Croatian mercenaries in Europe in 16th/17th century
I've heard that Croatian mercenaries were quite fearsome during period.
It is known that the guards of the Doge of Venice were Schiavoni, Dalmatian Slavs, mostly Croats.
Is there anyone who knows more about this or can point out some literature?
Thanks in advance.

Toni Lozica
Rotterdam
Re: Croatian mercenaries in Europe in 16th/17th century
Toni Lozica wrote:
I've heard that Croatian mercenaries were quite fearsome during period.
It is known that the guards of the Doge of Venice were Schiavoni, Dalmatian Slavs, mostly Croats.
Is there anyone who knows more about this or can point out some literature?
Thanks in advance.

Toni Lozica
Rotterdam

Have you looked a the myArmoury feature article, The Schiavona and its Influences
? The article is primarily about the sword associated with these mercenaries, but does touch a little on the background of the soldiers, themselves.
Croatian mercenaries
Thanks Steve. I've read this article earlier. However it is not much. At least not much more that I know of.
I believe that a problem with Croatian mercenaries is that they were mostly incorporated in other armies like Venetian, as mentioned in article and in Austrian army. Specially fighting Turks along the Military Cordon (Vojna Krajina).
I was hope thatthere is some of the experts visiting this forum could tell some more on this topic.
Then go check up the Uskoks. I think there's a book titled The Uskoks of Senj but I forgot the author (and I'm too lazy to check the myArmoury bookshelf to see who it is).
There were also the Stradioti, who could be about anything Balkan actually, but were employed as very light cavalry through the late-15th through the mid-16th Century by most of the Italian city-states, and France as well. They were armed in maille shirt, with light steel helmet of whichever fashion the time and place dictated, sword or sabre, shield and light lance. (Pretty much like all Eastern or border cavalrymen for hundreds of years.) There ought to be at least some information out there on the Stradiots.

Cheers,

Gordon
Thanks to all for your reactions.
It seems that there is plenty of information on this in Croatian sources, but not on the web.
Will check asap and get back here with more info.
My foremost intention with this topic is to get more information from Western European sources to make some comparison.
Nevertheless thanks again.

Page 1 of 1

Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum




All contents © Copyright 2003-2006 myArmoury.com — All rights reserved
Discussion forums powered by phpBB © The phpBB Group
Switch to the Full-featured Version of the forum