A Study Of The Rise And Decline Of Swiss Mercenaries From The Early 16^th To The Mid-1^th Century

With regard to the ancient mercenary industry,Switzerland is a country not to be overlooked.In the struggle for independence during the 14th century,the Swiss Confederation for the first time showed their military prowess.From then on,the Swiss mercenaries had been widely active on the European battleground for over five centuries.The 16th and 17th centuries make the rising phase of Swiss mercenaries:during this period,Swiss established an official recruitment mechanism.Before the 18th century,Swiss mercenary industry remained a relatively prosperous state.The high market demand during this period was the main reason why this unique industry,similar to the export of "goods",was able to exist for such a long time.Analogously,with the gradual reduction of such a demand,the mercenary industry began to decline.On the one hand,mercenary industry always changes in accordance with the development of monarchy,and such a correlative relationship was particularly evident during the long-term cooperation between France and Switzerland.When the French king tried to get rid of the vassal army he depended on in the Middle Ages and attempted consciously to enhance his own monarchical power,the professional army provided by the militant Swiss people became an available force.In the process of strengthing of the French monarchy,the Swiss mercenaries were increasingly becoming a natural ally.The pursuit of adventure and glory by the Swiss soldiers and the ambitious goals of the French kings coincided,and were combined with economic benefits related to the mercenary captilations,which won the Swiss Federation's support for this "export" business.All of these favorable conditions promoted the development of mercenary industry.During this period,Swiss mercenaries realized high economic returns,and to be a mercenary soldier was also seen as a respectable profession.With the outbreak of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars,monarchies of European countries,including France,generally tended to decline,and the national sovereignty of the people reduced the living basis of the Swiss mercenaries.European countries led by French turned to the citizen army,and therefore,the supreme position of Swiss mercenary deteriorated.During this period,the reduction of economic benefits,the prolongation of service period,the deterioration of service conditions,the decline of social status,and the emergence of textile industry which provided better employment opportunities,significantly reduced the attractiveness becoming a mercenaries for the Swiss.On the other hand,the development of the Swiss mercenaries and the European military transformation are closely related.When infantry replaced cavalry to become a new champion of the battlefield,the pike squares composed of a large number of Swiss infantry established their reputation as the Ever Victorious Army,which made them high-quality soldiers for which European countries scrambled to compete.However,in the era of firearms,military training became more important and the disciplined and collective replaced the heroic and individual soldier of the infantry era.By then,the market demand was greatly reduced due to the loss of the advantageous position,and the flourishing Swiss mercenary industry finally began to decline after the 18th century.Nevertheless,the Swiss mercenary industry had a great influence on the economic,politics and society,and even today we can still glimpse it.