The rise and fall of Italy’s warriors-for-hire

The rise and fall of Italy’s warriors-for-hire - Stephanie Honchell Smith

Рет қаралды 241,698

11 ай бұрын

Dig into the history of the elite mercenaries known as condottieri, who were soldiers for hire for Italy's rich and powerful.
--
During the 14th and 15th centuries, mercenaries known as condottieri dominated Italian warfare, profiting from- and encouraging- the region’s intense political rivalries. As rulers competed for power and prestige, their disputes often played out in military conflicts, fought almost entirely by the condottieri. So who were these elite and conniving warriors? Stephanie Honchell Smith investigates.
Lesson by Stephanie Honchell Smith, directed by Yael Reisfeld.
Support Our Non-Profit Mission
----------------------------------------------
Support us on Patreon: bit.ly/TEDEdPatreon
Check out our merch: bit.ly/TEDEDShop
----------------------------------------------
Connect With Us
----------------------------------------------
Sign up for our newsletter: bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletter
Follow us on Facebook: bit.ly/TEDEdFacebook
Find us on Twitter: bit.ly/TEDEdTwitter
Peep us on Instagram: bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram
----------------------------------------------
Keep Learning
----------------------------------------------
View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/the-mercil...
Dig deeper with additional resources: ed.ted.com/lessons/the-mercil...
Animator's website: www.yaelreisfeld.com
----------------------------------------------
Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Orlellys Torre, Corheu, Thomas Mee, Maryann H McCrory, Blas Borde, John Hellmann, Poompak Meephian, Chuck Wofford, Adam Pagan, Wes Winn, Conder Shou, ntiger, Noname, Hansan Hu, David D, Mac Hyney, Keith Ellison, robin valero walters, Lynne Truesdale, Gatsby Dkdc, Matthew Neal, Denis Chon, Julian Oberhofer, Monte Carroll, Eddy, Jay M, Constantino Victor Delgado, Andrea Galvagni, Andrew Tweddle, Laurel-Ann Rice, Fernando A. Endo, Helen Lee, pam morgan, sarim haq, Gerardo Castro, Michel-Ange Hortegat, Enes Kirimi, Amaury BISIAUX, ND, Samyogita Hardikar, Vanessa Graulich, Vandana Gunwani, Abdulmohsin Almadi, AJ Lyon, Geoffrey Bultitude, Mi Mi, Thomas Rothert, Brian Elieson, Oge O and Weronika Falkowska.

Пікірлер: 178

@lukesams3349 11 ай бұрын

“We have two types of contracts: our short term contract is that you won’t get backstabbed, our long term contract is that you won’t get backstabbed tomorrow”

@UseVisine 4 ай бұрын

Complimentary pizza at the end.

@imperialhistati2348 2 ай бұрын

😂 Jokes…

@antoniousai1989 11 ай бұрын

What's important to specify, since it isn't very clear from the video, is that Condottieri weren't generic mercenaries, but the leaders of groups of mercenaries. Only they were bound by the "Condotta" with their client and in turn, would pay their soldiers out of their huge salary which they would hire and release on the way to the battlefield. The term itself Condottiero in Italian evolved into meaning "Military leader" because of this. Napoleon can be called a Condottiero in Italian, the same as Alexander or Caesar. The word "Condotta" itself derives from the verb "Condurre" which means "to guide" (people or animals), and today it is also used in the formal meaning of "to drive" (a vehicle) instead of the verb "Guidare". It's ridiculous how the Condottieri were a big influence in the decay of medieval Italy, by draining its economic resources in neverending squabbles. Partially because of them (and most importantly because of the discovery of the American continent), geographical Italy went from being the richest region on the planet at its time to being a spoil of war for the Lanzikeneks of Charles V and the Spanish empire.

@SirsasthNigam. 11 ай бұрын

they were Italian captains in command of mercenary companies during the Middle Ages and of multinational armies during the early modern period.

