Why did soldiers become so fancy in the 1500s?
>>64735258they got all the new world Spanish merc gold and spent it on important things like Fugger interest on fancy pants
>>64735258>the dog shocked
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23yYfIMQQbY
>>64735258Imagine you're a peasant who makes like 40-50k a year, and then you sign up to be a soldier because they make like 60-70k a year, and then you join a special unit that makes double pay (so 120-140k a year).You have no permanent home (so no rent paid to nobles or kikes), no family obligations, and you might even get bonus pay by looting shit. You're flush with cash, what do you spend all that on?Bling, hookers, meat, and beer.
>>64735258Being mercenaries the Landsknechte were always on the move and as such had to carry their wealth on their person. Thus many invested into very extravagant clothing styles. In 1503 Emperor Maximilian I. exempted them from the common sumptuary laws as those were de facto not enforceable against the Landsknechte. This also served as a recruitment incentive.
>>64735258
Good times.
>>64735258It was a recruitment and psy-war tool>I'm a mercenary>I'm paid to win wars and kill motherfuckers>and look at how much money I can spend on these threads
>>64735421>no family obligationsMany landsknechts actually had wifes among the camp followers. This arrangement carried on right through the 16th and 17th century and only ended with the professionalization of armies in the late 17th century.
>>64735258Gunpowder throwing thick clouds of smoke around and the importance of maneuver and formation warfare (in which, more than ever, a soldier or even entire unit out of formation was essentially dead meat) meant being seen and being able to tell who your allies and enemies are was REALLY important. Contrast with now where the sheer importance of not being seen means literally everyone wears multicam.
>>64735258Shock troops went out of their way to dress ostentatiously so anyone on the other side would immediately know they were about to get buttfucked six ways to Sunday.It's an immediate strike on the enemy's morale to see that they're up against *the* famous troops, whatever they are at that time. He immediately knows that he is going to get into decisive melee combat, so if he wants to live, chances are he should run away right now.
>>64735786The account of Peter Hagendorf (30 years war, so a bit later) suggests that these were often stable marriages and the married cared for each considerably. For example his first wife goes into a still-burning looted city to find bindings for his wounds.
>>64735697Somebody post the Chad fop vs virgin dandy version
>>64735258Peak heterosexuality
>>64735817Thank you for letting me have a rabbit hole to go down.
>>64735849
>>64735258>Dem some zesty Lombards....
>posting phone versions
>>64735421>you join a special unit that makes double payThe status as Doppelsöldner has less to do with the unit an individual would serve in and more with the quality he brings to the regiment. Providing your own good qualitiy weapons and armor, having a valuable skill (like being able to read, write or being a medical professional), being an officer or simply having a certain amount of veterancy will yield one double the pay. Being capable with the two handed battle sword was simply one of the many qualifications for being a Doppelsöldner. Take pic rel for example: the two halberdiers in front of the gunners are Doppelsöldner because they act as guides for the common soldiers and aid with court-martials.And regarding the pay: it was fixed for each role and with time suffered from devaluation - while at the beginning of the 16th century those wages were really good, by the end of said century this wasn't the case anymore. A common soldier earned within a month 4 Rhenish Gulden, a gunner 5 and a Doppelsöldner 8. Scribes earned 24 Rhenish Gulden, NCOs got 12 to 20 (depending on their role) and Master Gunners got 40. The price of a common pikemans cuirass averaged around 12 Rhenish Gulden.>>64737177I don't get this meme. The gentlemen on the left would also carry a sword - and a full rapier at that, not a courtly/dress small sword.
>>64736494>>64737181Thanks anons
