When medieval armies were laid off, they turned into roving, pillaging corporations of war.
In short: Between the 12th and 14th centuries, mercenary groups known as free companies operated independently of any government. When peace treaties left these soldiers unemployed, they did not return to civilian life. Instead, they organized into armed bands, pillaging the countryside and extorting cities to survive between major conflicts.
The phenomenon of the free company emerged during the 12th century, notably appearing during the Anarchy in England. By the 14th century, these groups had evolved into highly structured, mobile organizations of cavalry, infantry, and archers. While they initially served kings like Philip II of France, the conclusion of major conflicts—such as the Treaty of Brétigny in 1360—frequently left thousands of seasoned soldiers without employment. Lacking civilian skills, these men formed bands like the Tards-Venus, which ravaged regions from Burgundy to Languedoc and even defeated French royal forces at the 1362 Battle of Brignais.
In Italy, the structure of competing, wealthy city-states provided a lucrative environment for these mercenaries, who became known as condottieri. Leaders like John Hawkwood, commander of the White Company, turned warfare into a business. The impact was profound; Siena, for instance, spent 291,379 florins between 1342 and 1399 simply paying off these companies to avoid attack. These groups were so pervasive that they were cited as a primary factor in the decline of Siena from a major power to a secondary one during the late 14th century.
These companies were not merely disorganized brigands; they adopted romantic names, internal hierarchies, and sophisticated operational strategies. Some, like the Catalan Company, traveled as far as the Byzantine Empire and Greece. While they were occasionally used by monarchs to export domestic instability—such as when the King of France sent bands to fight in Spain—they often returned to their pillaging habits once the fighting ceased. It was not until the mid-1400s, with the rise of centralized state power and the establishment of permanent military forces, that the era of the independent free company finally came to an end.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Free company
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