@antoniousai1989 11 ай бұрын

@@SirsasthNigam. Indeed! Another common term to define them is "Capitani di Ventura", which could be translated as "Venture's Captains". Venture in the sense of risky endeavor, from which the modern expression "Venture Capitalists" was born, due to the risks of the stock market and investments!

@amgm1996 11 ай бұрын

thanks for this cooment, it added so much to the video

@macdjord 11 ай бұрын

So they were mercenary General Contractors?

@astroboirap 11 ай бұрын

typical lazy italians

@aclosetweeb6901 11 ай бұрын

"Would I ever leave this company? Look, I'm all about loyalty. In fact, I feel like part of what I'm being paid for here is my loyalty. But if there were somewhere else that valued loyalty more highly, I'm going wherever they value loyalty the most." -Dwight Schrute (And Italian mercenaries, probably)

@barbiquearea 11 ай бұрын

One Condottieri name Francesco Sforza was such a successful commander, that to buy his loyalty, the Duke of Milan betrothed his daughter to him. Francesco led the Milanese army in many successful campaigns against Venice. He would even succeed his father in law to becoming Duke of Milan when the man died without any male heirs, thus establishing the Sforza dynasty that ruled Milan for nearly one hundred years.

@feral26 11 ай бұрын

"War has changed. It's no longer about nations, ideologies, or ethnicity. It's an endless series of proxy battles, fought by mercenaries and machines...War - and it's consumption of life - has become a well-oiled machine." -Hideo Kojima

@realkekz 11 ай бұрын

NANOMACHINES SON

@paddor 11 ай бұрын

its

@nerd26373 11 ай бұрын

The mercernaries are fascinating to learn more in detail. Personally, I haven't got much knowledge about them and where they may have originated from.

@adrianusnicholas8600 11 ай бұрын

To me, the most fascinating commander was Federico Da Montefeltro, ruler of Urbino.

@antoniousai1989 11 ай бұрын

Ludovico Sforza too was very interesting but he was a butcher. Federico da Montefeltro was a fine connoisseur of art and paid for lots of masterpieces!

@TaRAAASHBAGS 11 ай бұрын

Cesare Borgia might have even been a household name if his end wasn't so unceremonious.

@neutronalchemist3241 11 ай бұрын

There are many fascinating figures. Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, Bartolomeo d'Alviano, Guido da Montefeltro (great-great-great grandfather of Federico)...

@benjamincalitri365 11 ай бұрын

Machiavelli talks about the flaw of horing mercenaries rather than local soldiers in The Prince, he is referencing exactly this

@lucianoosorio5942 11 ай бұрын

“Cause all I hear is threats from a brute with no discipline, and I’m ruling over you like a boot full of my citizens!” Julius Caesar

@riopratamamartin7870 11 ай бұрын

and now the 21st century rose the era of the next generation of condotierri

@ElBandito 11 ай бұрын

However, most modern PMC are still tied to their nation's interests.

@riopratamamartin7870 11 ай бұрын

@@ElBandito yeah a little bit but their acting like condotierri or maybe landsknecht

@AnotherAvaibleName 11 ай бұрын

@@ElBandito not really

@itacom2199 11 ай бұрын

In the "Canzone all'Italia" a poem by the XIV Italian poet Francesco Petrarca, there is one of the most famous critiques of the mercenaries, that were an important element in the disunited state of Italy. The poem also talks about the use of mercenaries from Bavaria, and this is used by Petrarca as a justification for his hate for Germans.

@hungvu2774 11 ай бұрын

So informative. I hope you will post more types of videos like this

@JuanAguilar-ly7di 11 ай бұрын

Here is something from Wikipedia: 1) Sir John Hawkwood (c. 1323 - 17 March 1394) was an English soldier who served as a mercenary leader or condottiero in Italy. As his name was difficult to pronounce for non-English-speaking contemporaries, there are many variations of it in the historical record. He often referred to himself as Haukevvod and in Italy he was known as Giovanni Acuto, literally meaning "John Sharp" (or "John the Astute") in reference to his "cleverness or cunning". His exploits made him a man shrouded in myth in both England and Italy. Much of his enduring fame results from the surviving large and prominent fresco portrait of him in the Duomo, Florence, made in 1436 by Paolo Uccello, seen every year by 4½ million tourists. ------ 2) Condottieri (Italian: [kondotˈtjɛːri]; singular condottiero or condottiere) were Italian captains in command of mercenary companies during the Middle Ages and of multinational armies during the early modern period. They notably served popes and other European monarchs during the Italian Wars of the Renaissance and the European Wars of Religion. Notable condottieri include Prospero Colonna, Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, Cesare Borgia, the Marquis of Pescara, Andrea Doria, and the Duke of Parma.

