that England dont need a good army because its posible to buy one , and at the time i accepted that argument as it seemed to add up, only after learning from history and wagner did i realizxe you cant buy an army for very obvious reasons !
Self-proclaimed tittle of "Enemy of God" for a dude who runs a nationwide "King of the Hill" racket succesfully... thats some legendary Boogaloo action right there (good or bad, well up to you to decide, Ive only watched 16 sec of the video thus far).
Any feudal lord run protection racket.
“Nation-wide protection racket” pretty sure that’s called ‘a governement’
these vids always make me boot up mount and blade: warband.
I think barbuta helmets didn't exist until the 15th century. It's a type of salet that comes from Italy.
Enemy of God goes insanely hard
Why use Louis instead of Ludwig?
Great!
I can see why Machiavelli didn't like Mercenaries...
I hope you do a video about peasants revolt
I can't wait to read the manga about them
Berserk
Could have told about the relationship between Gautier VI de Brienne, the ruler of Florence (for 10 months) and the Catalan Company that worked for his father and took the duchy of Athens from him (referencing your other video). It's a small world.
By the way you stressed all the wrong Italian syllables..
ps. I'm a huge fan
If Tanya Von Degurechaff was in renaissance era:
(Joke)
Werner von Urslingen: Enemy of God, the Church, of pity and of mercy, as he put it.
Bro rode on the front of the papal armies with that armor lmao
Also good content!
This mercenary life must have been very unprofitable, if you could only equip yourself with 200 year old armor in the middle of the 14th century....;)
The more things change the more they stay the same.
If I had a brother I'd want him to be like Louis the Great of Hungary.
Why fight when extortion is more lucrative & less risky. Shrewd move 😉
Swabians use to be exhausting. They have either sweeping-week or sweeping-away-week.
This guy was like the Mike Lindell of MyPillow of his time.
German and Saxons well known best warriors fighting ottoman in early 14th
The band of the Hawk. 😊
"im the enemy of God"
*The pope and Christians would like a word with you*
More often than not to hire you.
As a swede how like European history I like this channal you made quit good videos on my contry where are you self from. I think from your accent that english is not your native Language
he lived like i play mount and blade
anyone else "the free company is mostly known for being hired 11.11.1444!" ?
must be a great time to be alive....
Pim.
The Renaissance Men are coming.
more mercenary companies! let's go! I hope to see more people not getting what this is in the comments just as in the other two videos where some lower IQ people pointed to Xenophon... not even close to what a free company is... but yeah excited for the comments, that's all.
Aren't you a smart little fella 😘
Excuse me, but to what extent are the sources war propaganda? Because while mercenary companies did attract literal thugs in their work, it sounds like some of this info is coming from Italians that fought said mercs
I feel like stephen had a very unfortunate last name
Just goes to show... There have always been jerks.
Enemy of God 🤘💀 that's f#@king metal as f#@king f#@k.
Lackfi*
Nice boot shaped peninsula you have there. Be a shame if somethin' was to ahh, you know "happen" to it?!
House Lannister should have probably hired the Enemy of God instead of the Golden Wankers.
wow
why on the map are there islands in the middle of the adriatic?
14th century Tony Soprano
The Hungarian commander was called Lackfi not Lacki. 😏
" 'The Enemy of God' Mercenary Company" - quite a 'forward-thinking' name for the time
1:32 sorry SandRhoman, this is the third video I've requested that this channel stop using A.I. generated images, I'm going to have to unsubscribe
I just made a similar comment. He had a great visual style and these AI images are lazy, ruin his image and takeaway genuine value.
Its a crying shame
Lol go ahead and unsubscribe no one has to adhere to your expectations
Whats so Bad about that Picture ?
👍👍