This question is in relation to infantry who carried swords as their primary weapon during the 1600s (so I'm discounting musketeers or pikemen armed with backup short-swords). I've come across the Rondartschiere, but don't know anything about them other than they were guys armed with swords (of some make) and round shields (hence the name). Could anyone elaborate a bit more on who those guys were, and whether there were any other units/types of European infantry during the 1600s that carried swords as their primary weapon? I know that in the 1500s some of the Landsknechte carried two-handers, but I don't know if that practice lasted on any scale into the 1600s. I'm also somewhat familiar with the Spanish Rodeleros from the 1500s, but again I don't know if they lasted into the next century.
Question: Sword-bearing (European) infantry in the 1600s?
- Thread starter mihu
- Start date
Joined Aug 2019
700 Posts | 930+
SPAIN
Vladimir Brnardic in Osprey´s Imperial Armies of the 30 Year´s War (Infantry) talks about rondartschieren (bucklers): Bucklers were front-rank infantrymen, protected with armour and bulletproof shields, who were trained to charge and engage in close combat.
He seems to think of them as an infantry type like the musketeer and the pikemen. I´m not pretty sure.
At least in the spanish armies, bucklers were used, but not as the primary weapon. Bucklers were carried, because they were useful in actions like assaults and recon missions, but they were not the primary weapon. Those bucklers were probably munition bucklers from the army train; as in 1567, it was said that the usual was for only the captains to carry their own bucklers (they have a buckler page for that).
He seems to think of them as an infantry type like the musketeer and the pikemen. I´m not pretty sure.
At least in the spanish armies, bucklers were used, but not as the primary weapon. Bucklers were carried, because they were useful in actions like assaults and recon missions, but they were not the primary weapon. Those bucklers were probably munition bucklers from the army train; as in 1567, it was said that the usual was for only the captains to carry their own bucklers (they have a buckler page for that).
More History Discussions
- Locked
Trending History Discussions
-
The Great Captains of History - How Many Battles? - Version 7- Started by DiocletianIsBetterThanYou
- Replies: 861
-
-
The Great Captains of History - How Many Battles? - Version 5
- Started by DiocletianIsBetterThanYou
- Replies: 3K
-
The Diversity Of Early African Architecture/Ruins Thread- Started by Kilwa Sultanate
- Replies: 2K
-