@mistertizio4094 10 ай бұрын

"Acuto" is also a very good approximation of Hawkwood

@snapeseveres 11 ай бұрын

So this is the inspiration behind Sellsword armies depicted in A Song of Ice and Fire! Thank you for the wonderful lesson.

@eddiepolo6047 11 ай бұрын

This period was some of the inspiration for Joe Abercrombie's First Law universe. Especially the stories set in Styria, and the characters Nicomo Cosca and Monza Murcatto.

@daringbeast 11 ай бұрын

Hello ted ed thanks for such awesome videos 😊

@jking6736 11 ай бұрын

Loyalty rewards stability Treachery rewards prosperity

@danielsantiagourtado3430 11 ай бұрын

Love your videos!🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤

@mattdunn0804 11 ай бұрын

Another great video Ted ed. I would suggest one on the 30 years war.

@gutsdw 11 ай бұрын

Hey Ted-Ed, Might I recommend two separate videos just for the enjoyment of myself. One for Marcel Proust’s ‘In Search of Lost Time’ and the other on David Foster Wallace’s ‘Infinite Jest’. Also, loved the video! Loved the animation!

@fortune_roses 11 ай бұрын

Love this channel :D more stuff like this please

@KnightsofGaming2016 11 ай бұрын

"I'm just a businessman doing business" - a condottieri, probably

@nyko921 11 ай бұрын

Condottiero*

@heristyono4755 11 ай бұрын

1:16 Michelangelo's David casually giving a finger

@13thravenpurple94 11 ай бұрын

Great video Thank you 👍

@benitoharrycollmann132 11 ай бұрын

It's quite probable that mercenaries contributed as much, if not more so, to the shaping of history as their Regular counterparts. From Giovanni Giustiniani defending Constantinople, to Yamada Nagamasa fighting for the Ayutthaya Kingdom in Thailand, or even Siegfried Müller and his Congolese commandos. Soldiers of fortune are a commonality across almost every culture at some point in time.

@masaheimoi 11 ай бұрын

I disagree. Biggest wars were fought with no mercenaries in sight. War has become more and more resource demanding, so in modern times there is no room for non-state actors to build big enough forces to matter.

@ethanfreeland2510 11 ай бұрын

@@masaheimoi most modern wars have utilized mercenaries, the USA used a ton of mercenaries in Iraq and other conflicts in the Middle East

@masaheimoi 11 ай бұрын

@@ethanfreeland2510 US used them in trying to control the areas, not in the fight to take over.

@matthewstanulet1441 11 ай бұрын

"Wait? It's all business?" "Always has been" 🧑‍🚀🔫

@gleamsuun 11 ай бұрын

The Condottieri were clearly highly intelligent politicians from how they act as if they'll get things done but only achieve what will benefit them.

@bvillafuerte765 10 ай бұрын

Good video.

@woozertoo 11 ай бұрын

“Beneath the gold, the bitter steel.” Yeah, right 😂

@user-bp4nv3qp4d 11 ай бұрын

Best video 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

@D00Rb3LL 11 ай бұрын

The famous Machiavelli always said it was a bad idea to hire mercenaries

@andrei1637 2 ай бұрын

This is so different than the wars in eastern europe at the time. I heard a historian saying that while in Italy wars were more like showing off power and might, and they fought with like 5-10 000 men army, in eastern europe there were wars of extermination where the ottomans with 100 000 army were fighting 50 - 100 000 combined armies of european leaders to death

@Moircuus 11 ай бұрын

Thankyou so much, I've been thinking about this for a while

@funakfunak2740 11 ай бұрын

I mean it was not just the condottieri who kept the conflicts from escalating into sacking or burning cities. These were in the first place not wars of conquest, they were economic wars meant to flex or gain favourable trade deals. Honestly the whole city-sponsored armies fighting each other feels a lot like patron-sponsored gladiator battles, just on a bigger scale.

