Talk:Doppelsöldner

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Additional information and associated task forces: Associated task forces (nations and regions): German military history task force Associated task forces (periods and conflicts): Early Modern warfare task force (c. 1500–c. 1792)

This is my first page so any help or criticism would be most welcome.

[edit] You can't break a phalanx of Landsknechts with a sword

Never ever!

It says: The factuality of this tradition is disputed, but at least as a legend ...

It's more than clear, it is a legend only. Attacking a De-facto-phalanx of long Landsknechts equipped with long pikes would have been sheer suicide. Foreigner 09:34, 31 May 2006 (UTC)

The Zweihander was used by the Landsknechts as a specialed weapon, a form of 'assault troop' to break into the pike lines of their enemies, opening them for further assault. The article does not imply that the Zweihander was used, as you state, against the Landsknechts, but by them. Given that the Brotherhood of St. Mark took the time to train soldiers to wield the blades and that such expense (twice normal pay) was expended to procure such soldiers (perhaps a form of hazard pay), I hardly see an understanding of how the Zweihander, if abley wielded, was a useless weapon. Xiliquiern 15:13, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

I agree with Xili. The fact that these men were paid double what was regular pay tells me that the commanders at the time certainly valused these soldiers.The Bryce 10:25, 12 October 2007 (UTC)