Condottiere

A condottiere was a leader of a mercenary army contracted by Italian city-states and other European powers from the 14th to the 16th centuries. Often ambitious and ruthless, condottieri carved out power bases for themselves, sometimes even establishing their own dynasties. While providing military services, their loyalty was primarily to the highest bidder rather than any particular nation or cause, and their actions often shaped the political landscape of Renaissance Italy. They negotiated contracts ('condotte') to provide troops for a specific period or campaign, and their success depended on their military prowess and negotiating skills.

Condottiere meaning with examples

• Francesco Sforza, a renowned condottiere, initially served Milan but eventually seized control of the city, establishing the Sforza dynasty that ruled for nearly a century.
• The Venetian Republic frequently employed condottieri to defend its vast trading empire, carefully balancing their reliance on mercenaries with the need to maintain internal stability.
• The infamous condottiere, Sir John Hawkwood, led the White Company, a group of English mercenaries who terrorized the Italian countryside during the late 14th century, infamous for pillaging
• Machiavelli, in 'The Prince', discusses the dangers of relying on condottieri, arguing that their self-interest and lack of genuine loyalty made them unreliable defenders of the state.