@alexandroskappa642 11 ай бұрын

Well, the opening quote could have been spoken out by the US weapons industry I guess...

@josueromerotorrico4453 11 ай бұрын

They forgot to mention that they have bonus damage against gunpowder units, and also dont take any bonus damage from them.

@barthoekstra6760 5 ай бұрын

And Genoese Crossbowmen have bonus damage against cavalry

@swedichboy1000 11 ай бұрын

Could you cover The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath?

@mestre12 11 ай бұрын

I hope you guys can do a video on Urbino

@gregmiller9710 11 ай бұрын

very smart!..

@ahmedfareed4921 11 ай бұрын

Nice

@sample2681 11 ай бұрын

Who is the voice actor for this video? His voice is so soothing

@pradeepraopatwardhan2025 11 ай бұрын

Good

@gabrieljordan8015 11 ай бұрын

How did we function as a society before social media?

@Jira4211 11 ай бұрын

imma let someone else answer this

@Livic091 11 ай бұрын

I don't want peace, I want problems, always.

@NutcasePodcast77 11 ай бұрын

Give ted an Oscar

@kennethadler7380 11 ай бұрын

We still have does PMC in the 21 century

@ElBandito 11 ай бұрын

However, most modern PMC are still tied to their nation's interests.

@splitfries69 11 ай бұрын

*_Loyalty rewards stability Treachery rewards prosperity_*

@Amitdas-gk2it 11 ай бұрын

Interesting

@hamouyounes 11 ай бұрын

did ted ed ever made a video about the barbary pirates

@Flaschenteufel 11 ай бұрын

3:22 sure had to be added :D it is just ridiculous beyond any sanity at this point

@robwalsh9843 10 ай бұрын

Machiavelli: Mercenaries are useless and dangerous Merchant: Bro, those are my employees

@punishedfilthyfrank7348 11 ай бұрын

So that's why we can hire Mercenaries in Assassin's Creed II

@CharDhue 11 ай бұрын

Even today

@satnamo 11 ай бұрын

He who keeps on going even when life becomes hard is a warrior

@marym7104 11 ай бұрын

Within 6 days!

@Dennis-nc3vw 8 ай бұрын

Wait so exactly what WAS required in that first contract?

@thegamerplays8915 11 ай бұрын

Do you not know I live by war And that peace would ruin me my life in a nutshell

@NoName-hg6cc 11 ай бұрын

Actually in 1300 there were still militias of citizen

@LuisCabanzonGutierrez 11 ай бұрын

Seems these condottieri were paid in spice. The spice must flow. 🔵👃🔵

@GuRJaV 11 ай бұрын

Did anyone else have flashbacks of Berserk

@JulianCastelle23 11 ай бұрын

You have to give it the Condottieris. They have never betrayed a client and have always fulfilled their end of the contract. It's too bad their clients never actually read the full contract to know when the Condottieris' times are done.

@user-ii9vj2ok1p 3 ай бұрын

how many were there

@timchau8853 11 ай бұрын

🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧵🪀🧠🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧵🪀🧠🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧵🪀🧠🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧵🪀🧠🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧵🪀🧠🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧵🪀🧠🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧵🪀🧠🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧵🪀🧠🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧵🪀🧠🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧵🪀🧠🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶🧵🪀🧠

@mikloscsuvar6097 11 ай бұрын

It is funny, that due to Wagner riot the Hungarian magazine HVG (Weekly World Economics) took the same topic of dinasty róestablishing condottieries as one of the weekly ones.

@bende2479 11 ай бұрын

It still is a business

@Inkan1969 11 ай бұрын

It still is a business. See Blackwater and Wagner.

