The course will aim to analyze the role of mercenaries in European society in the modern age by making a series of comparisons with the changes in the art of war and the evolution of contemporary societies.
Course Prerequisites
A good knowledge of modern history
Teaching Methods
Lectures
Assessment Methods
Students' preparation will be assessed through an oral exam during which they will have to demonstrate their understanding of the topics covered during the course.
Texts
Recommended bibliography for the scholars For the assiduously participants of the course (at least two thirds of the lessons) the lecture of this text Baumann, Reinhard, I lanzichenecchi, Torino, Einaudi, 1996. For the not participants, it’s obligatory the lecture of one of this books Parrott, David, The Business of War. Military Enterprise and Military Revolution in Early Modern Europe, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2012. Turnbull, Stephen, The Lost Samurai. Japanese Mercenaries in South East Asia 1593-1688, Barnsley, Frontline Books, 2021. Wilson, Peter H., German Armies. War and German Politics 1648-1806, London, University College London,1998.
Contents
Since ancient times, mercenaries have played a key role in the formation of military societies. In the modern era, the so-called military revolution saw a sharp acceleration of this phenomenon, with a significant expansion of the mercenary world. This course aims to analyze the phenomenon not only from a military perspective but also from a social one, identifying the figure of the mercenary in its historical context.