@deadbeatboy 11 ай бұрын

Oh no...

@jacobgard9404 11 ай бұрын

Bare minimum has always been the standard

@ZlXer0 10 ай бұрын

literally the first PMC

@kirbymarchbarcena 11 ай бұрын

These soldiers of fortune may not have lasted but they did lived their lives to the fullest...tax-free, probably.

@hieplamtran6139 9 ай бұрын

Ironic that in AOE they immune to gunpowder

@marym7104 11 ай бұрын

127,200th viewer of this video!

@maindepth8830 11 ай бұрын

Well this is happenin again

@loudjine.12 11 ай бұрын

❤❤

@reinardish 11 ай бұрын

Assassin creed 2 & Brotherhood

@mysteryGuySaysHi 10 ай бұрын

so GOT's Golden Company. they were useless in GOT but maybe in ASOIAF

@aaronargottelopez3488 11 ай бұрын

❤

@boki102409 8 ай бұрын

Buona pratica comerciale.

@ilovemuslimfood666 10 ай бұрын

“Ezio, meet Bianca. Bianca…Ezio.”

@GodBless423 Ай бұрын

This video is marvelous!

@seandivers1 11 ай бұрын

I’m sure in her you’ll fine sanctuary

@darkcarnage5239 11 ай бұрын

0:02 sounds about America

@iulaihe51299 11 ай бұрын

the city of cathrage was wrecked by mercenaries they didn't have the funds to pay them and had to hire a second group to get rid of them

@brojack3571 8 ай бұрын

Well roman legioner from the past will nailed when heard or see this downgraded🗿 Sure, if they're can heard to the future...

@NAATHAAN 9 ай бұрын

Food was a much better trade than warriors

@anothaeasywin 11 ай бұрын

Condos:sir we need horses Condo leader:Well lets start a war send in our instigators! Instigators: (whisper) He said yo wife a hoe and and she gets drug through the mud.

@antoniomoreira5921 11 ай бұрын

For anyone who's very keen on Medieval Italian warfare I hotly recommend Schwerpunkt's videos series

@user-yg5yk2kg7d 11 ай бұрын

now lets play some age of empires 2 DE after that video. italians vs turks

@antoniousai1989 11 ай бұрын

Condos are pretty good against Turks

@tm43977 11 ай бұрын

Business war

@Newton_1988 11 ай бұрын

Usa knows

@katherineknapp4370 3 ай бұрын

@victorcast2467 11 ай бұрын

And no Condottieri was ever as famous os successful as the Band of the Hawk

@importantname 11 ай бұрын

Its just business.

@bullymaguire7341 10 ай бұрын

Hey guys can you make a video on the historical relationship between British and india i guess not 😂😂😂

@MayaUndefined 11 ай бұрын

I don't understand why the conductaries would not also invest in gunpowder. surely they wanted to hold onto their business?

@MrGoncalobraz 11 ай бұрын

@Ted-Ed it'd be worthwhile to mention this are exclusively the perspective and opinion of Machiavelli, as all compiled research until this moment rebutts his description of lazy and reluctant fighters.

@user-ui9mj8hl3h 11 ай бұрын

[생화 / 나동수] 촌철 : 흔들리지 않는 꽃은 향기가 나지 않는다. 활인 : 조화는 생명이 없으니 흔들려도 아픔을 못 느끼고 세월의 흐름을 모르니 스스로 지지 못하고 결국 더러워져 버려집니다. 흔들리고 아픔을 느끼는 것은 우리가 살아 있다는 증거인 것입니다. 꽃이 바람에 흔들리면서 뿌리를 굳건히 하고 성장하듯 사람도 시련을 통해 성장하고 그 아픔이 향기가 되는 것이랍니다.

@Kunalcool1994 11 ай бұрын

This year P&C rocked but who knows next year clocks & calendar se hi itne difficult aa jae ki koi bhi coaching ka course usko cover hi nhi kr pae & agar kra bhi to cost benefit ratio kitna hoga, as GS ka use mains, interview mai bhi hai , but CSAT ka kaha hai?